tablespoonfuls of melted butter, or vegetable oil, one well-beaten
egg, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, a pinch of salt, and one cake of
yeast dissolved in a little of the milk; mix all together, then add
enough flour to make a good batter. Let rise until light, knead, using
sufficient flour; let rise again till very light, roll out to one-half
inch in thickness, cut into round or oval shapes with a cutter, fold
one third back over the top, and place in a pan to rise. When very
light, bake in a moderate oven. Brush over with beaten yolk of egg,
mixed with two spoonfuls of cold water just before taking from the
oven. Braided or plaited rolls may be made by cutting the rolled dough
into strips six inches long and one inch wide, pinching the ends of
each three strips together, and then braiding.
CORN-MEAL BREAD
Stir one-half cup of corn-meal into two cupfuls of boiling water; when
well cooked, remove from the fire and add two cupfuls of cold water;
stir well together; then add one teaspoonful of salt, one cake of
yeast dissolved in a little warm water, two tablespoonfuls of sugar or
molasses, and enough white flour to make a good dough. Knead well, and
set to rise; when light, form into three loaves, let rise again, and
bake for nearly an hour.
SALT-RISING BREAD
Take a small pitcher and put into it a half pint of warm water, a
teaspoonful each of salt and sugar, then stir in flour enough to make
a medium-thick batter. Set the pitcher in a kettle of warm water
to rise. It should be kept warm all the time, not hot, for if it is
scalded, it will never rise. When light, stir in a pint of warm milk or
water and enough warm flour to make a soft dough. Knead it, form into a
loaf, place in the pan, set to rise in a warm place, and bake as soon
as light.
RAISED BISCUITS
Make from dough prepared for white bread. When the dough is ready to
form into loaves, divide it into small, equal portions, shape into
smooth, round biscuits, place closely in a shallow baking pan, and let
rise till considerably lighter than bread; brush lightly with milk, and
bake in a rather quick oven.
GEMS
General Directions
Beating in an abundance of cold air is very essential in the making of
good gems, as it is this that makes them light. Cold air is preferable
to warm air, as it expands more when heating.
[Illustration: Gem Irons]
Gems are also better when baked in iron pans than in tin, as the iron
retains the heat better, and bakes the gems more evenly. The irons
should be heated and oiled before the batter is dropped into them.
Having the oven hot from the first is also essential, as a crust will
then be formed immediately, and the air which has been beaten into the
batter will thus be prevented from escaping. They should be placed in
the oven so as to bake on the top first, and afterward on the bottom.
These points should be carefully observed. Gems are best served hot.
They should be broken open, and never cut with a knife, as this makes
them heavy.
GRAHAM GEMS, NO. 1
Place the gem irons in the oven or on the range to heat. Mix salted
Graham flour with cold milk or water to a batter thick enough to drop,
beating vigorously for ten minutes to beat in the air. Butter the gem
irons, and fill each cup nearly full of the batter. Put in a hot oven,
and bake until done.
GRAHAM GEMS, NO. 2
Beat separately the yolk and white of an egg. Add to the beaten yolk
two cupfuls of sweet, rich milk, one-half teaspoonful of salt, and stir
well together; then sift in one and one-half cups of Graham flour, and
a scant cup of white flour, beating vigorously meanwhile. Continue to
beat until the mixture is light and foamy throughout, and full of air
bubbles; then stir in gently the stiffly beaten white of the egg. Have
the gem irons thoroughly heated, slightly butter them, drop in the
batter with a spoon, and bake in a quick oven.
OATMEAL GEMS
Beat separately the yolk and white of an egg. To the beaten yolk add
a cupful of well-cooked oatmeal mush, and a half cup of milk or thin
cream. Beat together thoroughly. Continue to beat while adding a cupful
of white flour and a pinch of salt, then fold in lightly the stiffly
beaten white of the egg. Have the gem irons heated hot, slightly
butter, drop in the batter, filling the little cups nearly full, and
bake in a quick oven until a light brown.
CORN-MEAL GEMS
Stir well together one and one-half cupfuls of milk, and the yolks
of two eggs previously beaten. To this add two cupfuls of corn-meal,
one-half teaspoonful of salt, and one cupful of white flour. Beat
thoroughly, then stir in lightly the whites of the eggs previously
beaten to a stiff froth, and bake as above.
GRANULATED WHEAT GEMS
Mix together one cupful each of cold water and milk, and one-half
teaspoonful of salt. Then add gradually two and one-half cupfuls of
fine granulated wheat, beating continuously. Beat vigorously for ten
minutes, then drop by spoonfuls into thoroughly heated, buttered gem
irons, beating the batter briskly several times while dipping it in.
