ALMOND COFFEE CAKES
Prepare the dough as given in the recipe, using the balance left for either cinnamon or cocoanut buns. When ready to turn on a moulding board cut the dough in half and roll each piece out one-quarter of an inch thick. Spread with shortening and then lightly with brown sugar and with one-half cupful of finely shredded almonds or peanuts. Roll like a jelly roll. Press flat with a rolling pin until just one inch thick. Cut in pieces six inches long and then place in a well-greased baking pan and let rise thirty-five minutes. When ready to bake, cut a gash three inches long on each cake. Wash with egg and milk and strew with finely shredded almonds. Bake in a moderate oven for twenty-five minutes. Ice with water icing.
HOW TO MAKE YEAST-RAISED CAKE
Scald one cupful of milk and add one-half cupful of cold water. Cool the mixture to 80 degrees. Now add four tablespoonfuls of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt. Crumble one yeast cake in the mixture and stir thoroughly until the yeast is dissolved. Now add four cupfuls of sifted flour and beat to a light batter. Cover, and set in a place free from drafts, where it will be kept warm in a temperature of 80 degrees and let raise for three hours. Now beat the dough with a spoon and let raise again for three-quarters of an hour. Now, while the dough is raising last time, place one cupful of sugar and one-half cupful shortening in a bowl and cream until light and frothy. Add two eggs, one at a time, and beat until very light. When the dough is ready, add the sugar, eggs, shortening and one and one-half cupfuls of flour; beat this mixture with spoon for twelve minutes until thoroughly mixed. Now pour in prepared mould filling the mould half full. Set in warm place, with a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, to raise for one and one-quarter hours or until the mixture fills the mould. Bake in a moderate oven for three-quarters of an hour.
Remove the cake from the mould and cool on a wire rack. This cake may be iced or served plain; or chopped nuts, raisins or citron may be added to the dough with the sugar and eggs.
To prepare the pans: Grease them thoroughly, then coat them with finely chopped nuts or fine cake crumbs before pouring in the dough.
BRIOCHE
Brioche is a French sweet bread and while different authorities do not agree as to both the consistency and methods, without doubt these cakes figure largely in French cuisines.
One French bakery prepares the brioches in loaf form and when cold it is cut in slices and steeped in orange syrup. Then again the brioche is spread with jam and then covered with icing or the brioche may be steeped with prepared syrup and then dipped in a batter and fried golden brown in hot fat. Spread with jam and serve with orange or lemon sauce.
The actual preparation of the brioche involves very little trouble and can be made from bread dough on baking day. Now one point in making these sweet breads--there is just the same trick as in moulding the loaf of bread. One can learn by careful attention to details and with practice. Some stress may well be laid upon the lightness of the dough; for heavy, overrich dough that is poorly baked is injurious to health.
WATER ICING
Six tablespoonfuls of confectioner"s sugar and sufficient water (boiling) to moisten.
BREST BREAD
Roll the dough into three strands about one inch thick and ten inches long. Fasten the three strands together and then braid. Place on a well-greased pan and let rise. Wash with egg and milk and then bake for twenty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Spread with jelly and then ice with water icing. Sprinkle with slightly browned cocoanut.
TO MAKE BRIOCHE USING BREAD DOUGH
When the bread is ready to put in the pan cut off one pound and place the dough in a bowl. Now place in a separate bowl
Yolks of two eggs, One-half cup shortening, Three-quarter cupful sugar.
Cream until light and frothy, then add the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs, also
One-half cup of milk, Four cups of flour, One pound piece of yeast raised dough.
Work or knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and let rise for three hours; now turn on board, divide into eight pieces and mould into b.a.l.l.s. Cover and let rise for ten minutes. Now roll out one-half inch thick. Brush with shortening, strew with brown sugar and nuts. Roll like jelly roll and then flatten well with rolling pin.
Place in a greased pan, cover and let rise for one-half hour. Now cut down the entire length of the dough, leaving two inches on each end.
Wash with egg wash and bake twenty minutes in hot oven. Sprinkle with sugar, then return to oven five minutes.
SWEET DOUGHS
In the days of long ago, yeast, ammonia, pearl ash, honey water and a treacle mixture were used to lighten cakes--before the time of dependable baking powder.
In Europe the housewife makes from bread dough delicious cakes with yeast. These provide splendid variety. They include savarins, babas, and yeast-raised fruit cakes.
Many women fail in making these delicious goodies because they do not realize that the addition of large amounts of sugar, fruit, shortening and eggs to yeast dough, unless carefully handled, is apt to produce heavy, moist cakes that lack the light, velvety texture which makes cake a success.
The addition of nuts, cake crumbs and fruit will afford a large variety.
A sponge dough is necessary for successful results.
RUSSIAN RUSK
Prepare the dough as for brioche, adding one cupful of finely shredded almonds when ready to mould for the pan. Use a long narrow pan to bake loaf in. When baked, cool and then cut in one-inch slices and toast light brown in the oven.
SPANISH BUN
Scald one cupful of milk and then cool to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and pour in a bowl and add
Three tablespoonfuls sugar, One-half teaspoonful salt, One yeast cake dissolved in four tablespoonfuls cool water, Three cupfuls of flour.
Beat for five minutes with a spoon and let rise for two hours. Now cream
One and one-quarter cupfuls sugar, One-half cupful of shortening
until very light and creamy and then drop in, one by one, three eggs, beating the eggs for three minutes. Add this to the yeast-raised dough, together with one cupful of sifted flour. Beat with a wooden spoon for fifteen minutes and then pour into a greased and floured pan, filling the pan half full. Put the raisins on the top and then cover and let rise until it fills the pan almost to the edge. Bake in a moderate oven for fifty-five minutes and then cool and ice.
BABAS
Prepare dough as for brioche and, when ready to pan, mould into loaf shape adding nuts and finely shredded citron. Place in well-greased Boston brown-bread mould; let rise for one hour. Bake in moderate oven forty-five minutes. Then begin to baste the Baba with syrup made from
One cupful syrup, One-half cupful water, One tablespoonful vanilla, One teaspoonful mace.
Cook syrup ten minutes before using to baste the Baba, and bake until the syrup is absorbed, then turn on plate.
ANISE SEED RUSK
One tablespoonful of anise seed, One-half cupful finely shredded citron.
Add the above ingredients to the brioche dough; mould and bake as for Russian rusk. These crisp slices will keep for a long time if placed in an air-tight box.
This dough may be used for the old English crull cakes, which is nothing more than a doughnut. Prepare a dough as for a brioche and when ready for the pans turn on a molding board. Roll out one-quarter inch thick; cut with doughnut cutter. Set on cloth to rise for fifteen minutes. Stretch to shape and fry in hot fat until golden brown. Roll in pulverized sugar and cinnamon.
These doughs may be moulded in wreaths, crescents and bowknots. When risen, wash with egg wash, then sprinkle with granulated sugar and chopped nuts and then bake in moderate oven.
INDIAN GRIDDLE CAKES