The Kitchen Witch
A reminder of old recipes and household hints. Some of them very old.Archive for November, 2007
Dumplings for stew 1929
This was taken from an American book “Anyone can Bake” published in 1929 to promote Royal Baking Powder Co.
In Scotland, we call these dumplings “doughballs”
“Sift one cup of flour with one-half teaspoon salt and three teaspoons baking powder.
Mix to a soft dough with six tablespoons of milk.
Drop by spoonfuls into hot stew and steam, covered for ten minutes.”
Christmas Plum Pudding 1929
This was taken from an American book “Anyone can Bake” published in 1929 to promote Royal Baking Powder Co.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups ground suet
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 cups seeded raisins
2 cups currants
1 cup finely cut citron
1 cup finely cut fig
1 tablespoon finely cut orange peel
1 tablespoon finely cut lemon peel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup grape or other fruit juice
METHOD
1. Mix thoroughly all dry ingredients and add fruit
2. Stir in water and fruit juice and mix thoroughly
3. Add more water if necessary to make stiff dough
4. Fill greased moulds two-thirds full, and steam five or six hours.
5. This pudding should be prepared and cooked a week or more before used.
6. Before serving, seam one hour and serve with hard, lemon, or foamy sauce.
P.S I have no idea what is meant by hard, lemon or foamy sauce. And what is the difference between finely cut citron and lemon peel. Could citron be grapefruit?
© Photographer:Stanisław Kostrakiewicz | Agency: Dreamstime.com
Cherry Cake (1) 1920’s
“Any rich cake can be given a party finish with icing, cherries or citron peel. Wrapping with a ribbon, too, gives it a festive appearance.”
1920’s – From Aunt Kate’s Baking Book
INGREDIENTS
1. 8 oz castor sugar
2. 5 eggs
3. 6 oz glace cherries
4. 8 oz butter
5. 16 oz flour
6. Vanilla essence
Cream the butter and sugar and to this add the eggs, one at a time, alternately with the flour.
Beat the mixture thoroughly and add the cherries and the vanilla essence. Flour the cherries before putting them in so that they will not sink to the foot of the cake.
Pour into a greased tin and bake for 1 hour in a quick oven
The inspiration to bake (1920’s)
1920’s – From Aunt Kate’s Baking Book
“There’s such a pleasant sound about the word ‘cake.’ It seems to promise something really good – probably because it is usually associated with afternoon tea and parties. And what better excuse could there be for making cakes and eating them, than birthdays and parties and cosy, informal afternoon teas?
Every housewife, I am sure is just as pleased to have the chance to show her skill as the members of her family are to enjoy her cakes! For all the fun isn’t in eating the cakes, as any experienced baker will tell you. Making them can be quite an exhilarating business, too. First there are the careful preparations, then the satisfaction of seeing the cake turn out well, and last but not least, the thrill of watching the appreciative appetites of the household.
Little wonder that we all aspire to be good cake-makers.
Now, cake-making, although it might seem difficult to the inexperienced, is really a very simple process. For although there are hundreds of cake recipes, all differing slightly actually, the basis is the same in every case. There are a few simple rules about cake making, and once you know these, you can bake any sort of cake at all. What is more, you can feel perfectly confident about the result.
So let me tell you about the rules that prevent scorched tops and sagging centres……..”
