Handbook of practical cookery

Heat very slightly a large basin, place in it the butter and sugar, and with the hand mix them together for fifteen minutes. Break into a separate basin the eggs, and beat them till very light ; add them by degrees to the butter and sugar, stirring all meanwhile with a wooden spoon. Still continue stirring, and add the flour, a little at a time. Cut in small pieces the peel, and add it and the currants at the last. Pour the mixture into a well-greased cake-tin, and bake for an hour and three quarters in a moderate oven. NOTE.— To this may be added, if desired, a wine-glassful of brandy. Irish Seed Cake.— One half pound of butter, one pound of powdered sugar, three quarters of a pound of flour of rice, one quarter of a pound of almonds, one tea-spoonful of lemon-juice, one tea-spoonful of caraway seeds, one gill of rose-water, nine eggs. Pass through a wire sieve the flour of rice. Break into a small basin the eggs, and beat them to a stiff froth with a fork. Place in a large basin the butter, and with the back of a wooden spoon beat it to a cream, then add by degrees the rose-water and sugar. Continue beating until all is thoroughly mixed. Add then the beaten eggs, stir all well together, and sprinkle in by degrees the flour of rice. Pour over the almonds enough boiling water to cover them, remove the skins, and chop the almonds finely. Add now to the mixture in the large basin the almonds, caraway seeds, and lemon-juice. Stir quickly together again. Pour all into a greased cake-tin, and bake in a quick oven for one hour and a half. Short-Bread. — One pound flour, one half pound butter, one quarter pound sugar, the yolk of one small egg. Place on a baking-board the flour, butter, and sugar, and mix them all well with the hands. Make then a little well in the centre, and drop in the yolk of egg. Knead all now well with the hands until the mixture becomes a soft dough. Fold in four a sheet of white paper, place on it the dough, and roll the dough out about half an inch in thickness. Dip the thumb and one finger of the right hand in flour, and pinch the dough all round the edge. "With a fork prick the centre all over. Place the sheet of paper on a baking-tin, place the tin in a quick oven, and bake the short-bread twenty minutes. Merveilles. — One half pound of flour, one quarter pound sugar, one ounce of butter, one ounce candied citron, one table-spoonful of brandy, two eggs. Cut in very small pieces the citron. Place the eggs in a basin and beat them until very light ; add to them by degrees the brandy, stirring all well together. Place then in a basin the flour, butter, and sugar. With the tips of the GINGEK BREAD — BELVOIR CASTLE. 225 fingers mix all well together, then add the citron. Moisten the flour, butter, and sugar with the eggs and brandy. Flour well a baking-board, turn out the mixture on it, and knead lightly together. Roll it out then thinly, and cut it into small dice. Heat some clarified fat until the smoke arises from it, drop in one by one the dice, and allow them to take a pale-brown colour. This will take about three minutes. When ready they will float on the top of the fat. Drain them for one minute on a sheet of kitchen-paper. When cold pile them very high, and sprinkle over a little white sugar.