The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-19
HOLIDAY SWEETmEATS.
Time to Prepare for Thanksgiving and
Christmas Feasts.

Christmas Feasts.
Many sweetmeats for Thanksgiving
and Christmas should be prepared now
IN order to acquire a proper flavor be-
fore the holiday season sets in. A 1us-
c1ous blending of certain rich ingre-
dents can be obtained only by stand
ing a length of time after they have
been mixed, and the housewife who
would have her feasts as they were in
we olden time" must begin at least
a month ahead of holiday season.
Among all Thanksgiving sweets,
nl1nce pies take first place The filling
for these is put together in stone
touched at least two weeks. 1t gains
an added flavor the longer it. stands.
Here are two capital recipes procured
from old-fashioned cooks:
No. Five pounds OF chopped beef,
two pints of chopped suet, ten pints
of chopped sour apples, two pounds of
sugar, one quart of molasses, two
ounces of cinnamon one ounce of
teaspoonfu1 of pepper, six pounds Of
fruit. Thin with one quart of sweet
cider, one cup of brandy and one cup
of Madeira wine. Mix all together and
scald.
No. Cook two and one-half
pounds of beef (tlais should make two
quarts when chopped), four quarts
chopped apples, one pint of currants
winch nave Deen thoroughly ClSdnSeus
one quart of raisins stoned just before
using, one cup of chopped citron, four
cups OF brown sugar two cups OF mo-
IaSseS, one cup of chopped suet, one
nutmeg grated, one tablespoonful of
salt, two tablespoonfuls of cinnamon,
0ne-half tablespoonful of cloves. four
cups of sweet cider or three cups OF
cider that has been boiled down. Place
in an earthen vessel and keep in cool
place. This quantity will make twelve
pies.
OF next consideration TO the mince
pies is the plum pudding. To be most
delicious this should be cooked in
cloth pudding bag and hung from a
nail for three or four weeks in a dark
place. An old English recipe is this:
Soak six ounces of stale breadcrurnbs
in d cup of hot milk, and allow it to
stand and cool. When cold, add one
half pound of brown sugar. tn Eolks
of three eggs beaten to 8 cream ofle-
half pound of raisins seeded just before
using, one-haf pound of eurrants two
ounces of citron chopped, one-half
pound of suet chopped fine and salted.
The fruit should be we'll dredged in
flour before adding to the bread. Now
mix in two ounces of lemon peel, one
half a grated nutmeg, one glass OF
brandy or wine and two ounces of
sweet almonds chopped fine. Beat we'll
together and, the last thing add the
whites of the eggs whipped to stlff
froth. Pour into a pudding bag which
has been previously scalded and
dredged with flour. Allow the pudding
to swell before tying the bag. Boil
seven hours.
Plum Pudding No. 2.-One pound of
dried bakers bread, crumbed; one
pound of chopped suet half a pound
of citrOn, one pound of seeded Fa1slnst
/ one pound of English currants. eight
eggs, one large coffee cup Of brown
sugar, one grated nutmeg, one large
| tablespoonful of cinnamon, two tea
/ spoonfuls of cloves, one teaspoonful of
salt, one-half pint of flour, one-fourth
/ pint of black coffee. Roll the bread
and moisten with a little boiling wa
/ ter. Cover tight until the bread is soft.
Add the Well-beaten eggs, sugar and
/ -four, then the spices, salt and fruit
/ dredged with flour Last of all add
the suet and coffee Steam for two
/ hours in a tWo-quart pan.
| Pittsburg Plum Pudding--Two cups
| of raisins. two cups of .currants, two
/ CUBS of suet. One-half cup of almonds
| of flour, two cups of grated stale bread
/ crumbs, one-half cup each of cItron,
torange and lemon peel, eight eggs, one
cup of sugar. one-half cup of cream,
one-half cup each of sherry and bran
dy, q large pinch of salt. some grated
nutmeg and one teaspoonfuI of baking
/ powder. Put into a large bowl, the
/ raisins seeded, the currants wash ed
| and picked, the suet chopped very fine,
the citron, orange and lemon peel
| chopped fine, the sugar, brandy, wine
/ and eggs, and lastly the cream. Add
the -four sifted with the baking pow
der, the salt and breadcrumbs, and mix
all together. Put in well-buttered
molds or bowls. set in pan of boiling
water that reaches half way up the
! sides of the snolds. and steam five
4 hours. Turn out on dish carefully.
This will make two large buildings or
| several small ones When needed they
should be steamed for two hours. tax
ing care that the water does not pene-
trate the pudding.
Some delicious cakes to be made now
| for Christmas and Thanksgiving are
the following:
/ Imperial Cake.-Two pounds of sl1-
gar two pounds of butter. worked to-
gether. Add two pounds of -four. part
| of which is used for dredging two
pounds of raisins, three pounds of
blanched and chopped almonds and
/ two pounds of sliced citron- 1t is well
to pound the almonds in a porcelain
mortar, a small quantity at a time adj
ding rose water occasionally to keen
them from becoming oily. After mix
ing in the fruit with the sugar and
-four, add one wineslassfuI of rosewa-
ter. two glasses of sweet brandy OF
grape juice a small quantity of mace
and one teaspoonful of baking powder
Bake four hours. placing in a cool oven
at first and increasing the heat gradu-
ally When cold put in a tin box and