Sift thoroughly, with three cupfuls of entire wheat flour, two tablespoonfuls of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoonful of sugar. Add one and one half cupfuls of sweet milk in which the well-beaten yolk of an egg has been stirred, and two tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Add the white of the egg, beaten to a stiff froth, mix thoroughly, and bake about twenty minutes in hot buttered muffin-pans in a moderate oven.
HONEY MUFFINS
Sift together three cupfuls of flour, three heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, three eggs well beaten, one cupful of strained honey, and one cupful of milk. Bake in well-buttered muffin-tins.
GEORGIA MUFFINS
One cupful of milk, one egg, well beaten, two cupfuls of flour, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoonful of baking powder. Mix thoroughly, and bake in buttered gem-irons made piping hot before the batter is put in.
BLUEBERRY MUFFINS—II
One cupful of sugar, two eggs, one cupful of milk, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, butter the size of an egg, melted, and two cupfuls of flour sifted with the baking powder. Add two cupfuls of blueberries, stir thoroughly, and bake in buttered muffin-tins in a quick oven.
SWEET MUFFINS
One half cupful of butter and one half cupful of sugar rubbed to a cream. Add two eggs, well beaten, and mix thoroughly. Add one cupful of sweet milk and stir and mix thoroughly. Sift three and three fourths cupfuls of flour and three rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder into the muffin mixture, beat again, pour into hot buttered gem-pans, and bake about half an hour.
PERFECTION MUFFINS
Mix together three cupfuls of flour, one cupful of corn-meal, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one tablespoonful of sugar, and one teaspoonful of salt. Work in one heaping tablespoonful of butter or lard, add three well-beaten eggs and two cupfuls of milk. Beat quickly into a firm batter. Bake in well-buttered muffin-tins.
NEW HAMPSHIRE MUFFINS
Beat together three eggs and one cupful of milk. Add a pinch of salt and one teaspoonful of powdered sugar. Sift together two cupfuls of flour and one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder. Combine mixtures, beat well, and bake in hot buttered gem-irons. The cups should be about half full of the batter and the oven only moderately hot.
OATMEAL GEMS
Pour one cupful of boiling water over one cupful of steam-cooked oatmeal and let it stand over night. Mix one cupful of flour, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and a half a teaspoonful of salt. Sift, mix with the soaked oatmeal, and add enough flour to make a batter that will drop easily from the spoon. Bake in buttered muffin-pans.
POPOVERS
One cupful of flour, measured after sifting, one egg, unbeaten, one cupful of milk, and a pinch of salt. Butter a gem-pan and put it into a hot oven. Mix all the ingredients together, stirring hard with a wooden spoon. When the pan is hissing hot, pour in the batter, filling each compartment half or two thirds full. Bake in a very hot oven till well puffed and golden brown, cover with a paper and finish baking. This quantity makes a dozen popovers.
POPOVERS—II
Two eggs, well beaten, one cup of flour, one cupful of milk, one teaspoonful of salt. Prepare as above and bake in buttered custard cups.
FRUIT POPOVERS
Make the batter for Popovers I. Drop a piece of banana, a few blueberries, or a bit of preserved fruit or jam, or a steamed fig into each small cup of batter, which will rise in the cup and almost cover the fruit. These may be served with a simple syrup in place of pancakes or waffles.
PUFFS
Boil two cupfuls of milk with half a cupful of butter. Stir in one cupful and a half of sifted flour and let cool. Beat five eggs separately and add. Fill buttered custard cups half full of the batter and bake in a quick oven. Serve on a hot plate and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
RICE MUFFINS
One cupful of cold boiled rice, two cupfuls of flour, two eggs, beaten separately, two tablespoonfuls of lard or butter, a teaspoonful of salt, and milk enough to make a thin batter. Beat hard and bake in a quick oven.
RICE MUFFINS—II
One cupful of milk, one and one half cupfuls of flour, half a cupful of cold boiled rice, two level teaspoonfuls of baking powder, a pinch of salt, a teaspoonful of sugar, a heaping teaspoonful of butter, and one egg well beaten. Mix the dry ingredients, then melt the butter and rub it into the rice, add the egg, then the milk. Combine the two mixtures, beat well, and bake twenty-five minutes in buttered muffin-tins in a moderate oven.
RYE MUFFINS
Sift together one cupful each of rye meal and white flour, add two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoonful of sugar. Mix with one egg, well beaten, and one cupful of milk. Bake in buttered muffin-rings.
