Ingredients: One quart of flour, one tea-spoonful of soda, two
tea-spoonfuls cream of tartar, one even tea-spoonful of salt, lard or
butter the size of a small egg, and milk.
Put the soda, cream of tartar, and salt on the table; mash them smoothly
with a knife, and mix well together; mix them as evenly in the flour as
possible; then pass it all through the sieve two or three times. The
success of the biscuits depends upon the equal distribution of these
ingredients. Mix in the lard or butter (melted) as evenly as possible,
taking time to rub it between the open hands, to break any little lumps.
Now pour in enough milk to make the dough consistent enough to roll out,
mixing it lightly with the ends of the fingers. The quicker it is rolled
out, cut, and baked, the better will be the biscuits.
The biscuits are cheaper made with cream of tartar and soda than with
baking-powder, yet many make the