Bake at once in a very hot oven.
RICE CAKES
Moisten one cup of well-cooked rice with two tablespoonfuls of cream
or rich milk; add one tablespoonful of sugar, and mix in enough flour
to make it hold together. Form into cakes one-third of an inch thick,
and bake in a hot oven. When done, split open, and serve with maple or
lemon sirup. To make lemon sirup, see page 40.
BREAKFAST ROLLS
To three slightly heaping cups of sifted Graham flour add a little
salt, and one cup of milk or thin cream; cream is better. Stir the
milk or cream into the flour, mixing it well with the flour as fast as
poured in. Knead thoroughly, then divide the dough into three portions,
and with the hands roll each portion over and over on the molding-board
until a long roll from an inch to an inch and a half in thickness is
formed. Cut into two- or three-inch lengths, and bake at once in a hot
oven, in a baking pan dusted with flour, or better, on a perforated
piece of sheet-iron made for the purpose, placing the rolls a little
distance apart. Bake until a light brown. When done, do not place one
on top of another.
Flour kneaded into cold Graham flour, oatmeal, or corn-meal mush makes
very good breakfast rolls.
STICKS
Make the same as breakfast rolls, only rolling the dough to about the
size of the little finger, and cutting into three- or four-inch lengths.
FRENCH ROLLS
Make a sponge at night of one-half cake of dry or one-half cup of good
liquid yeast, the beaten white of one egg, two tablespoonfuls of melted
butter, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a little salt, and three cups
of warm milk or water, and flour sufficient to make a soft dough. In
the morning knead well and let rise again. When light, roll out the
dough to about three fourths of an inch in thickness; cut into about
four-inch squares with a sharp knife, butter the edges, and roll each
corner up and over to the center; place on buttered tins, allow the
rolls to become very light, and bake in a moderately hot oven. The
sponge for this can be set in the morning if the yeast is very quick.
TO GLAZE ROLLS
When ready to bake, brush the rolls or biscuit lightly with milk; or,
when nearly baked, brush with the yolk of an egg to which has been
added two spoonfuls of cold water and half a teaspoonful of sugar.
Return to oven till done.
MARYLAND OR BEATEN BISCUIT
Mix five cupfuls of white flour, one-half cupful of vegetable oil or
butter, and one teaspoonful of salt to a very stiff dough with one
cupful of cold water. Knead for twenty minutes, using no more flour for
the molding-board; then beat hard with a wooden mallet or hammer for
twenty minutes longer, until the dough is flat and of even thickness
throughout; sprinkle over a little flour, fold half of the dough back
evenly over the other half, and beat quickly around the edges, to keep
in the air. Continue beating until the dough is brittle, and will snap
if a piece is broken off quickly. Pinch off into pieces the size of a
small walnut, work smooth, flatten on top with the thumb, prick with a
fork, place on perforated tins a little distance apart, and bake in a
moderate oven for nearly an hour, or until dry and brittle throughout.
WHOLE WHEAT CRISPS
Take one cupful of rich cream, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a pinch
of salt, two cupfuls, or enough to make a stiff dough, of fine
granulated, whole wheat flour. Beat well, and knead for fifteen
minutes, first with a spoon, until the batter becomes too thick, and
then with the hands. Roll out as thin as wafers, cut into shapes with a
biscuit cutter, and bake on floured tins in a very hot oven.
[Illustration: Cake Cutter]
GRAHAM WAFERS
Stir together one cupful each of sifted Graham flour and white flour,
one tablespoonful each of butter and sugar, and a saltspoonful of salt;
then mix with enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Roll out very
thin, cut into small squares, or with a cake cutter, and bake on tins
in a quick oven.
FRUIT BISCUIT
Make a dough with one cupful of cold, sweet cream or rich milk, three
cupfuls of sifted Graham or white flour, and a little salt. Knead
thoroughly, and divide into two portions. Roll each quite thin, then
spread one with currants, stoned dates, figs, or seedless raisins,
chopped fine, and place the other one on top; press down with the
rolling-pin, cut into oblong squares with a knife, and bake.
CRESCENTS
Make a dough, using the recipe for White Bread. When ready to form
into loaves, work into it two tablespoonfuls each of butter and sugar;
roll out into a sheet half an inch thick, cut into six-inch squares,
then divide diagonally, forming triangles; brush each lightly with
water, and roll up, beginning at the longest side; place on oiled pans,
turning the ends toward each other in the form of a crescent. When
very light, brush with milk, and bake in a quick oven for about twenty
minutes.
