Victoria Pudding.—This requires care in its preparation, and should be made the day before it is wanted. Make a custard with 4 eggs, 1 pint milk, and ¾ oz. isinglass, flavouring it with vanilla and brandy. The vanilla should be cut into small pieces, tied up in a muslin bag, and boiled in the milk; the brandy should be added when cold; a very small quantity of the latter is sufficient. Let the custard get quite cold, when it will become thick and lumpy. Dip a jelly-mould into cold water, and with a spoon arrange the custard in the design at the bottom of the mould, carefully filling all the holes. Slice some penny sponge cakes in halves, dip them in sherry or Marsala, and then place them in layers in the centre of the mould, with preserves (either strawberry or raspberry) between each layer, filling up in the meanwhile the space between the cake and the mould with custard, so that when turned out the custard appears as a crust around it. It should remain in the mould for at least 12 hours to stiffen. Turn it out on a dish and garnish with strawberry jelly.
Waffles.—1 qt. sour milk, 4 eggs, 3 oz. butter, ½ teaspoonful salt, 2 teaspoonfuls soda, flour enough to make a thick batter. Bake and serve hot.
Wigs.—Take ¼ peck of fine flour, ½ lb. butter rubbed in fine, ½ lb. sugar, ½ nutmeg, ½ race of ginger, 3 eggs, beat well, and put to ½ pint yeast and 3 spoonfuls sack; make a hole in the flour, and pour in, with as much milk just warm as will make it into a light paste. Let it stand before the fire, to rise, ½ hour; then make it into 1½ doz. wigs, brush them over with egg, and put into the oven. Bake ½ hour in a quick oven.
Wine Jelly.—2 oz. gelatine, ¾ lb. loaf sugar, 3 lemons, ½ pint sherry, 1 wineglassful brandy, whites of 4 eggs, 1½ pint water. Put the water, gelatine, sugar, and the rinds of the lemons, peeled very thinly, into a pan. Stir till the gelatine and sugar have dissolved, and boil; then add the strained lemon juice, wine, and the whites of eggs, whipped with a little cold water. Bring slowly to the boil, and throw in a little cold water 3 times to check the boiling and throw off the scum. Allow to simmer ¼ hour, then strain through a cloth or jelly bag (which has been rinsed out in hot water) 2 or 3 times until clear, then add brandy. When the jelly is beginning to set, pour into a wet mould.
Wine Roll.—Soak a penny roll in raisin wine till it has quite absorbed all the liquid. Sprinkle it thickly with “hundreds-and-thousands,” and pour round it a rich custard. Jam may be previously spread over the roll (before soaking) if liked.
Winter Cream.-½ oz. gelatine, 1 pint new milk, 1 pint cream, 2 yolks eggs, ½ pot apricots, ½ pot strawberry jam (pound pots), juice of 1 lemon, a few drops of ratafia essence, a few drops of cochineal. Soak the gelatine in a little of the milk; when it has absorbed the milk, put it into a clean copper stewpan with the rest of the milk and the cream; set on the fire, keeping it stirred with a wooden spoon; when it is nearly boiling stir into it the well-beaten yolks of 2 eggs, but be sure it does not boil, or the cream will be curdled. Now take from the fire and pour into a large basin; mix with it thoroughly the jam, which has been rubbed through a hair sieve, adding the ratafia and the lemon juice, also a little cochineal to give it a brighter colour. When the cream begins to set, whisk it a few minutes, and put into a mould, and set away in a cool place. In a few hours it will be ready to serve. (E. A. Robbins.)
Yorkshire Pudding.—5 tablespoonfuls flour, pinch of salt, 1 pint new milk, 2 eggs. Put flour and salt into a bowl, add slowly the milk to make a smooth batter, then add the eggs, previously well beaten. Fat should be put into the tin and allowed to come to boil, the batter is then to be poured in and baked 20 minutes in a hot oven. Can be finished under the joint if desired.
Confectionery
Confectionery.—The following recipes comprise the few kinds which are adopted for home manufacture.
Almond Hardbake.—Mix 1½ lb. moist sugar with ¾ pint water, put the mixture into an earthenware pipkin, and let it boil until it is brittle. Blanch 2½ oz. sweet almonds, split them in halves lengthwise through the broadest part of the almond, and add them and 3 oz. butter to the boiled sugar; let it continue to boil until it hardens. Try by letting a little bit of the hardbake fall into cold water; if it hardens immediately, it is done. Oil a flat dish, and pour the hardbake on it to set.