RYE CRISPS
One cupful of rye meal and one half cupful of white flour. Sift into a bowl with one teaspoonful of baking powder and mix thoroughly with one third of a cupful of finely minced beef suet. Add half a teaspoonful of salt, and enough milk to make a soft dough that may be easily handled with a spoon. Have well-buttered muffin-tins piping hot. Fill them two-thirds full and bake quickly in a very hot oven. They should be done in from twelve to fifteen minutes.
SALLY LUNN
Four cupfuls of sifted flour, four eggs, beaten separately, one cupful of milk, one cupful of melted butter and lard, equal parts, one teaspoonful of salt, two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Mix, adding the whites the last thing. Bake in muffin-rings.
SCONES
Spread a rich biscuit or muffin dough in a well-buttered pan, mark deeply into squares, brush with the yolk of an egg, and sprinkle with sugar.
SNOW BALLS
Make a batter of one cupful of cream—the top of milk will do nicely—two tablespoonfuls of sugar, the yolks of four eggs, a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, and flour enough to mix. Add the whites of the eggs last, beaten to a stiff froth. Fill buttered cups two thirds full, and bake in a hot oven.
SCOTCH SCONES
Four cupfuls of sifted flour, one cupful of buttermilk, one tablespoonful of butter, one tablespoonful of sugar, one half teaspoonful of baking soda, and one half teaspoonful of salt. Rub the butter into the flour, add the sugar and salt, stir the soda into the buttermilk, and mix with the flour. Roll into a thin sheet, cut into triangles, and bake about thirty-five minutes on a floured tin. Just before they are done, rub a cloth dipped in milk over the tops and put back into the oven to glaze.
Note.—Sour milk may be made from fresh by keeping the milk some hours in a warm place, or, more quickly, by adding a little lemon-juice or vinegar to the amount of milk required.
RAISED BREAKFAST BREADS
Although many recipes included in this section may seem, at first glance, to be unsuitable for breakfast on account of the length of time taken for rising, there are ways in which the time can be considerably shortened.
A competent authority says that any mixture for rolls or muffins can be made ready for its second rising at night, and kept over night in any place where the dough will not freeze, or where the temperature is not so high as to cause too rapid rising and consequent souring of the dough.
Moreover, rolls or muffins may be baked in the afternoon until done thoroughly, but not brown, wrapped in a cloth, and put away in a cool place. In the morning, they need only to be rubbed with melted butter and set into a hot oven for a very few moments. They will come out crisp and flaky, and free from all objections on the score of indigestibility. Bread twice baked is always much more digestible than fresh bread.
Brioche, the most delicious of all hot breads, needs to stand in the refrigerator over night, and the second process is a quick one when the paste is once made. The paste will keep a week or more in a very cold place, and be the better for it. It is a French dough, for which many complicated recipes are given, but the following will be found satisfactory, and not difficult after one or two trials.
BRIOCHE PASTE
One cake of compressed yeast, a pinch of salt, one and one fourth cupfuls of butter, four cupfuls of flour, one tablespoonful of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of warm water, and seven eggs. Dissolve the yeast in the water, adding a little more water if necessary, and rubbing the yeast cake with a spoon until thoroughly dissolved. Stir in enough sifted flour to make a stiff dough, rolling and patting with the hands until thoroughly mixed. Drop this ball of paste into a kettle of warm water and let stand in a moderate temperature until it has a little more than doubled in bulk. (Some recipes for Brioche say that the ball of paste should be light enough to float.) Put the remainder of the four cupfuls of flour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, salt, and butter, softened but not melted, and four of the eggs, unbeaten. With the hand mix carefully to a paste, beat smooth, and add the rest of the eggs, unbeaten, one at a time. Take the ball of paste, when light, out of the warm water with a skimmer, and, still using the hand, incorporate it carefully with the egg mixture, folding the two together as lightly as possible. Let rise, in a moderate temperature, until double in bulk. Then turn the paste on a floured board and pat and fold with the hands until smooth in texture and inclined to stay in shape. Let rise once more until very light, then put into the refrigerator and let stand over night.
BRIOCHE ROLLS
Roll a large lump of Brioche dough into a thin sheet on a floured board or pastry slab, working lightly and quickly, spread with softened butter, and fold so that the paste will be in three layers. Cut in strips an inch wide and twist, working from the ends, and arrange in circles on a baking-sheet, the ends of the strips pointing inward. The rolls should be very close together in the pan. Beat the yolk of an egg, dilute it with as much milk, and brush the rolls with the mixture. Let them rise a few minutes, then bake about half an hour in a moderate oven. A little sugar and water may be spread over the tops if desired.
