Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13
DAINTY DESSERTS.
Some Toothsome Delicacfes and Pretty
Dishes for Holiday Menus.

Dishes for Holiday Menus.
MAKING FRUIT CAKE FOR CHRIsrMAs-rREAr-
MESr OF MINcE PIEs-PRETTY AND NOVEL
IDEAS FOR OTHER TEMPTING CoNcocr1oSs-
CHOCOLATE MOSS AND PRUNE WHIP
A LII HOUsEKEEPERS know that age i'm
Improves many sweetmeats, some cakes and
much of. the dainty cooking inseparately con-
nected with Christmas festivities. For plum
buildings several weeks, for black cakes and
mince pies ten days are as short a time as they
should have. 1t is not generally known, how
ever, that fruit cake or mince pie or
plum pudding made by any recipe that
calls for delicious concoction is not
always one that will keep well. Cakes
to be kept a long time should be made
with that idea in view, for many that are ex-
cellent just after cooking will become dry and
tasteless with age. 1t is not necessary. how
ever, as is often supposed, to keep either a
plum pudding or black cake certain length
of time before becoming eatable. Many of the
most palatable are served soon after baking.
About ten days. though, is better and the fol-
lowing recipe for
CHRISTMAS BLACK CAKE
is one of that kind: Stem and seed three
quarters OF pound of raisins, pick over and
wash three-quarters of pound of sultanas.
shred quarter of pound Of sitron, cut
fine a quarter of pound each of candied
lemon pee, candied plums. pineapple, peaches
cream. add half pound of powdered sugar
and beat well. Beat ten eggs until creamy,
mix with the butter and sugar. sift in half q
pound of flour and beat five minutes. Mix all
the fruit together and flour well. Add one
grated nutmeg, quarter OF an ounce
half much cloves and allspice
to the batter: mix in the fruit with half gill
of brandy and a tablespoonful of rum and give
thorough beating. Line round pan with
buttered paper, pour in the batter and bake in
slow oven for four hours and half. Next
day mix half pint of brandy with glass of
wine and two tablespoonfuls of fruit juice.
Put the cake in large. deep baking dish or a
stone crock and pour the mixture over it; put
a cover on the top and let stand one week. then
turn the cake over and let stand twenty-fOur
hours: take out and set in cool place until
wanted. A more delicious mOrsel than q piece
of this In the cake line cannot be found.
DELIGHTFUI. FRUIT CAKE.
For an inexpensive fruit cake this is unsur-
passed: One teacup of the unbolted graham
-four, one teacup of wheat flour sifted. two
eggs. one cup of butter or lard and butter
mixed. half cup of molasses or syrup, half a
cup Of sugar. half cup of milk, two table
spoonfuls Of finely sliced citron. half a cup of
currants, half cup of chopped ralsins two
teaspOonfuls OF cinnamon. one small nutmeg
grated, half a teaspoonful of cloves and three
teaspOonfls of baking powder. Put the powder
in last. sitting it through fine sieve with
about a teaspoonful of flour. Beat the batter
well and bake from forty to fifty minutes. If
made according to directions nothing can be
more satisfactory.
FRUIT CAKE nor TOO RICH
is made by using one pound of flour, three
quarters of a pound of sugar, one-half pound
of butter, one pound of raisins, one pound of
currants, One-half pound of citron, one tea
spoonful of mace, one small grated nutmeg,
five eggs, one teaspoonful of soda, one-half
pint sour milk. Flour the fruit WELL cream
the butter, beat white and yelks of eggs separ-
ately and then mix the ingredients in any
order except that as soon as the soda is added
the cake must begin to bake. Next to the fruit
cake in line of contribution to enjoyment is the
TooTBsoME MINcE PIE.
However high the tide of reverence for
menus may be, we are never unwilling to come
down from our devotional eyrie to this queen
of pies. There are mince pies and mince pies
some CT which SAVIOR of anything but enjoymen
after being eaten. but genuine delicious mince
pie can be partaken of reasonably without fear
of weird and rollicking dreams. The ways of
preparing mlnce meat are so common and
numerous that almost every housekeeper has
recipe of her own, but here is one of Irish
descent and so recently arrived as to hardly
and easily made, and for flavor and piquancy is
unexcelled: Keep a beef tongue in water four
or five days; boil till tender; when cold chop
fine and add two pounds of finely chopped suet,
two pounds OF raisins. two pounds of currants,
twelve large apples minced fine. four pounds
OF sugar. juice and pulp Of two large oranges
and the grated rind of one, a cupful of rasp-
berry or strawberry jam, three-fourths Of a
pound of cltron shaved and cut fine, one cup
full of ounce preserve, two tabiespoonfuls Of
cinnamon and one of nutmeg: mix the mince
meat with a strip from a sweet pickle jar, add
a little brandy and the juice and grated rind of
four lemons.
NOTES ABOUT MrNcE PIES.
Upon the crust as much depends for success
as upon the mince-hOwever delicious the fill
ing may be tough, heavy pastry destroys every
other virture and renders the whole distasteful
and unpalatable. Never cut a mince pie hot
from the oven; they should be barely hot. 1t
Is best to bake small trial pie to test its rich
ness. The edges should be carefully snugged
and free from air crevices. One inch deep
makes well-filled pie.
OTHER DAINTY DESSERTS.
Plum buildings, fruit cakes and mince pies
do not monopolize the entire menu for desserts
during the holidays or even on Christmas day.
There are other things quite as often used. as
desirable and as palatable if not AZ far famed.
To say nothing of other kinds of buildings and
pies and custards without end some very tempt
ing dishes can be cOncOcted-fit to set before 4
king. For instance, dish of
vARIEGATED JELLIEs
is something SO pleasing, though simple. that
it would be a difficult task to surpass it. Take
six good, sound oranges. cut from the stalk end
of each slice about the size and shape of a
quarter of q dollar and then with small spoon
or other suitable instrument work out all the
juice and pulp of the fruit. taking great care
not to break or injure the skins in any way.
Throw the latter into bowl of cold water and
leave them there for an hour to harden. Then
turn them upside down on sieve in order to free
them from every particle Of moisture. When
quite dry arrange the orange skins. cut side
uppermOst on a bed of ice and fill one-third
of the namber with orange jelly, one-third with
clear red apple jelly and the other with rich
custard jelly, that is, custard made in the
usual manner and mixed with sufficient French
sheet gelatine to make it stiffen when cold.
Next day cut the oranges in quarters with n
sharp knife, pile up the pieces tastefuly on a
lace dish paper and intersperse freely with
fresh green leaves of various shades and shapes.
When artistically done the dish looks elegant
iii the extreme.
CHOCOLATE MOSS
is another dainty, pretty and novel dish, and il
made in the following manner: One quart of
fresh cream, favored, sweetencd and whipped
to stiff froth and drained on u sieve. Mean
while have two squares of bakers chocolate
melting III a basin set over teakettle Of boil
ing water; stir carefully the melted chocolate
into a froth. pour into pail or freezer and