Exeter Buns.—These are somewhat celebrated in the city whose name they bear, especially those of one maker whose secret for them we have recently obtained. Instead of being made into a dough with milk, Devonshire cream is used for them, either entirely or in part. If very thick, a portion of water should be added to it, or the yeast would not ferment freely. The better plan is to dilute it with a quarter of a pint or rather more of warm water, and when it is sufficiently risen to make up the buns lightly, like bread, with the cream, which must also be warm; then to proceed by the receipt given above.
PLAIN DESSERT OR WINE BISCUITS, AND GINGER BISCUITS.
Rub very small indeed, two ounces of fresh butter into a pound of flour, and make it into a stiff paste with new milk. Roll it out half an inch thick, and cut the biscuits with a round cutter the size of half-a-crown. Pile them one on the other until all are done; then roll them out very thin, prick them, and lay them on lightly-floured tins, the pricked side downwards: a few minutes will bake them, in a moderate oven. They should be very crisp, and but slightly browned.
For the Ginger Biscuits.—Three ounces of good butter, with two pounds of flour, then add three ounces of pounded sugar and two of ginger in fine powder, and knead them into a stiff paste, with new milk. Roll it thin, stamp out the biscuits with a cutter, and bake them in a slow oven until they are crisp quite through, but keep them of a pale colour. A couple of eggs are sometimes mixed with the milk for them, but are no material improvement: an additional ounce of sugar may be used when a sweeter biscuit is liked.
Plain biscuits: flour 1 lb.; butter, 2 oz.; new milk about 1/2 pint. Ginger biscuits: flour, 2 lbs.; butter, 3 oz.; sugar, 3 oz.; ginger, 2 oz.
THREADNEEDLE STREET BISCUITS.
Mix with two pounds of sifted flour of the very best quality three ounces of good butter, and work it into the smallest possible crumbs; add four ounces of fine, dry, sifted sugar, and make them into a firm paste with new milk; beat this forcibly for some time with a rolling-pin, and when it is extremely smooth roll it the third of an inch thick, cut it with a small square cutter, and bake the biscuits in a very slow oven until they are crisp to the centre: no part of them should remain soft. Half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda is said to improve them, but we have not put it to the test. Carraway-seeds can be added when they are liked.
Flour, 2 lbs.; butter, 3 oz.; sugar, 4 oz.; new milk, 1 pint or more: biscuits slowly baked until crisp.
GOOD CAPTAIN’S BISCUITS.
Make some fine white flour into a very smooth paste with new milk; divide it into small balls; roll them out, and afterwards pull them with the fingers as thin as possible; prick them all over, and bake them in a somewhat brisk oven from ten to twelve minutes. These are excellent and very wholesome biscuits.