RUSKS
Make a sponge at night with one cupful of sugar, one cupful of scalded
milk, cooled to lukewarm, one-half cupful of butter, two eggs, one cake
of dry or one-half cup of good liquid yeast, and sufficient flour to
make a drop batter. Set in a warm place to rise. In the morning knead
well, and when risen again, mold into the form of biscuits, place a
little distance apart on buttered tins, and brush over with the beaten
white of an egg sweetened; let stand until light, and bake.
PLAIN BUNS
Beat together one-fourth cup of lively yeast, one cup of sweet milk,
previously scalded and cooled to lukewarm, one-half teaspoonful
of salt, two cups of warm flour, and set in a warm place to rise.
When very light, work into the dough one-half cup of sugar, and two
tablespoonfuls of butter. Knead well for ten minutes, using enough
flour to make a soft dough. Shape into the form of biscuits a little
larger than an egg; place on tins slightly buttered, and set in a warm
place to rise. When very light, bake in a moderately hot oven. The tops
may be brushed over with the sweetened beaten white of an egg while
baking, or sprinkled with moist sugar when taken from the oven.
FRUIT BUNS
Make the same as plain buns, adding one-half cup of raisins or currants
just before kneading and forming into buns.
[Illustration: Waffle Iron]
RICE WAFFLES
Set a sponge at night with two cupfuls of sweet milk, scalded and
cooled to lukewarm, one tablespoonful of butter, a pinch of salt,
two-thirds of a cupful of boiled rice, three cupfuls of flour, and
one-fourth cup of liquid yeast. Beat the batter hard for five or six
minutes, and set in a warm place to rise. In the morning add two
well-beaten eggs, and stir well together. Bake on a hot, buttered
waffle iron. If this is not at hand, have the gem irons well heated,
slightly butter to prevent sticking, and drop in the batter. Place in
a hot oven so the top will bake first, and bake to a rich brown color.
Very nice for breakfast.
PUFFS
To two cups of milk add a little salt and the yolks of two eggs well
beaten; then sift in, a little at a time, and beating meanwhile, three
small cups of flour. Beat until light, then stir in gently the stiffly
beaten whites of the eggs, and bake in hot gem irons.
FRUIT LOAF, NO. 1
Take enough good bread dough for one loaf, add one cupful of brown
sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter, and one cupful of raisins,
previously washed and dried. Knead well and let rise; then knead again,
and place in a bread pan, let rise until light, and bake in a moderate
oven.
FRUIT LOAF, NO. 2
Make a sponge of one and one-half cups of warm milk or water, one-half
cup of good yeast, the beaten white of one egg, one tablespoonful each
of butter and sugar, a little salt, and flour sufficient to make a
soft dough. Let rise till light; then knead well and let rise again.
When light, roll out to about one inch in thickness, spread over with
chopped dates, or raisins, or currants which have been previously
washed and dried; roll up and form into a loaf, let rise, and bake.
COFFEE CAKES
Take two cupfuls of bread dough (made with milk) when ready for the
pans; put into a deep dish and work in four tablespoonfuls of cocoanut
or vegetable oil or butter, four tablespoonfuls of sugar, the stiffly
beaten white of one egg, and enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough.
Knead well, and roll out into a long strip about nine inches in width,
three feet in length, and one fourth of an inch thick; spread over this
four or five tablespoonfuls of oil or melted butter, omitting about
two inches at the farther end; beginning at end nearest, roll up like
jelly roll; cut into slices an inch thick; place a little distance
apart on tins sprinkled with sugar; set in a warm place, and when very
light, brush over with oil; sprinkle with a little sugar, and bake. If
desired, ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg may be sprinkled over the
dough before rolling it up.
FLANNEL CAKES
Heat three cupfuls of milk to boiling; put into a crock one cupful
of corn-meal and two tablespoonfuls of butter, then pour in the
scalding milk; beat well, allow to cool to lukewarm, then stir in one
tablespoonful of sugar, two of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, and
one-half yeast cake dissolved in one-third cup warm water; beat well,
and set to rise overnight. Bake on a hot griddle.
CORN-MEAL BATTER CAKES
To two cups of cold corn-meal mush, add one cup of sifted flour, and a
pinch of salt; beat well the yolks of two eggs, to which add two-thirds
cup of milk, and stir into the mush; beat thoroughly until light and
smooth, adding a little more milk if necessary, to make the batter of
proper consistency. Then gently stir in the whites of the eggs beaten
to a stiff froth, and bake in small cakes on both sides on a griddle,
slightly buttered, or better still on a soapstone griddle, in which
case use no oil nor butter on it. Serve hot.
