ALMOND RINGS.--Three fourths pound of b.u.t.ter creamed with one half pound powdered sugar; add three yolks of eggs (beaten) and one pound of flour. Flavor with vanilla or almond extract. Mix and roll thin. Cut in large rings. Beat three whites of eggs to a froth, brush over the cookies and sprinkle thickly with chopped almond, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Brown in the oven.--Mrs. Whitehead.

CHOCOLATE NUT KISSES.--Ten ounces of powdered sugar beaten with the whites of six eggs for one hour. Add ten ounces of grated chocolate and seven ounces of ground almond. Bake like kisses in a moderate oven.--Mrs. Whitehead.

COCOANUT DROP CAKES.--Two cupfuls of sugar boiled with one cupful of water until it threads from the spoon. Beat the whites of two eggs very light. Beat in the hot syrup and beat until light and thick, flavor with vanilla or lemon and stir very stiff with shredded cocoanut. Drop in little stiff cakes on b.u.t.tered papers on tins and brown a delicate color in a moderate oven. Invert the papers and brush the backs of paper with a little cold water when the cakes will readily slip off.

Chopped pecans may be used instead of cocoanut but there must be enough nuts to make a stiff mixture that will not run when dropped on the papers.--Mrs. Whitehead.

ROCKS.--Two cups brown sugar, one cup b.u.t.ter, one cup cold strong coffee, two eggs, one level teaspoon soda, one teaspoon baking powder, sifted with three cups flour, one teaspoon cinnamon, one teaspoon nutmeg, two cups seeded raisins, one cup nuts chopped but not fine.

Roll out and cut into cookies. Bake in quick oven. Very good.--Mrs.

Alta Southard.

VANILLA WAFERS OR CRISP COOKIES.--One half cup of lard and b.u.t.ter mixed. Cream with one cup of sugar; add one well beaten egg, one fourth cup of milk, two and one half cups of flour, one teaspoon baking powder, one half teaspoon of salt and two teaspoons of vanilla. Mix soft in order given, flour board and roll very thin. Cut into small cookies and bake in a hot oven.--Mrs. Whitehead.

SUGAR COOKIES.--One half cup b.u.t.ter creamed with one cup sugar, add two beaten eggs, one fourth cup milk, two and one half cups flour, one large teaspoon baking powder, one half teaspoon of lemon extract and grated nutmeg if liked. Mix soft and roll but sprinkle with sugar, roll it in then cut and bake in greased pans in a hot oven.--Contributed.

BROWN COOKIES.--Mix two cups of brown sugar with one cup of lard, add one cup of cooking mola.s.ses, and one cup of boiling water with two teaspoons of soda dissolved in it, one tablespoon of ginger. Mix in flour enough to make a stiff dough and let it stand over night. Roll out quite thick, cut and bake. When cool spread with a stiff icing of lemon juice and powdered sugar.--Mrs. Harry Hanson.

MOTHER"S WHITE COOKIES.--Two eggs, one cup of sugar, one cupful of b.u.t.ter, one half cupful of sour milk, one half teaspoon of soda, nutmeg to taste, one teaspoonful of baking powder. Flour enough to make soft dough. Roll thin and bake.--Mrs. E. G. Schollander.

GINGER SNAPS.--Heat to boiling point one cup b.u.t.ter, add one cup mola.s.ses, two cups brown sugar, one tablespoon ginger, one tablespoon cinnamon, one scant teaspoon soda. Take from fire, beat well, add two eggs. Roll with six cups of flour. Let stand over night.--Mrs. E.

Schollander.

CLARA"S DROP CAKES.--Two cups sugar, two eggs, one cup sweet milk, one teaspoon soda, one teaspoon cinnamon, one cup raisins, one cup shortening, one cup mola.s.ses, four cups flour, one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon cloves, one cup currants. Mix together sugar and shortening, stir in eggs beaten lightly, add soda dissolved in mola.s.ses, cloves, cinnamon, milk, fruit, mixed with a little of the flour and lastly the flour and salt sifted together. Drop from teaspoon on greased tin and bake in moderate oven. This makes quite a large amount.--Clara Monroe.

