The Ideal cook book

Currants and rasins, 2 Ibs. each, brown sugar 11% lIb., suet 14 Ib., salt %4 0z., cloves, mace, cinnamon, less. than a Y% oz. each, apples 4, lemon 1, orange and lemon peel 4 lb. each, all chopped up together. When well soaked put in a jar for use. 628. Mincemeat (with Meat)—Ingredients—1!4 Ib. lean beef, 3 lbs. beef suet, 2 lbs, raisins, 2 lbs. currants, 2 lbs. sugar, 2 lbs. mixed peel, 1 nutmeg, the rind of two lemons, the juice of 1, 2 lbs. of apples. Stone the raisins and cut in halves, add the sugar, have the c.irrants washed, dried and ready for use. Slice the peel, grate the nutmeg, mince the apples, beef, suet and lemon peel, strain the juice. Mix well and cover air tight. Wi'l be ready for use in three weeks. 629. Plum Pudding —Ingredients—2 lbs. beef suet, 1% lb. bread crumbs, 1% lb. flour, 2 lb. raisins, 21b. currants, % lb. mixed peel, 1% lb. foots sugar, 14 eggs, a little nutmeg, ginger, allspice (pow- dered), a large pinch of salt, % pint of milk. Chop the suet as finely as possible, and any stale piece of bread can be used for grating, allowing the above quantity ; mix with the suet and flour. Stone the raisins, and have the currants perfectly washed and dried, the peel cut into thin slices and added to the suet, bread and flour, mixing well for some minutes, then adj the sugar and continue working with the hands for five minutes. Put the eggs into a bowl (breaking each into a cup first to ascertain that it is fresh and to remove the speck), add to them grated nutmeg, powdered ginger, and powdered allspice, according to taste, and a large pinch of salt ; then stir in half a pint of milk ; beat all up together, and pour it gradually into the other bowl, working the whole mixture with the hand for some time. If the mixture be too stiff add more milk, and continue to work it with a wooden spoon for at least half an hour. Scald two pudding cloths, spread each in a bowl and dredge them well with flour. Divide the composition in two equal parts, put each in its cloth and tie it up tightly. To boil the puddings place two inverted plates in saucepans filled with iter and when the water oils. fast oe ak pl ding into its saucepan. Let them boil six hours, keeping the eas taking care ‘that it never ceases boiling Then take ‘th puddings out, and hang them up till the next day, when the cloth of each pudding should be tightened and tied afresh, and three hours’ boiling as in the first instance will make them — ready for table. Serve with a sprig of holly stuck on the top. a 630 An Excelient Pium Pudding —Ingredients—1 Ib. of pian crumbs, I lb. of suet, 14 lb. raisins, 3¢ lb. currants, 10 oz. of mixed candied peel, 9 eggs, %4 gill of milk. ai Wash the currants carefully, pick and dry them; then stone’ oe the raisins and halve them carefully with a knife ; chop the - Data suet until very fine ; slice the candied peel thinly, and when grating the bread crumbs be sure they are nice and fine. Max eee all well together, wetting with the well beaten eggs and milk. c Give the mixture a good stirring and empty into a modi x previously well buttered Press it down firmly. Cover witha : floured pudding cloth h and tie tightly. Boil for from fiveanda half to six hours. When done hang the pudding up untilitis required. If the pudding is to be eaten hot boil two hours on Christmas day. or on the day itis wanted. 631. Christmas Pudoing—Ingredients—Pick and stone 2 lbs. of good Valentias ; pick, wash and dry 1 1b. of currants ; chop 2 lbs. of | beef suet; have ready ¥% a Ib. of brown sugar, 6 ox. candied peel, cut thin, 24, Ibs. of flour, 6 eggs, a quart or more of milk, an ounce he of mixed spice, and a tablespoonful of salt. ie ae Put the flour into.a large pan, add the plums, currants, suet, _