[Illustration: Griddle]
BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES
In the evening take two quarts of warm water, add one-fourth cup of
good yeast, a teaspoonful of salt, and buckwheat flour enough to make
a good batter. If desired, a cupful of corn-meal or a few spoonfuls of
white flour may be used instead of all buckwheat. Beat well and set
to rise. In the morning thin the batter with a little warm water, if
necessary, and bake on a hot griddle. If cakes are desired for several
mornings, the batter may be kept going by leaving at least a cupful
after each baking, and adding the necessary warm water and buckwheat
flour each evening as at first.
LENTIL FRITTERS
To a pint of lentil soup (left-over soup will do), add the well-beaten
yolks of two eggs, and sift in enough flour, a little at a time,
beating thoroughly, to make a good batter. Then add the stiffly beaten
whites of the eggs, drop by spoonfuls on a hot buttered griddle, and
brown on both sides.
CORN FRITTERS
To each quart of raw sweet corn (a dozen nice ears), grated from the
cob, add the beaten yolks of three eggs, a teaspoonful of salt, and one
and one-half cups of fine bread or cracker crumbs, or enough to make a
batter just stiff enough to drop from a spoon. Then stir in the stiffly
beaten whites of the eggs, and drop with a spoon on a hot, oiled, or
soapstone griddle. Serve hot.
USES FOR STALE BREAD
Whole slices of stale bread, if in good condition, may be steamed or
used for toast. Crumbs, crusts, and broken pieces not suitable for
this purpose may be placed in a pan, and put into a slow oven until
thoroughly dried (not browned), then ground in a mill, or rolled on a
breadboard with the rolling-pin, and put away in covered jars for use.
This will be useful for making corn-meal cutlets or anything that is to
be rolled in crumbs, dipped in egg, and browned.
POTATO YEAST
Put to cook six medium-sized potatoes in two quarts of hot water. Tie
a handful of hops in a cloth, and boil with the potatoes during the
last ten minutes. When done, take potatoes and hops from the water,
leaving the water over the fire. Mash the potatoes fine, and add four
tablespoonfuls of flour, and two each of sugar and salt. Stir well
together. Pour over this mixture the boiling potato water, stirring
well that no lumps be formed. When cooled to lukewarm, stir in a cupful
of liquid yeast, or one cake of dry yeast dissolved in warm water.
After fermentation has ceased, turn into an earthen jar previously
scalded, cover, and set in a cool, dark place. Shake before using.
HOP YEAST
Steep a handful of hops in a quart of hot water for five minutes. Then
strain, and turn the boiling water over a cupful of flour, blended with
a little cold water. Add one tablespoonful of salt, and two of sugar;
let cool till lukewarm, then stir in a half cup of liquid yeast, or one
cake of dry or compressed yeast dissolved in a little warm water. Set
aside for twenty-four hours, stirring occasionally; then bottle and
keep as above.
FRUITS
The earth to thee her increase yields,
The trees their fruitage bring;
And glittering in the sunlit fields,
The vines with bounty spring.
“Every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you
it shall be for meat.” Gen. 1:29.
If families could be induced to substitute the apple—sound, ripe,
and luscious—for pies, cakes, candies, and other sweetmeats with
which children are too often stuffed, there would be a diminution of
doctor’s bills, sufficient in a single year to lay in a stock of this
delicious fruit for a season’s use.—_Professor Faraday._
There is much false economy; those who are too poor to have
seasonable fruits and vegetables, will yet have pie and pickles all
the year. They can not afford oranges, yet can afford tea and coffee
daily.—_Health Calendar._
[Leaf]
Fruits are a natural food. They form no inconsiderable part of those
products of the earth given by the Creator to our first parents as
food. “Behold, I have given you,” he says, “every herb bearing seed,
which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which
is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”
Gen. 1:29.
Fruits are not only delightful to the eye, pleasing to the smell, and
satisfying to the taste, but they contain elements which are necessary
for the best maintenance of the system; hence the natural craving for
them when the system is in a normal condition.
While not containing a large amount of nutrition compared to their
size, they are, nevertheless, valuable on account of their juices, and
also because of their giving bulk to our food,—a very necessary thing
to be considered.
Containing as they do from seventy-five to ninety per cent of water,
their use naturally allays thirst. If their use were more general,
there would doubtless be less desire for unnatural drinks.
As a rule fruits, especially acid and sub-acid fruits, are cooling to
the blood, and most kinds also act as a laxative to the system, tending
to keep it free and open. They should, therefore, be freely used in
the daily bill of fare, though in proper combinations. Fruits go well
with grains and milk, but not so well with vegetables, especially acid
fruits.
