1457. - Tops And Bottoms

Make a dough as for rusks, but using only half the butter; have a deep-edged baking-sheet well buttered, and when the dough is ready, turn it on to a dresser, well floured; divide into small pieces the size of walnuts, which mould into round balls, and place close together upon the baking-sheet; put them in a warm place to rise, and bake well in a moderate oven. When cold, divide and cut each one in halves (making a top and bottom) which brown in the oven.

1458. - Buns

Put three pounds of flour in an earthen pan, make a hole in the middle, in which put some yeast, dissolved in three parts of a pint of warm water, and stir in a little of the flour, forming a thinnish batter; let it remain in a warm place nearly an hour, until well fermented; then add half a pound of sugar, a few currants, and half a pound of butter, dissolved in nearly a pint of warm milk; mix the whole well together, making a soft but dry dough; let it remain in a warm place until it rises very light, then turn it out of the pan on to a board; work it well with the hands, shaking flour over lightly; then mould it into small round balls, double the size of walnuts, which place upon a buttered baking-sheet, four inches apart; moisten the tops with milk; put them in a warm place to rise; not, however, permitting them to crack, and bake them in a hot oven.

1461. - To Make Butter

The milk pans should be scalded every day. After the milk has stood twenty-four hours skim off the cream, and deposit it in a large earthen jar kept closely covered. Stir up the cream with a stick every day to prevent the skin from gathering. Butter of only two or three days is best. Strain the cream from the jar into the churn and put on the lid. In warm weather move the handle slowly, or the butter will be too soft. When the handle moves with great difficulty the butter has come. Take it out with a wooden ladle and squeeze out the remains of milk. Add a little salt and work it well. Set it in a cool place for three hours, then work it again. "Wash it in cold water, and put it away for use.

1462. - Butter-To Clarify

Scrape off the outsides of the butter you may require, and then put it into a stewpan by the side of a slow fire, where it must remain till the scum rises to the top and the milk settles at the bottom; carefully with a spoon take off the scum; when clear, it is fit for use.

To preserve it for winter, take two parts of the best common salt, one part of good loaf sugar, and one part saltpetre, beat them well together; to sixteen ounces of butter thoroughly cleansed from the milk put one ounce of the above composition, work it well, and put it into pots when quite firm and cold.

1464. - Plum New England Wedding Cake

One pound of dry flour, one pound of sweet butter, one pound of sugar, twelve eggs, two pounds of raisins, (the sultana raisins are the best,) two pounds of currants, as much spice as you please. A glass of wine, one of brandy, and a pound of citron. Mix the butter and sugar as for pound cake. Sift the spice, and beat the eggs very light. Put in the fruit last, stirring it in gradually. It should be well floured. If necessary add more flour after the fruit is in. Butter sheets of paper, and line the inside of one large pan, or two smaller ones. Lay in some slices of citron, then a layer of the mixture, then of the citron, and so on till the pan is full. This cake requires a tolerably hot and steady oven, and will need baking four or five hours, according to its thickness. It will be better to let it cool gradually in the oven. Ice it when thoroughly cold.