Cassell's dictionary of cookery

of brandy take three ounces of picked orangeflowers and half a pound of fine pounded sugar : put into a jar alternately a layer of sugar and a layer of flowers ; let the last be sugar, covering the flowers well and more thickly than the others ; cover the jar close ; let it stand to infuse for twelve hours, but not longer, in the cellar ; at the end of that time, pour the brandy over, and filter, then bottle the ratafia. Ratafia Pudding, Baked.— Slice four penny sponge cakes, lay them in a buttered dish, pour a glassful of sherry over them, and let them soak for a little while. Spread a large spoonful of good jam upon them, and pour over them half a pint of good custard flavoured with almonds. Let the pudding stand for half an hour, cover the top with ratafia biscuits, and pour another half-pint of custard over these. Bake in a moderate oven. The custard may be made with three-quarters of a pint of milk, the yolks of four and the white of one egg, two ounces of almonds blanched and pounded, and a table- spoonful of sugar. Time to bake, half an hour. Probable cost, exclusive of the wine, Is. 6d. Sufficient for four or five persons. Ratafia Pudding, Baked (another way) . — Crush four ounces of ratafias to powder. Mix with them two ounces of sweet almonds blanched and pounded, a pint of cream, the yolks of six and the whites of two eggs, a table-spoonful of sugar, and a glassful of brandy or sherry. Line a dish with pufi: paste, pour in the mixture, and bake in a well-heated oven. Serve hot or cold. Time to bake, about three-quarters of an hour. Probable cost, exclusive of the wine, 3s. Ratafia Pudding, Boiled.— Boil the thin rind of a lemon and an inch of stick cinnamon in three-quarters of a pint of milk till it is pleasantly flavoured. Sweeten it, pour it over a quarter of a pound of grated breadcrumbs, and let it cool. Add the yolks of four eggs, the whites of two, and, if it is at hand, a table-spoonful of ratafia, or two or three drops of the flavouring, and beat the mixture well. Butter a plain mould thickly, lay even rows of ratafias or of sweet almonds blanched and sliced round it, pour the pudding in gently, cover with a round of buttered writing-paper, tie it up, and steam over boiling water. Turn the pudding out gently, and send arrowroot sauce, flavoured with ratafia, to table with it. Time to steam, one hour and a half. Probable cost, Is. Sufficient for three or four persons. Ratafia Pudding, Boiled (another way). — Butter a plain round mould thickly, and ornament the inside with even rows of dried cherries. Pour a pint of cream or milk over four penny sponge biscuits and eight ounces of crushed ratafias. Beat the mixture well, add the yolks of six eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a glassful of brandy. Lay a round of buttered paper on the top of the mould, tie it up, and boil or steam the pudding. Serve with arrowroot or wine sauce. Time, one hour and a half. Probable cost, if made with milk, 2s. Sufficient for four or five persons.