And what gives a nicer appearance to the table than a dish of fruit!
The very sight is inviting and appetizing.
[Illustration: Fruit Dish]
In preparing fresh fruit for the table, care should be taken to select
only that which is sound and ripe. It should also be carefully cleaned.
Apples should be wiped with a damp cloth, and their beauty will be
further enhanced by polishing them with a dry one. Plums should be
likewise treated. Grapes should be washed, and the stem ends of bananas
cut off. Bananas may also be peeled, sliced, and served with cream.
Oranges may be placed on the table whole, or their skins cut into
eighths, and peeled half-way down. In serving cherries in their natural
state, the stems should be left on.
Much taste may be displayed in the arrangement of fresh fruits for the
table. A few green leaves interspersed with the fruit, or a variety
of fruits tastily arranged on the same dish, make a very attractive
appearance.
Nature sets before us an abundance of delicious fruits, and these in
almost endless varieties and flavors.
Most fruits are both wholesome and agreeable when eaten raw, but many
are rendered more easy of digestion by cooking. Some persons with weak
digestion can not eat many kinds of raw fruits, but almost every one
can eat most kinds when cooked.
The following are some of the most simple and practical ways in which
fruits may be prepared:—
[Leaf]
BAKED APPLES, NO. 1
Apples to be baked may be cored and pared or baked with the skins on.
If firm and quite tart, pare, place in a pie dish, add sugar and a
little hot water, and bake in a moderate oven. If the apples are juicy,
less water will be required. When tender, turn into a dish, and pour
over them the sirup or juice.
BAKED APPLES, NO. 2
Pare and core without halving, a number of nice, tart apples; fill
the centers with sugar and jelly, lay closely in a shallow pan, add a
little water, and bake slowly, basting occasionally with the sirup to
keep the centers well filled. Bake till brown and tender, and serve
with a boiled custard made with two cups of milk, two tablespoonfuls of
sugar, two eggs, and vanilla to flavor.
STEWED APPLES
Pare, core, and cut into small pieces some moderately tart apples,
place in a saucepan, and add sufficient boiling water to stew to a
pulp; cook slowly for about an hour, stirring but little. When cool,
add sugar to sweeten.
BAKED SWEET APPLES
Select good, sweet apples. Wash, but do not pare or core them; put
into a baking pan with a little water, and bake in a hot oven. Baste
occasionally with the juice in the bottom of the pan. When done, if
desired, each apple may be dipped in the beaten white of an egg, then
in powdered sugar, and returned to the oven until the icing is set.
Plain sweet baked apples are very nice served with cream.
APPLE SCALLOP
Pare, core, and slice a half dozen good cooking apples. Spread a layer
in the bottom of a deep pudding dish, then over these a layer of bread
crumbs mixed with a little sugar, thus alternating till the dish is
filled, having a layer of apples on top. Add a half cup of cold water,
and bake in a rather quick oven till done. Serve with rich milk or
cream.
BOILED APPLES
Remove the cores and cook whole, or in halves, in enough boiling water
to cover them. Cook slowly. When tender, remove the apples to a dish
with a spoon or fork. Sweeten the juice with sugar, add a little lemon
extract, thicken slightly with a very little cornstarch blended with a
little cold water, and pour over the apples. Serve when cool.
BAKED PEARS
Take good, sound pears, cut in halves, pare, and fill an enameled
pudding dish, sprinkling sugar through them; pour in a cupful of hot
water, cover tightly, and bake slowly till tender. Serve cold. Or wash,
wipe, and bake whole in a shallow dish, putting in a very little water.
STEWED PEARS
Pare, quarter, and core nice ripe pears, and drop into cold water to
keep from discoloring. Make a sirup, allowing two cups of water and
a half cup of sugar to each quart of fruit. Boil the sirup for a few
minutes, put in the fruit, and cook until tender and pink in color,
being careful not to break the fruit by stirring. Three or four slices
of lemon added to the sirup while boiling will improve the flavor of
the pears. Remove the lemon before putting in the fruit.
BAKED QUINCES
Pare, core, and bake the same as apples. The fruit may be left whole,
and the centers filled with sugar. Sufficient water should be used so
the fruit will not become dry. Baste with the sirup while baking.
BAKED PEACHES, NO. 1
Take good, firm peaches, pare, cut in halves, removing the stones,
and place in a deep pudding dish, sprinkling with sugar. Add a little
water, and bake until tender.
BAKED PEACHES, NO. 2
Bake as above; when done, cover the top with a meringue made of the
whites of two or three eggs beaten stiff and a little powdered sugar;
return to the oven and brown slightly. Serve cold with cream.
STEWED PEACHES