PEPPER GINGER COOKIES.--One cup sugar, one cup mola.s.ses, one cup shortening (mixed lard and b.u.t.ter, one tablespoon ginger, 1 fourth teaspoon (scant) black pepper, one teaspoon soda in one cup boiling water. Mix with flour enough to roll out, about three large cups. Roll thin, cut into cookies and bake in greased tins in a moderate oven.

Cheap and good.--Contributed.

OAT MEAL COOKIES WITH DATE FILLING.--One cup of sugar, one cup b.u.t.ter, creamed together, add two eggs, beat and then add one half of a large cup of sour milk with one teaspoon soda dissolved in it, two cups of raw rolled oats and two cups of flour, a little salt. Flavor with vanilla or lemon and roll and cut into small cookies. Chopped raisins may be mixed with the dough or a date filling may be used, made as follows: Boil one pound of stoned dates with one cup of water and one cup of sugar to a thick paste. Spread a teaspoon of Dates on each cookie, cover with another cookie, press edges together firmly and bake in moderate oven.--Mrs. Whitehead.

SOFT MOLa.s.sES COOKIES.--Two cups mola.s.ses boiled, one cup lard and b.u.t.ter put into boiling mola.s.ses, two eggs or yolks of four or five, two cups sugar, one cup sour milk, one half teaspoon nutmeg, one half teaspoon cloves, one heaping teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon, pinch of salt, two heaping teaspoons soda, flour to roll very soft. Do not let mola.s.ses boil more than a minute or two.--Mrs. Paul Leonhardy.

HERMITS.--One and one half cups brown sugar, one cup b.u.t.ter, one half teaspoon soda, three eggs, pinch of salt, nutmeg, one and one half cups chopped raisins or dates, one and one half cups chopped nuts, three and one half cups flour, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Drop these in small, stiff, rough cakes on greased tins and bake brown. For chocolate hermits, add one half cup of grated Bakers chocolate before baking or shave the chocolate and melt it in a little hot water. Cocoa may be subst.i.tuted for chocolate.--Contributed.

FATTIGMAND. (Scandinavian).--Three well beaten eggs, three tablespoons of sugar, three teaspoons of cream, add cardamom seeds to flavor and one teaspoon of brandy. Stir well together, add flour to roll soft, roll, cut in fancy strips or small cookies and fry in hot lard like crullers.--Contributed.

BERLINER KRARZE. (Scandinavian). Four raw egg yolks, three hard boiled egg yolks (grated), one cup sugar, one cup b.u.t.ter, three and one half cups of flour. Flavor with one tablespoon of brandy or with any favorite extract. Roll thin, cut, dip cookies into beaten whites of eggs, then into rolled loaf sugar and bake or finely chopped nuts and cinnamon may be sprinkled on them just before baking.--Contributed.

"S" FINGERS. (Scandinavian).--One cup sugar, one half cup b.u.t.ter, two eggs, four tablespoons of milk, two teaspoons of baking powder. Flour to roll stiff and flavoring. Roll thin, cut into letter "S" fingers and bake in greased pans.

JUMBLES.--One cup sugar, one cup mola.s.ses, three eggs, one cup sour cream mixed with two level teaspoons of soda. Add four cups flour, one half teaspoon ginger, one fourth teaspoon cloves and a little salt.

Drop in small cakes on greased pans and bake in moderate oven.--Contributed.

PUFF b.a.l.l.s.--Three eggs, one cup sugar, four cups of flour, two teaspoons melted b.u.t.ter, one and one half cups sweet milk, two teaspoons baking powder. Flavor, mix and drop in small b.a.l.l.s into deep, smoking hot fat. Drain and roll in powdered sugar.--Wahpeton Cook Book.

HERMITS.--Two eggs, one and one half cups brown sugar, one cup b.u.t.ter and lard mixed, two thirds cup sour milk, one teaspoon of soda, one teaspoon cinnamon, one teaspoon vanilla, one half teaspoon cloves, one cup chopped raisins, one cup chopped nuts, about three cups of flour.

Drop dough on b.u.t.tered pans with spoon. Bake.--Contributed.