BRIOCHE BUNS
Shape the chilled paste into small balls, and put a bit of citron or a few raisins on the top of each one. Let rise a few moments and bake half an hour in a moderate oven.
BRIOCHE BREAKFAST CAKE
Butter a round cake-tin which has a tube in the centre, fill it half full of chilled Brioche paste, and let rise till the pan is two thirds full. Bake in a moderate oven and turn out. It should be torn apart with the fingers—not cut.
BATH BUNS
Dissolve a cake of yeast in two cupfuls of warm water. Add enough flour to make a moderately stiff sponge, let rise about two hours. Cream together one half cupful each of butter and sugar, add one cupful of lukewarm milk, a pinch of salt, and two eggs, well beaten. Mix with the sponge, let rise an hour longer, then knead, shape into buns, arrange close together in a baking-pan, and let rise till very light. Bake in a moderate oven.
Bath Bunny, Currant Bunny, sang it loud and long;
When his friends had told him that he gave them all a pain,
Bath Bunny, Currant Bunny, sang it twice again.”
Louis Wain.
ENGLISH BATH BUNS
Dissolve half a cake of compressed yeast in one cupful of milk, and add two cupfuls of flour, or enough to make a sponge. Let rise until light, then add two thirds of a cupful of melted butter and four eggs, well beaten. Knead and let rise again for about an hour. Make into balls the size of a small apple and press into each one some currants and bits of candied peel. Let rise ten or fifteen minutes in a warm place, sprinkle with sugar, and bake.
HOT CROSS BUNS
Rub one half cupful of butter into eight cupfuls of sifted flour, then add half a cake of compressed yeast dissolved in three cupfuls of scalded milk. Let rise two hours. Work into the sponge one cupful of sugar, one cupful of cleaned currants, and half a nutmeg grated. Knead, shape into buns, arrange in pans, score deeply with a cross, brush with butter, and let rise fifteen minutes. Bake forty-five minutes in a brisk oven. This is the genuine English recipe, and the buns are good at any time, but the cross is made only on Good Friday, or for Easter.
RISEN MUSH MUFFINS
One cupful of hominy, cerealine, corn-meal mush, oatmeal, rice, or other left-over cooked cereal, one teaspoonful of butter, one tablespoonful of sugar, one pinch of salt, one fourth of a cake of yeast (compressed) dissolved in one cupful of scalded milk, and two cupfuls of sifted flour. Mix thoroughly and let rise over night. In the morning, beat well and fill well-buttered muffin-pans half full. Let rise until double in bulk, then bake half an hour.
FINGER ROLLS
Mix one cupful of scalded milk with one tablespoonful of butter. When cool, add a teaspoonful of sugar, a pinch of salt, and one half cake of yeast dissolved in half a cupful of warm water. Add enough flour to make a soft dough—about three cupfuls. Mix thoroughly, knead for fifteen minutes, and set to rise in a warm place for three or four hours. When light, knead again, shape into balls, and roll into cylinders on a floured board, pointing the ends. Arrange in a shallow pan, and let rise until double in size—about an hour—glaze with beaten egg, and bake fifteen minutes in a hot oven.
SOUTHERN ROLLS
Six cupfuls of flour, two eggs, one cake of compressed yeast, one cupful of milk, two tablespoonfuls of lard, melted, and a teaspoonful of salt. Mix as other sponges, let rise five hours, knead, shape into rolls, let rise two hours longer, and bake about twenty minutes.
FRENCH ROLLS
Eight cupfuls of flour, four eggs, four teaspoonfuls of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in two cupfuls of milk. Mix like other sponges, let rise until light, knead, shape, let rise the second time, and bake in a moderate oven.
KENTUCKY ROLLS
Four cupfuls of flour, one tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, two eggs, half a cupful of lard, and half a cake of compressed yeast. Mix the lard, sugar, and flour, then stir in the other ingredients, the yeast being dissolved in a little water, and add enough milk or warm water to make a thin batter. Let rise in a warm place, then add enough flour to make a stiff dough, and let rise again. When light, knead, shape, and put to rise for a third time. Bake in a quick oven.
ALABAMA ROLLS
Rub two hot baked potatoes through a colander. Stir in one cupful of melted butter, two eggs well beaten, half a cake of compressed yeast, dissolved, and mixed with one cupful of sifted flour. Work with the hand into a smooth sponge, and let rise three hours. Then work into the sponge two cupfuls of sifted flour and let rise five hours longer. Knead, make into roll shape, set to rise two hours more, and bake.
