Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1652

1476

Ingredients.—Allow 1 oz. of freshly ground coffee to each 1½ pints of water.

Method.—Tie the coffee loosely in a piece of strong muslin. Boil up the water in a saucepan, put in the coffee, and bring to boiling point. Now draw the pan aside, cover closely, and allow the coffee to remain undisturbed for 10 minutes. This method is suitable for making large quantities of the beverage.

Ingredients.—To each ½ pint of water allow 1 heaped tablespoonful of coffee.

Method.—Black coffee is prepared in the ordinary way, and can be made successfully by any of the preceding methods. It should be made very strong, and strained free from grounds. Black coffee is generally taken alone without the addition of sugar.

Ingredients.—Strong coffee, brandy.

Method.—Allow 3 teaspoonfuls of good coffee to each ½ pint of water, and prepare according to any of the preceding methods. Sweeten it rather more than ordinarily, and strain it into small cups. Pour a little brandy into each over a spoon, set fire to it, and when the spirit is partly consumed, the flame should be blown out, and the coffee drunk immediately.

This beverage is merely strong black coffee to which hot milk is added, generally in the proportion of 2 or 3 parts milk to 1 part coffee. It is usual to pour the two liquids into the cup at the same time.

The leaf of the Brazilian holly or maté is extensively employed in the South American States as a substitute for Chinese or Indian tea.

In order to make good tea it is necessary that the water should be quite boiling, but it must on no account be water that has boiled for some time, or been previously boiled, cooled, and then re-boiled. It is a good plan to empty the kettle and refill it with fresh cold water, and make the tea the moment it reaches boiling point. Soft water makes the best tea, and boiling softens the water, but after it has boiled for some time it again becomes hard. When water is very hard a