Doughnuts

"Cook says it"s awful "scouragin" to bake and fret and fuss, An" w"en she thinks she"s got "em in the crock they"re all in us!"--J. W. Foley.

DOUGHNUTS.--One and one half cups sugar, three eggs, one cup sour cream, one half cup milk sweet or sour, one half teaspoon soda dissolved in water and stirred into the cream, two teaspoons baking powder with flour to make soft dough, season to taste.--Mrs. L. L.

Lampman.

DOUGHNUTS.--Three eggs beaten light, one cup sugar, two tablespoons b.u.t.ter, one cup sour milk, one teaspoon soda dissolved in hot water, one half teaspoon nutmeg, a little salt, one half teaspoon baking powder. Use swansdown cake flour to make a nice smooth dough. Roll, cut and fry brown in deep smoking hot lard.--Mrs. Southard.

DOUGHNUTS.--Two cups sugar, two eggs, one cup sweet milk, one heaping teaspoon b.u.t.ter, one and one half cups mashed potatoes, salt, nutmeg, three teaspoons baking powder. Mash the potatoes and while they are hot add the b.u.t.ter, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the eggs and add with the milk, sift baking powder with flour twice. Use only flour to roll out, the less flour used the better doughnuts will be.--Mrs. Aaron J.

Bessie.

SOUR CREAM DOUGHNUTS.--One and one half cups sour milk, one half cup thick sour cream, one level teaspoon of soda, one and one half cups sugar, three eggs, a little salt and nutmeg or other flavoring. Flour to roll soft, about six cups, cut. Brown in deep, smoking hot fat, drain and sift powdered sugar over them, (two eggs will do).--Contributed.

EXTRA GOOD DOUGHNUTS.--One cup sugar, one cup sweet milk, one half (scant) cup sour cream, three eggs, two level teaspoons baking powder, one level teaspoon soda, salt. Flour to roll soft. Pour sweet milk over sugar, add soda to cream, stir in milk and sugar, then eggs and then flour, flavoring, etc.--Contributed.

Pastry, Pies and Tarts

"Cook your husband what he likes, and save a hundred household strikes."

PIE CRUST.--For one pie, mix one large cup of flour sifted with half a teaspoon of salt, with one half cup of lard and b.u.t.ter mixed. Blend these ingredients thoroughly with the hands or cut and shape with a knife, then lightly mix in one quarter cup ice cold water, just enough to bind the flour and lard together. Use scant measure of water and do not handle much. Flour the molding board and quickly roll half the dough into a thin crust and line the pie tin. Fill the pie with prepared fruit, wet the edges of the crust with water, roll out the balance of the dough for the upper crust, gash it across the center and lift it carefully and cover the pie, pressing edges together with a fork. If a glazed crust is wanted rub the crust over with a little milk, egg and sugar slightly mixed together. This insures a nice brown crust. The oven should be hot enough to turn white note paper a nice, rich brown color in five minutes time. Pastry requires a brisk oven but not too hot. The ingredients for pastry should be very cold. The measure of shortening (lard) should be generous and the water scant and it should not be handled after the water is added only sufficient to lift out of the mixing bowl and roll out. Flour the board well and flour the rolling pin.

CURRANT PIE.--One cup currants (fresh fruit), one cup sugar, one tablespoon flour, two tablespoons water, one lump of b.u.t.ter and yolks of two eggs. Beat all together and bake in one crust. When done frost with the beaten whites of the eggs.--Mrs. Davidson.

CHERRY PIE.--Line a pie plate with pie crust, fill it generously half full of fresh, stoned sour cherries, and sprinkle a generous cupful of sugar over them mixed with one large tablespoon of flour, dot with one level tablespoon of b.u.t.ter cut into bits, cover with another layer of cherries sprinkled lightly with sugar. Cover with an upper crust wetting the edges and pressing well together to prevent juice escaping.

Cut a gash in center of top crust to allow steam to escape and bake in a moderate oven for forty minutes or until cherries are tender and the juice bubbles in a simp. If a novice at the work, test the fruit with a broom straw through the gash in the upper crust. If the straw can pierce the fruit easily the pie is done.--Mrs. Whitehead.

