Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/309

Rh sugar-vinegar, you must let one half be spring-water. You have the receipt for this vinegar in the 19th Chapter.

ALWAYS use stone jars for all sorts of pickles that require hot pickle to them. The first charge is the least, for these not only last longer, but keep the pickle better; for vinegar and salt will penetrate through all earthen vessels, stone and glass is the only thing to keep pickles out, it will soon spoil it. The best method is, to every pot tie a wooden spoon full of little holes, to take the pickles out with.

TAKE four pounds of flour, well dried and sifted, seven pounds of currants washed and rubbed, six pounds of the best fresh butter, two pounds of Jordan almonds blanched, and beaten with orange-flower water and sack till they are fine, then take four pounds of eggs, put half the whites away, three pounds of double-refined sugar, beaten and sifted, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of cloves and cinnamon, three large nutmegs, all beaten fine, a little ginger, half a pint of sack, half a pint of right French brandy, sweet-meats to your liking, they must be orange, lemon, and citron. Work your butter to a cream with your hands, before any of your ingredients are in, then put in your sugar and mix it well together; let your eggs be well beat and strained through a sieve, work in your almonds first, then put in your eggs, beat them all together till they look white and thick, then put in your sack, brandy and spices; shake your flour in by degree, and when your oven is ready, put in your currants and sweet-meats as you put it in your hoop. It will take four hours baking in a quick oven. You must keep it beating with your hand all the while you are mixing of it, and when your currants are well washed and cleaned, let them be kept before the fire, so that they may go warm into your cake. This quantity will bake best in two hoops.