The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1892-01-01

Goodies for Christmas.
Fruit Cake to Delight Jan Epicurc

Fruit Cake TO Delight Jan Epicure.
For fruit cake enough TODD the
mily-any reasonable family-for
hristmas and New Years Day, these
Kings are necessary: Two pounds
currants, three pounds raisins, one
pound citron, one pound candied
orange and lemon peel, one pound
figs, one pound almonds, two pounds
-four, one pound butter, two pounds
of the darkest brown sugar you can
get, eighteen eggs, one ounce ground
cloves, one ounce ground cinnamon,
one outce allspice, two nutmegs
grated, one fourth pint of brandy.
Prepare the fruit the day before.
This simple command is apt to
Stump" the experimenter-so this is
how it's done. First Of all tumble the
currants into painful of tepid water,
stir them around bit and lift out
with the hands, letting the water
drain off them as you do. Repeat
this two or three times. then spread
them on clean tea towel, as coarse a
one as you have, roll them up in it
and rub them we'll to dry them and
to get the little stems of. The stems
will stick to the towel and the use Of
TWO or three towels in this way will
make the ourrants perfectly clean.
Spread them on q platter and set
aside until the morrow.
Stone the raisins. This is made
easy by letting them stand in nearly
boiling water for q minute. A small
sharp knife, touch of butter on the
fingers or else bowl of warm water
to dip them in, and the seeds are
easily removed. Tear them in hllf
as you seed them.
Shred the oitron quite fine and cut
up the figs in small bits.
Chop the orange and lemon peel
very small.
Blanch the almonds and cut them
in quarters. They are blanched
pouring boiling water over them, 10y
ting them stand in it few minu ct
and then popping them out of ties,
skins. heir
The raisins, orange peel, citron and
almonds should be pressed down in
a dish and the brandy poured over
them then closely cover with plate.
The next day, when the mixing and
the baking are to be done, set the -four
on the oven to brown, and as it
browns remove that dark enough
and set the rest back until all is light
brown.
Thoroughly rub together the but
ter and sugar, with a wooden spoon
until creamy. Separate the yolks and
whites of the eggs, beat the yolks
until light and add to the sugar and
butter. Then add half the
-four, next the spices, stir
ring we'll after each addition. Sift
the other half of the -four over the
fruit and add that, putting the figs
and almonds in first SO that they will
be well distributed, then the citron,
chopped peel, raisins and currants
alternately, a handful of each at
time, and stirring industriously be-
tween handfuls.
Beat the whites Of the eggs to a
light-not stiff-troth and add last.
A good idea is to save out two or
three spoonfuls of the batter before
the fruit goes in, to spread over the
cakes after they are in the pans, in
order to cover the fruit and prevent it
burning.
Heavy pans that turn out cake
with hole in the middle, or earthen
baking dishes are good to bake them
The oven must be just hot enough
to turn piece of MANILA paper pale
brown in minute. 1t requires three
hours to bake fruit cake thorough
ly and the oven must be a
"slow" one Of even tempera-
ture. After three hours open the
doors aud leave the cakes 10 the oven
for half or three quarters of an hour
longer TO cook.
Now for the browning touch. About
a week or FIVE days before you are
going to cut the cakes, get quart
bottle of champagne-domestic does
very we'll. Puncture the cakes with a
knitting needle or larding needle
through and through in every direc.
tion and pour the wine over them,
turning them in it until they drink up
every drop. Set them away again un-
til the day before cutting, when they