FRESH FRUIT PIES.--The recipe for cherry pie applies to all fresh berry or fruit pies gauging the sugar and flour according to the juicy sweetness of the fruit. Gooseberries, currants, strawberries, cranberries and plums will take good full measures of sugar and flour.

Raspberries, blue berries and black berries require less sugar and apricots and peaches and apples small measures of flour. A little b.u.t.ter improves the flavor of all fruit pies and apple pie needs a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon before adding the top crust. Canned fruit may be drained free of its syrup and used the same way using less sugar and adding half a cupful of the syrup.--L. W. W.

LEMON PIE. Crust.--One half large cup of flour, one heaping tablespoon of lard, pinch of salt. Mix well. Add enough water to make paste. Roll thin, put in tin, p.r.i.c.k with fork and bake. Filling. One large cup of sugar, two heaping tablespoons of flour, one large cup of boiling water, b.u.t.ter the size of a walnut, juice and grated rind of one lemon, yolks of two eggs. Mix the flour and sugar together, add boiling water, put on the stove and let come to a boil, then add b.u.t.ter, yolks of two eggs, juice and grated rind of one lemon. Remove from fire at once.

Beat the whites of two eggs with two tablespoons of sugar and put on top. Put in oven to brown.--Mrs. R. Meidell.

AMERICAN PRUNE PIE.--Stew about twenty four or thirty prunes, pitt and sweeten the prunes. Bake a pie crust. Whip one half pint of cream, sweeten with sugar, flavor with vanilla. Put a layer of prunes in the crust, then the whipped cream on top and serve cold.--Mrs. R. Meidell.

PUMPKIN PIE.--One cupful of mashed pumpkin, three quarters cup of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, one half teaspoonful each of mace, cinnamon and ginger. Heat one teacupful of milk and beat three eggs and add to mixture. Bake with under crust only.--Mrs. H. Hanson.

PUMPKIN PIE.--One quart milk, three cups stewed pumpkin, one tablespoon flour, four eggs, one and one half cups brown sugar, one half cup mola.s.ses, one teaspoon salt, one level tablespoon cinnamon, one teaspoon ginger, one tablespoon melted b.u.t.ter. Bake with an under crust. Makes three pies. Beat eggs, add pumpkin, then flour, sugar, salt, spices, mola.s.ses and b.u.t.ter and lastly the milk which may be partly cream. Mix well, fill pie tins which have been lined with pie crust and bake from thirty to forty minutes.--L. W. W.

RHUBARB PIE.--One cup diced fresh rhubarb, one cup sugar, one tablespoon flour. Mix all together, turn into a pie tin lined with pie crust. Dot bits of b.u.t.ter over the top of rhubarb, sprinkle with one tablespoon of water. Cover with top crust and bake in moderate oven about forty minutes.--Contributed.

CREAM PIE.--Two yolks of eggs beaten with one half cup sugar, add one large tablespoon of flour and a scant tablespoon of corn starch dissolved in a little milk. Cook in one pint of boiling milk on back of range, stirring constantly. Flavor with vanilla or lemon. Fill baked pastry sh.e.l.l, cover with meringue and brown in oven. Serve cold.--L. W.

W.

CUSTARD PIES.--The rule for custard pie is four beaten eggs and one scant cup sugar to each quart of milk. For one small pie use half this recipe. Mix all together and add flavoring of vanilla, lemon, almond or nutmeg. Line deep pie tin with pie crust and fill with the raw custard and bake in a moderate oven until the custard sets and can be cut clean with a silver knife. Do not bake too long or it will be dry and tough and use scant sugar measure to avoid a watery custard. Cocoanut custard pie is made by adding one cup of shredded cocoanut before baking. Date pie is made by pressing stewed dates through a colander and adding to the custard. Open fruit custard pies are made by laying a layer of prepared fruit on the crust in the tin and covering with the raw custard. All custard pies are baked with an under crust only. Pumpkin, squash and sweet potato pies are made by adding a quart of the cooked and mashed vegetable to each quart of custard and adding spices and salt to suit individual taste.--Contributed.

CREAM PIES.--The cream fillings are cooked on top of stove until thick.