[Illustration: Fig. 2]
20. The kind of utensil required for the baking of hot-bread mixtures
depends entirely on the nature of the mixture and the recipe that is to
be prepared. For popovers, popover cups similar to those shown in Fig. 2
or gem irons are necessary. Muffins require muffin pans like those
illustrated at _h_, Fig. 1; Boston brown breads need cans that have
tight-fitting lids; soft ginger bread, nut loaf, and corn cake are baked
in loaf pans; baking-powder or beaten biscuits are placed in shallow
pans or on oiled sheets; griddle cakes must be baked on griddles; and
waffles require waffle irons. None of these utensils are likely to
present any difficulty in their use except griddles and waffle irons, so
in order that these may be thoroughly understood and good results
thereby obtained, explanations of them are here given.
[Illustration: Fig. 3]
21. GRIDDLES.--A style of griddle in common use is illustrated in Fig.
3, and while it is circular and has a projecting handle, griddles of
different shapes and fitted with different handles are to be had. Such
utensils are made of numerous materials, but the most satisfactory ones
are constructed of steel, iron, soapstone, and aluminum. Steel and iron
griddles must be greased before cakes are baked on them so as to prevent
the cakes from sticking; for this reason they are less convenient than
soapstone and aluminum griddles, which do not require any grease.
The size of griddle to use is governed by the number of persons that are
to be served. One that is unusually large, however, should be avoided if
a gas stove is used for cooking, as it is difficult to heat a large
griddle evenly on such a stove, and even a small one must be shifted
frequently so that some spots will not be hotter than others. In this
respect, a griddle made of aluminum has the advantage over the other
kinds, for this material conducts the heat evenly over its
entire surface.
[Illustration: Fig. 4]
[Illustration: Fig. 5]
Before a new steel or iron griddle is used, it must be tempered so as to
prevent the food that is to be baked on it from sticking. If it is not
tempered, much time will be consumed before its surface will be in the
right condition to permit baking to proceed without difficulty, and
this, of course, will result in wasting considerable food material.
Tempering may be done by covering the griddle with a quantity of fat,
placing it over a flame or in a very hot oven, and then allowing it to
heat thoroughly to such a temperature that the fat will burn onto the
surface. This same precaution should be observed with new waffle irons
and frying pans made of steel or iron if the best results from such
utensils are desired.
22. WAFFLE IRONS.--A waffle iron, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, consists of
two corrugated griddles fastened together with a hinge in such a way
that the surfaces nearly touch when the handles are brought together as
in Fig. 4 (_a_). These griddles are so suspended in a frame that they may
be turned completely over in order to allow each side to be exposed to
the heat. The waffle iron illustrated in Fig. 4, shown closed in view
(_a_) and open in (_b_), is intended for a coal range. In order to use it,
a stove lid is removed from one of the openings and the waffle iron is set
in the opening, which allows the griddle part to be turned. The waffle
iron shown in Fig. 5 is intended for a gas range. As will be noticed,
the griddle part rests on a base that is deep enough to permit it to be
turned. In using a waffle iron of either kind, it should be heated while
the waffle mixture is being prepared; then it should be thoroughly
greased on both sides. No excess fat, however, should be used, as it
will run out when the griddle is turned over.
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