183. Macaroons
Take half a pound of almonds peeled and dried in the oven, half a pound of powdered sugar, three or four whites of eggs, one grated lemon. Pound the almonds, moistening them from time to time with the beaten whites of eggs. When they are reduced to a fine paste add the lemon and sugar; work all perfectly together. Form the macaroons by putting small pieces the size of a walnut upon a buttered baking tin. Cook in a moderate oven till they have taken a beautiful brown tint. Let them cool before taking them off the tin. Pass a thin-bladed knife under them to remove them from the tin.
184. Swiss Roll
A good sponge powder is the very best and most reliable of all cake mixtures. Directions for use will be found on every packet and the only thing that to my mind improves it is the addition of a tablespoonful of cream after the beaten eggs are mixed to the cake-powder. Nothing could be easier than the following, and I have never had a failure: Break two eggs into a large pudding basin, beat well with a fork, then stir the cake-powder into the eggs quite smoothly. Add the cream. Have ready the buttered tin, pour the mixture into it. Place in a quick oven and bake for about ten minutes. Turn on to a sheet of clean white paper which has been lightly dusted with a little powdered sugar. One packet of cake mixture and two eggs will make either one nice-sized Swiss Roll or a complete sponge sandwich.
It will often be much easier to make a successful cake or light pastry if the butter and lard are reduced to a cream before being added to the other ingredients. Put your proportion of butter and lard (half of each) into your pastry basin. Stir with the hand, one way only, till it has become the consistency of a thick cream. Mix the rest of the ingredients for your cake into it and moisten either with milk or water. Cakes mixed by hand are much more satisfactory than those mixed with a spoon. One is also much more sure of success if the mixture is kept very stiff.
185. Simple Recipe for a Chocolate Cake
Take a quarter of a pound best white flour, a quarter of a pound butter, the same of sifted fine white sugar, two ounces of grated chocolate, and two eggs. Stir the butter in a pastry bowl with the hand, one way as directed, till the butter is reduced to a smooth cream. When this is done add the sugar (still stirring the one way). Have the two eggs well beaten in a cup, stir them into the sugar and flour, lastly the chocolate powder. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered cake tin and bake in a moderate oven for an hour.
186. Plain Christmas Cake
Take one pound flour (household, not self-raising), half a pound of currants which have been carefully washed and dried (this is best done in a cullender under the tap and rubbed dry on a clean white cloth), half a pound of butter, half a pound of sugar, two ounces of candied lemon peel cut into thin strips, two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, three eggs well beaten, whites and yolks together, and half a pint of milk, sour will do.
Place the flour in the pastry bowl, thoroughly mix the baking-powder into it, rub in the butter, add the sugar and currants and peel, stir in the eggs, and mix all together with the milk. Butter your cake tin and line it with a buttered sheet of white cooking paper, bake in a steady but gentle oven for one and a half hours.