The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-12-17
CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE.
THE OF Within tne C0nQQeFOfs
sxa,yss


1t is the custom since old Colonial
times in all families Of English descent
to make Il special holiday fruit cake.
| This cake is usually made weeks before
Christmas, and the period just after
Thanksgiving is the time most often
chosen for it's preparation. If it is made
now it has time to "ripen'' into prime con-
dition by the holidays, though it is usu.
ally prepared in sufficient quantity to
| keep ON hand for the winter. In the
making Of this famous blackcake there
are about as many rules as for the equal
ly famous bag-pudding which the nur-
sery rhyme tells us, good King Arthurs
| Queen did make, and stuffed it full of
| plums."
The bodybuilding as we'll as the fruit
cake, seems to date back, according to
that venerable record the Doomsday Book,
to William the Conquerer, in which is
mentioned the gift of a portion of land to
his cook as special reward for his skill
IN preparing plum pottage and sundry
cakes that were served at the coronation.
These dainties of the table were undoubt-
edly used by the Anglo-Saxons before
this time, and may easily have dated
back to the half-mythical era of the
knights of the Round Table, though the
|
domestic habits might create doubt in
the minds of young people, who like to
| believe in the ideals of romance
However ancient the date of fruitcake.
successive ages have improved the various
rules by which it is made. 1t is the most
delicious Of all confections of it's kind.
| Properly made, blackcake will keep for
years. If it becomes too dry, puncture
it repeatedly at the bottom with a large
trusting needle and pour in a mixture
Of one-half syrup and one-half brandy.
10 prepare the syrup boil half cup of
| sugar and half cup of water together
for six minutes; after this add the
brandy:
We will give three well-tested rules for
frultcake: The first requires a rich
poundcake, such as confectioners prepare
for a wedding cake. The other two use
cheaper cakes; all will keep well-the
plainest one for several weeks, the others
for years if properly iced and kept in d
stone pot iii a cool closet.
For the richest blackcake known to the
cook, wash a pound of butter to remove
the salt Stir it to cream in a warm
bowl. Add pound of sugar: beat it in
smoothly. Crate the rind of. two clean
Messina lemons; work the mixture we'll
with a wooden spoon, and add ten eggs.
They should weigh a pound. Mix TO-
gether on a plate a teaspoonful of CHINA
mon, the same amount of mace and all
spice, a grated nutmeg and half a tea
spoonful of cloves. Add to the spices
four tablespoonful of confectioners mo-
asses; this is dark, sweet kind of mo-
lasscs which will help to flavor and color
the cake. It can be obtained at dealers
in confectioners' supplies and at some
grocers'. Mix in the spices and mo-
lasses thoroughly with the butter, sugar
and eggs. and add a pound of pastry -four
which has been dried and sifted twice.
Use the hands to knead the mass now
spoon. Mix it very thoroughly. and
knead in two pounds of wellcleaned cur
rants, two pounds of Sultana raisins and
two pounds of Malaga raisins, that have
been stoned. and half pound Of candied
citron and a quarter of a pound of can
died orange peel, both cut in thin slices.
Add gill of brandy and gill Of ia
maica rum. knead the ingredients to-
gether for about twenty minutes. Line a
large, round cakepan with buttered tea
paper. pour III the cake and put it in Il
moderate. oven TO bake slowly for FIVE
/ hours. Upon this slow baking depends
| the success Of the cake. Let It become
almost cold in the pan and then apply the
first coat of icing. 1t will require tw 0,
if it is to be decorated.
Still another rule for rich blacSca Ike
| CALLS 1OI pOullu VI pONuereu sugar,
three-quarters of a pound of butter. a
pound of flour, dried and sifted, and ten
eggs, with three and a half pounds of
stoned raisins, the same amount of cur
rants, half pound of sliced citron and
four ounces of almonds, blanched and
shredded. Add for seasonings one table
spoonful of cloves, two of cinnamon and
one grated nutmeg, Wineglassfu of
brandy and one of wine.
For cheap fruitcake use a cup of
butter, one of brown sugar and one of
molasses, with one cup of milk. four eggs
and four cups of flour. Add, after mixing
we'll. two pounds of raisins, winoylass-
full of brandy, and nutmeg. Mix these
ingredients of the cake together thor
oughly, and let them stand covered in a
cool place for three days; then add lib
eral teaspoonful Of soda and two of
cream of tartar. sifted twice with cup
of -four. Beat we'll and bake very slowly
in a moderate oven for about two hours.
New York Tribune.
The Sudden RiP-COrset.
The fat-fronted bias-cut corset is the
latest novelty in stays, and needless to
say it emanates from Paris. It is shipped
with number of cores formed curved
bias sides; this corset conforms to the
figure, following closely the curve of the
waist and allowing the hips to swell cut
suddenly, hence it's name. 1.-The, sudden