Rich Fruit Cake

Line the pan with three thicknesses of paper, buttering the top layer. Mix the flour and spices. Flour all the fruit except the citron. Mix the ingredients in the order in which they are given. The pan may be filled nearly full, as this cake rises but little. Bake it for three hours or more in a very moderate insulated oven. Test the stones as explained on [page 225], until the paper will barely change colour. If, at the end of two hours, the cake is not browned at all, take out one or both of the stones very quickly and heat them again till they will slightly brown the tissue paper. The oven must be promptly closed when the stones are removed, or the cake will be injured. Test it with a steel knitting needle or straw. The needle will come out only a little greasy when the cake is done.

Let the cake stand at least five minutes after removing it from the oven before taking out of the pans, or it is likely to break. Fruit cake should be kept for at least a week in a tightly covered tin box or a crock, before it is ready for use. It will keep for months, and improves with time.

XXIV
MENUS

The planning of a menu is an art in itself. Only a knowledge of the food value of different dishes, combined with a good sense of taste and fitness, and some idea of the comparative wholesomeness of different methods of cooking, can produce a meal that is scientifically correct as well as pleasing to the palate. And now the conditions under which menus must be planned will be further modified in order to obtain the freedom from the kitchen that fireless cookery makes possible. It is thought that a classified time-table of the various dishes given in the book, giving the length of time which they require or may be allowed to cook, will be of assistance in grouping dishes that can be started at one time, put on to cook, perhaps, in one cooker, and left for the same period of time.

The [illustration] at the head of this chapter, shows a cooker-pail so arranged as to cook more than one article at once. With this arrangement a cooker with several compartments would accommodate a number of different foods at one time.

The fireless cooker makes it possible to plan a breakfast which would be ready to serve at once, or would take only a few minutes to prepare. If started in the evening, [cereals] may cook all night, and be entirely ready in the morning; some meat dishes may cook all night. [Coffee], although better when made fresh, may be put into the cooker over night, [cereal coffees] being at their best after all-night cooking. With these for a basis, the menu may be varied by dishes which would cook quickly, such as [eggs]; or which might cook through the night and be completed in a few minutes in the morning, such as [creamed codfish]; or which might be cooked the day before, if served cold, such as [stewed fruits]; or by fresh fruits. But little of the precious early morning time would thus be required.