1276. Fingers, Or Naples Biscuits

Prepare the batter as directed in the foregoing case; then fill a biscuit-forcer with some of it, and after securely folding down the open end, proceed to use the batter in the following manner: - Cut a sheet of foolscap paper in two, fold these lengthwise, in order to mark a straight line along the centre of the half-sheets; the forcer must then be held in the right hand, pressing the batter out by working the thumb upon it, while the pointed end must be guided with the left hand. In this manner the biscuits must be spread, or rather dropped in straight lines, resembling fingers, about three inches long by half an inch wide: they should form two rows, being divided by the line in the centre of the paper. When the sheet is full, place it upon a large sheet of kitchen paper (or demy) containing about one pound of the finest sifted sugar, placed in the form of a ridge along the upper part of the paper as it lies on the table before you; the sheet containing the biscuits being placed just below the sugar, it will only be necessary to lift up the other paper at each corner with the hands, and by given it a slight jerk, the sugar will be thrown on to the biscuits: then, by taking hold of the paper, holding the biscuits at each upper corner, and gently shaking it as it is held up in a perpendicular position, the sugar will be made to slide over the whole at once. By this means the biscuits are effectually glazed without waste. The finger biscuits must be immediately placed on a baking-sheet, and put in the oven (at very moderate heat) ; about a quarter of an hour will suffice to bake them. When done, they should be of a very light yellow color.

Note. - With the same kind of batter, and by using a biscuit-forcer,* the shape of these small biscuits may be easily varied according to taste or fancy.

1277. Plum Cake

Ingredients required: - One pound and a half of flour, one pound and a half of butter, one pound of fine sugar, one pound of dried cherries (slightly chopped), one pound and a half of currants, one pound and a half of candied orange, lemon, and citron peel, in equal quantities, - all these must be cut in small shreds; eight ounces of ground or pounded almonds, eight whole eggs, the zest or rind of four oranges (rubbed on a piece of sugar and afterwards scraped off), half an ounce of ground spices, consisting of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, mixed in equal proportions, half a pint of Cognac brandy, and a tea-spoonful of salt.

* These biscuit-forcers are also made of tin, resembling a funnel in shape; they have a bag of wash-leather, or canvas cloth, affixed round the upper part, with a string running through the top, which, when the bag is filled with batter, is drawn tight, thus effectually preventing it from escaping at the upper end, while it is forced out at the point below. The use of this utensil, however, is objectionable, from the leather or canvas contracting a nauseous odor. In other respects it answers the purpose well enough.

Place the butter in a large white earthen pan, and work it with a wooden spoon until it presents the appearance of a creamy substance; next add gradually the flour, sugar, and the eggs, still continuing to work the batter the whole of the time. When these have been thoroughly mixed, the cherries, currants, candied-peel, ground almomds brandy, spices, and salt, must also be added gradually, and as soon as these ingredients are incorporated with the batter, let the preparation be poured into a convenient-sized tin hoop (previously lined with double bands of buttered paper), and placed on a stout-made copper baking-sheet, with two sheets of buttered paper under the cake, to prevent the composition from becoming calcined by the heat of the oven. A moderate heat will be sufficient to bake this cake, and care must be taken not to put any fire under the oven while it is baking, so as to increase the heat.

These cakes, when baked, should be iced over with sugar in the following manner: - .

First, mix eight ounces of very fine pounded almonds with double that quantity of tine sifted sugar, a little orange-water, and sufficient whites of eggs to form the whole into a soft paste; spread a coating of this all over the surface of the cake (after it has become cold); and when it is hardened by drying, let the whole be iced over with the following preparation: -

Place about six whites of eggs in a convenient-sized basin, add about one pound and a half of the finest sifted loaf sugar, and work these well together, with a clean wooden spoon, adding occasionally a little lemon-juice, until the whole presents the appearance of a very thick yet comparatively liquid shiny substance of a pure white. Use this icing to mask the entire surface of the cake, with a coating about a quarter of an inch thick; allow this to become firmly set, by drying, for which purpose the cake should be placed in a warm temperature, and kept covered with a large sheet of paper, to preserve it from dust, etc. When the icing has become perfectly hard, decorate the top and sides of the cake with raised ornaments of gum paste, (stamped out from boards cut for the purpose) and arranged with taste, either in the form of garlands, wreaths, scrolls, etc.; or else, the cake may be decorated with piping, using for that purpose some of the icing worked somewhat thicker, by adding to it more sugar and a little prepared gum-dragon.

When intended for a wedding cake, the ornaments must be all white, and some blossoms or sprigs - or, even wreaths of orange-flowers, should also be introduced.