When Eggs are Expensive

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 727, 19 June 1953, Page 22

When Eggs are Expensive

7 THEN eggs are scarce and expensive, it is still possible to make up many of our favourite dishes by using eggsubstitutes. For instance, a good custard can be made by dissolving a tablespoon of golden syrup in one breakfast cup of warm milk, then mixing it into a pint of cold milk and baking slowly, There is also cake-powder, which is used instead of baking powder, according to the directions on the tin; and there are also recipes in which one egg is made to do the work of two or three. For example: Devon Bacon and Egg Pie Here is a pie, baked in a deep sand-wich-tin, which is enough for a family meal, yet only uses 2 eggs! With a green vegetable, and perhaps a tin of sweet corn (whole-kernel), you get a fine dinner. Line shallow dish with flaky pastry; a deep sandwich tin is satisfactory. Have ready plenty of very finely chopped parsley and about ¥% Ib. streaky bacon also chopped: finely. Put 2 or 3 layers of bacon and parsley on pastry. Put pastry lid on top with a half-inch square hole cut neatly out of the centre. Wash over with milk and bake in hot oven 420 degrees (Regulo 7 or 8) for 20 minutes. While this is cooking, beat up two eggs with 1/3rd. cup milk and a dash of pepper (no salt). Take pie from oven and pour egg mixture in through the prepared hole. Return to oven for another 20 minutes. Take out of tin, turn upside down and return to hot oven for 5 minutes, to make the bottom crust crisp. Serve in thin pieces for savouries (hot) or as a hot dish at a meal-or in small wedgeshaped pieces for morning or afternoon tea or supper. Eggless Fish Batter If using oysters, use oyster liquor, otherwise any vegetable stock or milk. One cup white flour, pepper and salt, 1 level teaspoon baking soda, 2 level! teaspoons cream of tartar. Sift all together and add sufficient liquid (about 34 cup) to make batter. Add a little yellow food colouring to make it look as though it has eggs in it. Bacon and Fried Batter When you cen’t have bacon and eggs, here is a tasty fried batter which is very pleasant. Two tablespoons cornflour, 1

tablespoon flour, salt : and pepper, 1 egg (well beaten), 1 cup milk, small teaspoon baking powder. Mix and cook in the bacon fat after the bacon has been lifted out, using good heat to make it nice and brown, both = sides. Drain a moment on paper and serve nice and hot with bacon. Another addition to the fried bacon is to split yesterday’s scones in half, dip them into a soup‘plate of milk and then fry them in the fat; or use

slices of stale currant loaf. Eqgless Coconut Crisps This was sent me

from No, 1 R.D., Christchurch. Quarter pound of butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup coconut, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons cocoa, a little milk if needed, Cream butter and sugar and add other ingredients. Roll out and place on greased oven tray. Bake in not too hot an oven, and when still warm ice with chocolate icing and sprinkle with coconut. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Eggless Sponge R.D., Christchurch, makes this one, too-says it is an excellent school lunch cake. Quarter pound of butter, %%2 Ib. sugar, 10 oz. flour, 2 teaspoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 level teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons golden syrup, 1 large cup-milk, 4% cup nuts. Beat butter and sugar, add half the milk with syrup, then the other ingredients and the other half of milk with baking soda dissolved in it. Ice with chocolate icing. Eggless Chocolate Roughs From Waitara, Taranaki, comes this recipe. Four ounces butter, 4% cup coconut, 1 teaspoon baking powder (not phosphate), 1 tablespoon cocoa, % cup sugar, 1 ‘cup flour, 4% cup boiling water, pinch of salt and vanilla to taste, Beat butter and sugar to cream, add cocoa, salt and vanilla, then boiling water. then coconut, flour and beking powder, Put in small rough heaps on cold greased tray. When cold ice with chocolate icing. We usually make a double mixture and have found that one weetbix crushed up in it makes the mixture very crisp. Double mixture makes a big 3 lb. tin full. Afghans (with Cornflour) Ordinary recipe:-Three ounces sugar, 6 oz. flour, pinch salt, 6 oz. butter, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 2 oz. cornflakes. Cream butter and sugar, add dry ingredients. Roll in balls, cook on cold tray, moderate oven, Variation:-Substitute 20z. cornflour for cornflakes or 1 oz. cornflour and 1 oz. cornflakes and about 2 tablespoons boiling water when creaming butter and sugar. When cold ice with chocolate icing and put a piece of walnut on top. Golden Syrup Scones Half pound of flour, pinch salt, % teaspoon baking soda, 1 oz. butter (little candied peel if liked). 2 dessert-

spoons golden syrup, sour milk to mix. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, make a hole in the centre and add the golden syrup with sufficient sour milk to make a fairly soft dough. Turn on to floured board, pat out and cut into shapes, When cooked, take out, ‘quickly brush over with a little sweetened condensed milk and return to oven to dry. French-Fried Onion Rings These are delicious, so crisp and juicy,

and are cooked in very deep boiling fat for only 2 to 3 minutes. It is a good idea to have the pure white butchers’ dripping for this because quite clear and tasteless. Cut big onions in thick slices (quarter-inch) and separate into rings with the fingers. Dip these first into milk, then into flour; shake off surplus flour and drop into the boiling fat, only a few at a time. Take out with perforated spoon and drain on paper, sprinkle with salt. Serve with liver cut in 42-inch slices and rolled in seasoned flour, Fry these lightly in hot» bacon fat or butter, turning with a spoon (not a fork) so that no juice runs out. Five minutes is sufficient. Should be soft and tender and juicy.