Strawberry Saracen— Toast very thin slices
of stale bread and line the bottom and sides of
a China dish with them, after buttering gener-
ously. Trim the bread to fit the dish neatly.
Fill the space with strawberries packed and
heaped as full as the dish will hold; sift plenty
of sugar all through and over them✪ Strawberry Saracen, and set the
dish in a moderate oven for about half an hour.
It will be found that the berries melt a great
deal, so they must be plentiful. Serve very cold
with rich, thick cream. This is one of the most
delicious desserts imaginable, notwithstanding
that there are people who consider it almost a
crime to cook strawberries in any way.
Mince Pies — The sooner the Christmas mince
meat is prepared and set away to ripen so much
better will the pies made of it be. Take 3 lbs.
lean beef from the round and boil it in enough
water to cover it. When very tender, set it away
till cold, and then chop very fine, carefully re-
moving any piece of gristle or fat. Next weigh
out 5 lbs. Greening apples; after peeling and
coring them, chop fine and add to the meat.
Chop fine ] lb. kidney suet and 2 lbs. seeded
raisins and add to the above with 2 lbs. clean
currants, % lb. citrons, finely shredded, and 4
oz. each of candied orange and lemon peel (or
the grated rind of 2 oranges and 2 lemons), and
the pulp of 2 oranges and 2 lemons chopped and
freed from seeds and tough bits. To these in-
gredients add enough sugar to sweeten to taste,
also 2 even tablespoonfuls cinnamon, 1 table-
spoonful mace, 1 tablespoonful alspice and 1
tablespoonful cloves, together with a grated nut-
Pastry. 183
meg and a good teaspoonful salt. Now add
enough sweet cider to secure the right consist-
ency— 3 pints or two quarts. Any fruit juice is
an improvement, especially the juice from spiced
pears or peaches. Some liberally disposed house-
wives contribute a jar of preserved strawberries,
or raspberries, or cherries, to their pot of mince,
which is a rare improvement. When all has been
thoroughly mixed, place the stone pot contain-
ing the mince meat on the back of the range to
warm slowly through, gradually moving it for-
ward till it boils; then push it back to simmer
for a few moments, after which it should be set
away to cool. Keep in a cool place till wanted,
and in making the pies sprinkle in about a
dozen seeded raisins to each one.
Plum Pudding- — Two lbs. beef suet, 1% lbs.
bread crumbs, 1% lbs. flour, 2 lbs. raisins, 2^^ lbs.
currants, % lb. mixed peel, 1% lbs. foots sugar,
14 eggs, a little nutmeg, ginger, allspice (pow-
dered), a large pinch of salt, % P^^* milk. ✪ Mince Pies
Page 88 · 3 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1894. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Strawberry Saracen— Toast very thin slices of stale bread and line the bottom and sides of a China dish with them, after buttering generously. Trim the bread to fit the dish neatly. Fill the space with strawberries packed and heaped as full as the dish will hold; sift plenty of sugar all through and over them, and set the dish in a moderate oven for about half an hour. It will be found that the berries melt a great deal, so they must be plentiful. Serve very cold with rich, thick cream. This is one of the most delicious desserts imaginable, notwithstanding that there are people who consider it almost a crime to cook strawberries in any way.
Mince Pies — The sooner the Christmas mince meat is prepared and set away to ripen so much better will the pies made of it be. Take 3 lbs. lean beef from the round and boil it in enough water to cover it. When very tender, set it away till cold, and then chop very fine, carefully removing any piece of gristle or fat. Next weigh out 5 lbs. Greening apples; after peeling and coring them, chop fine and add to the meat. Chop fine ] lb. kidney suet and 2 lbs. seeded raisins and add to the above with 2 lbs. clean currants, % lb. citrons, finely shredded, and 4 oz. each of candied orange and lemon peel (or the grated rind of 2 oranges and 2 lemons), and the pulp of 2 oranges and 2 lemons chopped and freed from seeds and tough bits. To these ingredients add enough sugar to sweeten to taste, also 2 even tablespoonfuls cinnamon, 1 tablespoonful mace, 1 tablespoonful allspice and 1 tablespoonful cloves, together with a grated nut-
Pastry. 183
meg and a good teaspoonful salt. Now add enough sweet cider to secure the right consistency— 3 pints or two quarts. Any fruit juice is an improvement, especially the juice from spiced pears or peaches. Some liberally disposed housewives contribute a jar of preserved strawberries, or raspberries, or cherries, to their pot of mince, which is a rare improvement. When all has been thoroughly mixed, place the stone pot containing the mince meat on the back of the range to warm slowly through, gradually moving it forward till it boils; then push it back to simmer for a few moments, after which it should be set away to cool. Keep in a cool place till wanted, and in making the pies sprinkle in about a dozen seeded raisins to each one.
Plum Pudding- — Two lbs. beef suet, 1% lbs. bread crumbs, 1% lbs. flour, 2 lbs. raisins, 2^^ lbs. currants, % lb. mixed peel, 1% lbs. foots sugar, 14 eggs, a little nutmeg, ginger, allspice (powdered), a large pinch of salt, % P^^* milk.
Records on this page
Strawberry SaracenMince PiesPlum Pudding