These old-fashioned “fried cakes,” as they used to be called, need the
addition of Royal Baking Powder to make them light. By its use less
shortening is necessary and the cakes are more tender and far more
digestible. After it is mixed with the flour the other ingredients
are added and the dough quickly rolled out, cut, and at once cooked.
The fat should be in a deep pot (to obviate any danger of boiling
over), and should be of sufficient depth to cover the dough when first
dropped in. It should be smoking hot, or the dough will absorb grease
and be soggy. Not more than half a dozen should be dropped in at one
time, or the fat will be unduly cooled and some of the cakes submerged
during the entire cooking; in which case the cakes when cooked will
be greasy and not light. One or two pieces of dough should be cooked
first as testers. When done the cakes should be drained on unglazed
paper, then rolled in powdered sugar.
=Doughnuts.=—Beat well together 2 eggs and 2 cups granulated sugar.
Add 1 pint milk and 1 quart flour in which are mixed and sifted 3
teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 grated nutmeg.
Beat well, then add more flour to make a soft dough. Roll out ½ inch
thick, cut in rings or small balls, and fry brown in a deep kettle of
smoking-hot fat.
=Doughnuts, 2.=-½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1½ pints flour, 1½
teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 egg, 1½ cups milk, 1 teaspoon extract
nutmeg. Rub the butter, sugar, and egg together smooth. Sift the flour
and powder together, add it to the butter, the milk, etc. Mix into
a soft dough; well flour the board, roll out the dough to ½ inch in
thickness, cut out with large biscuit-cutter, and fry to a light brown
in plenty of lard made hot for the purpose. Serve with sifted sugar
over them.
=Doughnuts, 3.=-¾ cup granulated sugar, yolks and whites 2 eggs, 3
tablespoons melted butter or lard, 3 cups flour, 3 heaping teaspoons
Royal Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg. Add beaten whites last,
then add enough more flour to make a soft dough. Roll ½ inch thick,
cut, and fry as directed.
=Doughnuts, 4.=—Sift together 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 quart
flour, ½ cup sugar, ⅓ teaspoon salt. Add 2 well-beaten eggs, 1 cup
milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, a little more flour if necessary to make a
soft dough. Roll out, cut, and fry.
=Doughnuts, 5.=—Scald 1 cup milk, add ½ cup sugar, stir till
dissolved, and cool. Add 1½ cups flour sifted with ¼ teaspoon salt
and 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, the well-beaten whites 3 eggs, 1
tablespoon melted butter, and enough more flour to make a soft dough.
Roll, cut, and fry.
=German Doughnuts.=—Scald 1 pint milk, pour hot over 1 pint flour, and
beat till smooth; add ½ teaspoon salt, and let cool. Add beaten yolks
4 eggs, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon flavoring, ½ cup sugar,
beaten whites of eggs, 1 cup flour mixed with 2 teaspoons Royal Baking
Powder, and more flour to make a soft dough. Roll, cut, and fry.
=Puffball Doughnuts.=—3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 pint milk, ½ teaspoon
salt, 1 teaspoon extract vanilla, 2 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking
Powder sifted with 2 cups flour, more flour to make a thick batter in
which spoon will stand upright. Drop by small spoonfuls in kettle of
smoking-hot fat and fry brown.
=Crullers.=—1½ cups sugar, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons butter,
melted, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon, ½ teaspoon
salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder mixed with 2 cups flour, more
flour to make a soft dough. Roll out, cut in squares, cut slits in
each with jagging-iron, and braid together. Fry in smoking-hot fat.
=Crullers, 2.=—1 quart flour, ½ cup lard, ½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar,
1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¾ pint milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon
extract nutmeg. Sift the flour, sugar, and powder together; rub in the
lard and butter; add the beaten eggs, extract, and milk. Mix into a
smooth dough, just soft enough to handle conveniently. Roll out with
the rolling-pin on a well-floured board; cut into strips about ½ inch
wide, twist in different shapes, and fry to a light brown color in
plenty hot lard. Serve with sifted sugar.
=Crullers, 3.=—2 cups brown sugar, 1½ cups butter, 6 eggs, ½ nutmeg,
grated, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, flour to make soft dough.
Roll, cut with jagging-iron, fry as directed.
=Crullers, 4.=—1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cup cream, 3 cups
flour mixed with 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, and ½ teaspoon
salt, adding enough flour to make soft dough. Roll out, cut in 2-inch
squares, and slash with jagging-iron. Fry, drain, and roll in sugar.
=Dutch Crullers.=—2 eggs, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup
cream, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, sufficient
flour to mix to a soft dough. Roll out, cut in squares, cut several
times in center with jagging-iron; fry brown in kettle of deep
smoking-hot fat.
=Fried Cakes.=—2½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ½ cup
milk, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1 scant tablespoon melted butter, 5
tablespoons sugar. Sift dry materials together. Add beaten eggs, milk,
and melted butter. Drop by small spoonfuls in deep smoking-hot fat,
fry brown, drain on unglazed paper.
=Rye Drop Cakes.=—1 heaping cup rye meal, 1 heaping cup flour,
1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons molasses, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 2½
teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Sift dry materials together. Add milk,
molasses, and beaten eggs. Drop by spoonfuls in deep smoking-hot fat.
When brown drain on paper.
=Wonders.=—3 eggs, 3 tablespoons melted shortening, 3 tablespoons
sugar, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder mixed with 1 cup flour. Add more
flour to make stiff dough, roll very thin. Cut in 3-inch squares; in
each cut several slits; run finger through and separate, then dent
them. Fry and roll in sugar.
[Illustration: (Decorative Design)]