The more crust the more palatable these biscuits are. The mixture should not be soft enough to run. Bake in a hot oven ten to twelve minutes.

SOUR MILK BISCUITS

Mix and sift two cups of flour, one-half teaspoon of salt and one-half teaspoon of soda; cut in one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter, stir in with a knife enough sour milk to make a soft dough. Roll one-half inch thick; cut in small rounds and bake in a quick oven about twenty minutes.

m.u.f.fINS.

Light the burners of the gas oven before beginning to mix the m.u.f.fins and work rapidly. Place in a mixing-bowl one well-beaten egg, two tablespoons of b.u.t.ter, one tablespoon of sugar, one-half teaspoon of salt, one scant cup of milk and two teaspoons of baking-powder that have been sifted with sufficient flour to form a batter that will "ribbon"

from the spoon. Beat the batter steadily for five minutes, stir in one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter and bake in m.u.f.fin-pans in a quick oven.

These m.u.f.fins will bake in ten minutes if pans are only half filled.

BRAN m.u.f.fINS

Sift one-half cup of white flour with one teaspoon of soda; mix three tablespoons of mola.s.ses with one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter, add two cups of bran, one and one-half cups of sweet milk, then add the flour and one-half teaspoon of salt, stir all together; one-half cup of chopped dates or raisins may be added if so desired. Bake in m.u.f.fin-pans in a moderate oven thirty minutes.

CORN m.u.f.fINS, No. 1

Beat the yolks and whites of two eggs separately. Add to this two cups of flour, of which one is a full cup of white and three-quarters of the corn-meal. This must be sifted three times. Put into this flour two teaspoons of baking-powder, together with a pinch of salt. Mix the prepared flour with a little boiling water, adding the eggs; also a little sugar may be put in, if desired. Then add enough tepid milk to make the mixture into a batter, after which pour into your pans; or, if corn-bread is desired, into the plain pan (thin). Bake in a quick oven.

This quant.i.ty makes a dozen m.u.f.fins. b.u.t.ter your pan well, or the small gem-pans, according to which is used, and in so doing heat the pan a little.

CORN m.u.f.fINS, No. 2

Mix one cup of white flour; one-half cup of corn-meal, one tablespoon of sugar, one-half teaspoon of salt and one-half teaspoon of soda, add one egg beaten into one cup of sour milk and one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter. Beat thoroughly and bake in well-greased tins.

GRAHAM m.u.f.fINS

Mix one cup of Graham flour, one cup of wheat flour, one-half teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of baking-powder, add to this one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter creamed with one-half cup of sugar and one well-beaten egg, moisten with one and one-half cups of milk. Beat all well and bake in m.u.f.fin-tins in moderately hot oven one-half hour.

WHEAT m.u.f.fINS

Mix two cups of flour, one-half teaspoon of salt, three teaspoons of baking-powder, two tablespoons of sugar and sift these ingredients twice, rub in one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter. Separate one egg. Beat the yolk and add it to one cup of milk and one teaspoon of mola.s.ses. Mix with the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Fold in the beaten white of egg and pour into hot, well-greased m.u.f.fin-tins. Bake fifteen to twenty minutes in hot oven.

RICE m.u.f.fINS

Beat one cup of cold rice, two eggs, one cup of sweet milk, one teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of sugar, two teaspoons of baking-powder, enough flour to make a stiff batter and lastly one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter.

Bake in m.u.f.fin-tins.

RYE FLOUR m.u.f.fINS

Sift one and one-half cups of rye flour with one-half teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of baking soda; add one-half cup of mola.s.ses and one well-beaten egg or one-half cup of water if the egg is omitted, one-quarter cup of chopped raisins and four tablespoons of melted shortening--b.u.t.ter, or any good b.u.t.ter subst.i.tute will do. Bake in m.u.f.fin-pans in rather hot oven twenty-five minutes. Fill pans three-fourths full.

GLUTEN GEMS

Beat the yolks of two eggs, add one cup of milk; then one and one-half cups of gluten flour, two teaspoons of baking powder; beat well, stir in the whites of the two eggs, and bake in hot b.u.t.tered gem pans about twenty minutes.

