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.