Cover your blackberries with cold water; crush the berries well with a wooden masher; let them stand twenty-four hours; then strain, and to one gallon of juice put three pounds of common brown sugar; put into wide-mouthed jars for several days, carefully skimming off the scum that will rise to the top; put in several sheets of brown paper and let them remain in it three days; then skim again and pour through a funnel into your cask. There let it remain undisturbed till March; then strain again and bottle. These directions, if carefully followed out, will insure you excellent wine. Orange County Recipe.
This dish is very excellent with mutton instead of kid; the meat tastes like venison if this recipe is followed: Put the meat, say a shoulder of mutton, to soak in a bottle of red wine, with a sliced carrot, thyme, bay-leaves (4), six cloves, fifteen peppercorns and a teaspoonful of vinegar, for two hours. Then bring the liquor to the boil and just before it is boiling pour it over and over the meat. Do this pouring over of hot liquor for two days. Then put the meat in the oven with butter, pepper, and salt, till it is cooked. Sauce: Brown some onions in butter and pour in your liquor, but without the carrot. Let it simmer for three-quarters of an hour, and pour it through a sieve. Roll a nut of butter in flour and add little by little the liquor you have from the meat, then a coffee-spoonful of meat extract and two lumps of sugar. This sauce ought to be quite thick. It is served with the meat. [Mme. Vandervalle.]
The "Astor House," some years ago, was famous for its "mince pies." The chief pastry cook at that time, by request, published the recipe. I find that those who partake of it never fail to speak in laudable terms of the superior excellence of this recipe when strictly followed. Four pounds of lean boiled beef chopped fine, twice as much of chopped green tart apples, one pound of chopped suet, three pounds of raisins, seeded, two pounds of currants picked over, washed and dried, half a pound of citron, cut up fine, one pound of brown sugar, one quart of cooking molasses, two quarts of sweet cider, one pint of boiled cider, one tablespoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of pepper, one tablespoonful of mace, one tablespoonful of allspice and four tablespoonfuls of cinnamon, two grated nutmegs, one tablespoonful of cloves; mix thoroughly and warm it on the range until heated through. Remove from the fire and when nearly cool, stir in a pint of good brandy and one pint of Madeira wine. Put into a crock, cover it tightly and set it in a cold place where it will not freeze, but keep perfectly cold. Will keep good all winter. Chef de Cuisine, Astor House, N. Y.
Soak half a box of gelatine in half a cupful of cold water one or two hours. Pour on this two-thirds of a pint of boiling water, and add the juice of a lemon, a cupful of sugar and half a pint of wine. Stir, and strain. Have two moulds, one holding two quarts, the other a quart. Put a layer of jelly in the large mould, and place on ice. When hard, garnish with candied cherries, cut in two. Pour in a few spoonfuls of liquid jelly, not hot, to hold the cherries, and then pour in enough to cover them. When the jelly is perfectly hard, set the small mould in the centre of the large one, and fill the space between with jelly. Fill the small mould with ice, and set both in a basin of ice water. When the jelly is again hard, remove the ice from the small mould, which fill with warm water, and lift it out carefully. The vacant space is to be filled with custard made by the following recipe: The yolks of five eggs, half a cupful of sugar, two table- spoonfuls of wine, one teaspoonful of vanilla extract, half a box of gelatine, soaked in half a cupful of cold water, a scant cupful of milk. Put the milk to boil. Add the gelatine, and the eggs and sugar, beaten together. Strain, and add the wine and vanilla. When the custard begins to thicken, add half a pint of cream, whipped to a stiff froth. Pour the custard into the space mentioned, and let it stand until it hardens. Turn the pudding out of the mould, and serve with soft custard poured around it.
1 lb. wholemeal flour, 3/4 lb. raisins, 4 tablespoons walnut oil, 1/4 pint water. This recipe was especially concocted for non-users of milk and eggs. Stir the oil well into the flour. Add the washed and stoned raisins (or seedless raisins, or sultanas). Mix to a dough with the water. Divide dough into two portions. Roll out, form into rounds, and cut each round into 6 small scones. Bake in a hot oven for half an hour.
Take four pounds of beef--there is a cut near the neck that is suitable for this recipe. Cut the meat in small pieces (square) and fry them in a pan. In another pan put a piece of refined fat and fry in it five big onions that you have finely chopped. When these are well browned, add to them the meat, sprinkling in also pepper, salt, mixed herbs. Cover all with water, and let it cook for an hour with the lid on. After an hour's cooking, add half a glass of beer, a slice of crumb of bread with a light layer of mustard and three tablespoonfuls of best vinegar. Let it cook again for three quarters of an hour. If the sauce is not thick enough, add a little flour, taking care that it boils up again afterwards.
To each quart of currant juice, add two quarts of soft water and three pounds of brown sugar. Put into a jug or small keg, leaving the top open until fermentation ceases and it looks clear. Draw off and cork tightly. Long Island Recipe.