EGGLESS GINGER GEMS

Mix one-half cup of mola.s.ses, one-half cup of sugar, one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter, and warm slightly; beat up well and stir at least ten minutes.

Add the following spices: one-half teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon; and gradually one-half cup of milk and two and one-half cups of sifted flour in which has been sifted two teaspoons of baking powder.

One-fourth cup of currants or seeded raisins may be added. Bake in well-greased gem pans and eat warm for tea or lunch.

POPOVERS

Mix to a smooth batter two cups each of milk and well-sifted flour, the yolks of three fresh eggs and a teaspoon of salt. b.u.t.ter well the inside of six or eight deep earthen popover cups and stand them in a pan in a hot oven. While the cups are heating, beat to a froth the whites of the three eggs and stir them quickly in the batter. Open the oven door, pull the pan forward, pour the batter in the hot b.u.t.tered cups up to the brim. Push the pan back, close the oven door, and bake the popovers till they rise well and are brown at the sides where they part from the clips. Serve them hot, folded lightly in a napkin.

ONE-EGG WAFFLES

Mix one and one-half cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, one-quarter teaspoon of salt; add one and three-fourths cups of milk, add the milk slowly; then one well-beaten egg and two tablespoons of melted b.u.t.ter; drop by spoonfuls on a hot b.u.t.tered waffle iron, putting one tablespoon in each section of the iron. Bake and turn, browning both sides carefully; remove from the iron; pile one on top of the other and serve at once.

THREE-EGG WAFFLES

Mix two cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking-powder, one-half teaspoon of salt, and sift these ingredients; add the yolks of three eggs beaten and stirred into one and one-fourth cups of milk; then add one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter and fold in the whites of the eggs. Bake and serve as directed under One-Egg Waffles.

DOUGHNUTS

Mix two and one-half tablespoons of melted b.u.t.ter, one cup of granulated sugar, two eggs, one cup of milk, one-half nutmeg grated, sifted flour enough to make a batter as stiff as biscuit dough; add two teaspoons of baking-powder and one teaspoon of salt to the sifted flour. Flour your board well, roll dough out about half an inch thick, and cut into pieces three inches long and one inch wide. Cut a slit about an inch long in the centre of each strip and pull one end through this slit. Fry quickly in hot Crisco. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of each doughnut.

FRENCH DOUGHNUTS

French doughnuts are much daintier than the ordinary ones, and are easily made. Take one-half pint of water, one-half pint of milk, six ounces of b.u.t.ter, one-half pound of flour, and six eggs. Heat the b.u.t.ter, milk, and water, and when it boils remove from the fire and stir in the flour, using a wooden spoon. When well mixed, stir in the eggs, whipping each one in separately until you have a hard batter. Now pour your dough into a pastry bag. This is an ordinary cheesecloth bag, one corner of which has a tiny tin funnel, with a fluted or fancy edge.

(These little tins may be purchased at any tinware store.) It should be very small, not over two inches high at the most, so the dough may be easily squeezed through it. Pour the paste on b.u.t.tered paper, making into ring shapes. Fry in hot oil or b.u.t.ter subst.i.tute. Dust with powdered sugar.

CRULLERS

Cream two tablespoons of b.u.t.ter with one-half cup of sugar, then beat in one at a time two whole eggs. Mix well, then add one-half cup of milk, two teaspoons of baking-powder, and sufficient flour to make a soft batter to roll out. (Try three cupfuls and then add as much more flour as necessary.) Last, add one-half teaspoon cinnamon. Roll one-half inch thick, cut in strips one inch wide, three inches long and fry in hot Crisco.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (BISCUIT DOUGH)

Mix two cups of flour, four teaspoons of baking-powder, one-half teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of sugar; work one-quarter cup of b.u.t.ter with tips of fingers, and add three-quarters of a cup of milk gradually. Toss on floured board, divide in two parts. Pat, roll out and bake twelve minutes in hot oven in layer-cake tins. Split and spread with b.u.t.ter. Pick, hull, and drain berries. Sweeten one to one and one-half boxes of strawberries to taste. Crush slightly and put between and on top of short cake. Allow from one to one and one-half boxes of berries to each short cake. Serve with cream, plain or whipped.