The Republican journal., 1897-12-09
Christmas Cakes.

FROM Iue udyS VI JACK dOIutI, WHO, III
eating his "Christmas pie''-that was
shaped like d coffin to represent the man
ger of Bethlehem-put in his thumb aud
pulled out plum, a Christmas cake has
seemed incomplete without an abundance
of plums and spices. At other seasons
disgestive powers may be taken into con-
sideration; but for the special season of
good cheer the general motto seems to be,
the best of everything and plenty OF it.
Our great grandmothers recipes are
sure to be laden with sugar and spice and
all that's nice, with frequent dashes of
brandy and wine, and such wonderful
ingenuity in the way Of ingredients that
each seems to exhaust the alphabet of
cooking materials.
1t would appear, however, as saving
clause, to have been the custom to par
take sparingly of these mountains of rich
ness at any given time, as great stress
is laid upon their keeping powers. In
deed, regular fruit or black cake was
built up, as it were, at atintervals, and took
for the time being the entire mind and
body of all who were engaged in it, There
were painful housekeepers then, as there
were "panful preachers and lacking
sent day, they furnished forth a feast with
infinite toll, and were usually too tired to
partake of it. Their treasured recipes
entail far less work now than they did
then, and their fortunate descendln can
even improve upon them.
A rich fruit cake will last, if put in some
generally inaccessible place, and a little of
it, except with a school-boy, goes great
way Many persons think it absurd to
make such thing, even if its use is ap
proved, because 'it saves SO much trouble
to get it at confectioner' and it is
nearly as cheap" They forget. however,
that even when bought at the best places,
where such things are made in quantities,
there are often unpleasant surprises in
the shape of gritty substances, raisin seeds,
currant stems, etc, which imply haSty
handling, to say nothing of the strong
temptation to use inferior and even hurt
full materials.
The home made cake is manipulated
with we'll washed hands, and keen eyes
for ali contraband substances, while none
but the best materials are permitted to
enter into its composition; and if less
snowy in appearance, as professionals
have ways that are dark in the matter of
icing and general finish, it can at least be
eaten in perfect confidence.
But it is quite time to begin its manu-
facture; and among several good recipes
for this GROWING triumph of the cake
makers skill. this old fashioned formula
for Brides Cake carries off the palm.
Everything that can be prepared the day
before the cake is made should be ready
at hand, as by thus dividing the labor it
will not appear so herculean task.
One pound of powdered sugar and IA
OF. OF butter are first creamed as smooth
ly as possible, warming them little at
first if the weather is very cold. Twelve
eggs are then beaten to the extreme of
lightness, and worked into the butter and
sugar alternately with pound of flour,
stirring very hard. When we'll mixed,
add L table, spoonful of cinnamon, 2 of
mace, of cloves, sitting them all, and
grated nutmeg, with a gill of cream and
half a pint of brandy. Then 3 lbs. of rails
ms, seeded and halved; 2 lbs. of sultanas,
picked, washed, and dried; lb of cur
rants ditto, and ID. of citron cut into
strips-all the fruits being we'll dredged
with flour. Mix them in by degrees all
through the mass, keeping out one quar-
ter of the citron to strew on the top, and
stir for ten or fifteen minutes as hard as
possible. A tablespoonful of orange
orange flower water added gives delicate
perfumed flavor.
Bake in pans lined withbuttered paper,
neatly filling them; smooth with wet
knife blade, and bake in moderate oven
about three hours. Leave in the pan
until cold; then rub it with flour, wipe
with a cloth, and ice with white Of egg
icing, finishing with chocolate or orange
icing. [Harper's Bazaar.