Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Magnum Bonum Jam.— The magmun bonum is the largest of oui' plums, and is excellent for jam and for other purposes. Choose the fruit when fuUy ripe. Take off the skins, remove the stones, and boil the plums gently for forty minutes, keeping them well stirred all the time to i^revent their burning; add three pounds of sugar in Irnnps for every four pounds of fruit and boil ten minutes longer. Three or four minutes before the jam is taken from the fire, add quarter of the kernels blanched and sliced. Probable cost of plums, Gd. per dozen. Magnum Bonum Plums, To Preserve.— Take fine whole fruit, ripe and A^dthout bruise; peel and open them only just enough to extract the stones ; handle them lightly, so that the juice may not be drawn and lost. Weigh the plums, and strew over each pound of fruit, placed on a flat dish, one pound of good powdered sugar, and cover them for twelve hours. Put them into a preserving-pan with the sugar ; boil very gently (or the fruit will shrivel) for forty minutes, when the plums should look clear if the skimming has been well attended to. Crush the stones, blanch and split the kernels, put some with the plums (the quantity must depend on taste), but thev are generally thought to impart a delicious flavour to the preserve ; boil them in the pan rapidly for another five minutes,, skimming while any scum remains on the surface. This recipe will serve for large plums in general, and for apricots. Magnum Bonum Plums, To Preserve (another way). — See Plums, Magnum Bonum. Maids of Honour. — Delicious cheesecakes so called at Eichmond, where they are to be had in perfection. AVe think the following recipe genuine : — Beat two eggs, and mix them with a quart of new milk ; add the eggs and milk to a quart of boiling water in a saucepan ; pour in lemon-juice, and remove the curd, as it rises, to a sieve to drain ; mix the curd with the yolks of four eggs, previously well beaten, a large cupful of clotted cream, the rind of a lemon, rubbed off on sugar, a little pounded cinnamon, a quarter of a nutmeg, grated, six ounces of currants, well washed and dried, and a glass of brandy. Mix weU, and bake in patty-pans, buttered and lined with a light French puff paste. Time, about twenty minutes to bake. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for twenty-four cheesecakes. Maids of Honour, Plain.— Beat an oiuice and a half of fresh butter, and a breakfast cupful of well drained milk curd together, until smooth ; add an egg, and a cupful of milk beaten together, and sugar to sweeten : with the latter rub oif the rind of a lemon, or substitute any other flavouring preferred. Bake in patty-pans, lined with half puff paste rolled very thin. Time, ten to twelve minutes to bake. Maintenon Chops. — Prepare a seasoning of minced sweet herbs, nutmeg, pepper, salt, grated bread-crumbs, and the pounded yolk of an egg that has boiled ten minutes. Cut chops from the neck of mutton, beat them into nice shape, and cover with the above seasoning. Broil them over a clear fire, enveloped separately in buttered paper; turn frequently, and send to table in or out of the paper. If without the paperr they should have a good brown gravy. Time, eight to ten minutes. Probable cost. Is. per pound. Suflicient, eight chops for four persons.