made Plain and Eafy . 271 
fugar-vinegar, you muft let one half be fpring-water. You have 
the receipt for this vinegar in the 19th Chapter. 
Rules to be obferved in pickling . 
ALWAYS ufe ftone jars for all forts of pickles that require 
hot pickle to them. The firft charge is the leaft, for thefe not 
only laft longer, but keep the pickle better; for vinegar and fait 
will penetrate through all earthen veffels, ftone and glafs is the 
only thing to keep pickles in. Be fure never to put your hands 
in to take pickles out, it will foon fpoil it. The beft method is, 
to every pot tie a wooden fpoon full of little holes, to take the 
pickles out with. 
CHAP. XV. 
Of making Cakes, &c. 
To make a rich cake . 
TAKE four pounds of flour well dried and fifted, feven poutifs 
of currants waftied and rubbed, fix pounds of the beft frefti but¬ 
ter, two pounds of Jordan almonds blanched, and beaten with 
orange-flower water and fack till they are fine, then take four 
pounds of eggs, put half the whites away, three pounds of 
double-refined fugar beaten and fifted, a quarter of an ounce of 
mace, the fame of cloves and cinnamon, three large nutmegs, 
all beaten fine, a little ginger, half a pint of fack, half a pint 
of right French brandy, fweet-meats to your liking, they muft 
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 fugar and mix it well together 5 let your eggs be well 
beat and (trained through a fieve, work in your almonds firft, 
then put in your eggs, beat them all together till they look white 
and thick, then put in your fack, brandy and fpices, fhake your 
flour in by degrees, and when your oven is ready, put in your 
currants and fweet-meats as you put it in your hoop. It will take 
four hours baking in a quick oven. You muft keep it beating 
with your hand all the while you are mixing of it, and when 
your currants are well waftied and cleaned, let them be kept be¬ 
fore the fire, fo that they may go warm into your cake. This 
quantity will bake beft in two hoops. 
