Christmas Gifts from Your Kitchen, Part II.

Last week I gave you some recipes for Christmas gifts from your kitchen which were featured in one of the regular programs of the United States Department of Agriculture Radio Service in 1938. I thought I would follow up with some more ideas from Australian newspapers, also from the ‘30’s.

First, some sweet treats from The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) 14 November 1939.

Christmas Gifts From Your Kitchen.

Few gifts are more acceptable at Christmas time than a decorative tin of home-made biscuits or cakes, or jars of preserves, whether for the bachelor girl or the busy housewife. Here are some recipes for shortbread, biscuits, and minced meat.

By NELLIE D. HOLMES, Chief Demonstrator, Adelaide Electric Supply Co.

Shortbread

Half lb. butter, ¾ lb. flour, pinch salt, 4 oz. castor sugar. 2 oz. rice flour.

Sift flour, rice flour, sugar and salt. Cream butter and add dry ingredients.

Turn on to a floured board and knead slightly. Divide into four and roll each

piece into a round about half an inch thick. Pinch edges and prick with a fork.

Put on to an oven slide lined with greased paper. Cook in a very moderate oven for 40 minutes.

Orange Cream Biscuits

Four oz. butler, 4 oz. sugar, 8 oz. flour, 2 egg yolks, 2 teaspoonsful baking powder, grated rind of one orange.

Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg yolks, then add grated rind, sifted flour, and rising. Roll out and cut into shapes. Put on to a greased tray and bake in a moderate oven for 12 minutes. When cold, join together with orange cream filling.

Orange Cream Filling

Take 8 tablespoonsful icing sugar, 2 tablespoonsful butter, 1 tablespoonful orange juice. Cream the butter and add the icing sugar and orange juice gradually.

From The Australian Women's Weekly of 16 December 1933.

To Crystallise Fruits

Two cups castor sugar, 1 cup boiling water, ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar, fruits as cherries, apricots, plums, oranges, mandarins; nuts.

Put the water, sugar, and cream of tartar into an enamel-lined saucepan. Stir, and bring slowly to boiling point, removing sugar from sides of saucepan with a brush. When the syrup comes to boiling point stop stirring, and continue to boil until it begins to discolor. Remove from fire for two seconds to stop boiling, then stand the saucepan of syrup in hot water while dipping fruits, which have been prepared as follows:—

Wash and dry fruits. Cut plums and apricots in halves, remove the stone; stone cherries. Stand in a dry spot overnight. When well dried dip each piece separately in the syrup and stand on a rack covered with waxed paper in a sunny spot. Do not allow the pieces of fruit to touch each other. Next day dip again, and when dry—if at all sticky—dust lightly with powdered sugar.

These candied fruits do not keep for any length of time.

Walnut Biscuits

Five ounces flour, 2oz. butter, 1 egg, salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoons finely-chopped nuts, 1 tablespoon milk.

Cream butter and sugar; add well-beaten egg and 1 tablespoon milk. Sift in flour, baking powder, salt; add walnuts. Cook in small spoonsful on a greased tray in a hot oven.

Spice Cookies

Half pound flour, ¼lb. butter, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a little grated lemon rind, ¼ teaspoon mixed spice, "speck" of ground ginger, pinch salt, 1 egg.

Sift flour, spices, and salt together in a basin. Rub the butter in with the fingertips. Make into a dough with the egg. Turn on to a lightly-floured board. Roll out t0 ¼-inch thickness and cut into rounds. Bake in a slow oven, and join together with creamed butter, flavored with spices and essence or a little strong coffee.

Ice with coffee-icing and sprinkle tops withground cinnamon or chopped nuts.

From The Australian Women's Weekly of 11 December 1937.

GIFTS—from Your Kitchen.

A happy way of coping with a lengthy list at Christmas.

Says Ruth Furst,

Cookery Expert to The Australian Women's Weekly.

HERE ARE GIFTS for everybody! Delicious sweets, shortbread, devilled almonds, Christmas pudding and brightly covered boxes containing biscuits and sweets.

Tinned Christmas Pudding

Half pound plain flour, good ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ lb. sugar, ½lb. butter, ½lb. raisins, ½lb. currants, ½lb. sultanas, 2oz. peel, 2oz. almonds, 2oz. cherries, 2 tablespoons brandy, 4 tablespoons rum or sherry (or half and half), 1 teaspoon carb. soda.

Sift flour and spice, rub in the butter, add sugar and fruits, with almonds, peel and cherries chopped finely. Mix with the beaten eggs, brandy and/or rum. Dissolve soda in little water, and mix in well. Three-quarters fill well-greased milk or treacle tins. Press lids on tightly. Stand on rack in saucepan. Have water to cover half way up tins. Steam for 5 hours, keeping up the same quantity of water. Store in cool place. On day of using, stand in boiling water and boil for one hour. Open round edge of tin.

Peanut Brittle

One pound sugar, peanuts.

Shell the peanuts, remove the outer skin, place on an enamel plate.

Sprinkle with salt and stand on a warm part of the stove. Place the sugar in an enamel saucepan and stand over low gas, stir till melted, increase the gas, cook till a pale brown,  add the hot peanuts. Pour immediately into buttered tin, leave till cold, then wrap in greaseproof paper. Place in tin or box and decorate to give festive touch.

Devilled Almonds or Peanuts

Half pound nuts, ¾lb. butter, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 level teaspoon cayenne.

Blanch the nuts and dry thoroughly in the oven. Melt the butter, and when hot add the almonds; fry till a golden brown, stirring all the time.

Drain on paper, then shake in the well-mixed salt and cayenne until thoroughly coated. When cold, place in jars, cover, and wrap in colored paper and decorate with holly and tag.

Salted Almonds or Peanuts

Half pound Jordan almonds or peanuts, ½oz. gum arabic, 1 gill water, salt.

Blanch the nuts, dip in the gum arabic which has been dissolved in the water. Drain on an enamel plate.

Place in a warm oven till a pale brown. Sprinkle with salt. Finish in same way as devilled almonds.