CORN ROLLS
To four cupfuls of well-salted hot corn-meal mush add one cupful of mixed butter and lard and half a cupful of sugar. When cool, add one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in a little warm water, and set to rise in a warm place. When light, work in enough sifted flour to make a stiff dough, knead thoroughly, and let rise again. Late at night, knead again and set in a cool place over night. In the morning, roll and cut out like biscuit. Spread half of each circle with softened butter and roll the other half over it. Let rise a few moments and bake. If the weather is very warm, add a teaspoonful of soda, dissolved in a little warm water, to the sponge.
PARKER HOUSE ROLLS
Dissolve one cake of compressed yeast in one cupful of lukewarm water, and add enough flour to make a thin batter. Put this sponge in a warm place to rise. Add one tablespoonful of lard, one tablespoonful of butter, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and one teaspoonful of salt to two cupfuls of milk, and bring to the boil. Take from the fire and let cool. When the sponge is light stir in the milk, and add enough sifted flour to make a dough, usually about eight cupfuls, though the thickening qualities of various brands of flour vary greatly. Knead for fifteen or twenty minutes, then set to rise until very light. Shape, place in a baking-pan, let rise once more, and when light bake in a quick oven.
WHOLE WHEAT ROLLS
One teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, one cake of compressed yeast, one cupful of scalded milk, and three cupfuls of whole wheat flour. Add the salt, sugar, and butter to the scalded milk. Dissolve the yeast in two tablespoonfuls of warm water and add to the milk when it has cooled. Add half of the flour and beat hard for ten minutes, then work in the rest of the flour. Set it to rise for two hours. Roll out into a sheet an inch thick and cut into small rolls. Place close together in a well-buttered baking-pan, and let rise from fifteen to thirty minutes. Bake fifteen or twenty minutes in a quick oven. Brush with an egg-white beaten with a little milk if a glossy surface is desired. This should be done about ten minutes before taking out of the oven.
SWEDISH ROLLS
Use any plain roll mixture. When shaping for the last rising, roll the dough very thin, spread with softened butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and add a few cleaned currants, bits of citron, and stoned raisins. Roll the dough like jelly cake, cut in half-inch slices from the ends, arrange flat in a well-buttered pan, let rise until double in bulk, and bake as usual.
PARIS ROLLS
Four cupfuls of milk, one half cake of compressed yeast, six cupfuls of flour, and the yolks of two eggs, well beaten. Mix thoroughly and set the sponge to rise. When it is very light, work into it two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, one whole egg, well beaten, one teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of baking soda dissolved in hot water, one tablespoonful of white sugar, and enough sifted flour to make a soft dough. Let rise five hours. Roll out, shape into balls, score each one deeply crosswise with a sharp knife, and arrange close together in a well-buttered baking-pan. Let rise for an hour or more and bake about half an hour. This recipe makes a large number of rolls. They may be taken from the oven when beginning to turn brown and wrapped in a cloth. Five minutes in a hot oven, if brushed first with melted butter, will render them crisp, flaky, and very digestible.
RUSK
Two cupfuls of flour, two cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of melted lard, half a cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in a little warm water, and three cupfuls of lukewarm water. Make into a batter, let rise all day in a warm place. At night work into the sponge six cupfuls of sifted flour and two eggs, well beaten. Let rise over night in a moderately cool place. In the morning, shape the dough into rolls, let rise a few minutes in a warm place, and bake. The dough should be soft. These rolls may be sprinkled with sugar and spice.
GEORGIA RUSK
One cupful of milk, scalded and cooled, one tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, one quarter of a cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in the milk, and two cupfuls of sifted flour. Set the sponge, and, when light, work into it half a cupful of melted butter, half a cupful of sugar, and one well-beaten egg. When very light, shape into small pointed rolls and let rise again. Brush with milk and egg and sprinkle with sugar just before baking.
SOUTHERN SALLY LUNN
Four cupfuls of flour, three eggs, one teaspoonful of butter, one cake of compressed yeast, and two cupfuls of milk. Beat the yolks of the eggs until very light. Stir in the butter, flour, and milk, the yeast being dissolved in the milk. Beat the whites to a stiff froth and add last. Set to rise, and when light bake in well-buttered muffin-tins.
SOUTHERN SALLY LUNN—II
Four cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, two cupfuls of milk, one half cupful of sugar, and one cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in the milk. Make a batter and let rise in a warm place about three hours. Then work into it gradually five eggs, beaten separately, and one half cupful of melted butter. Add flour enough to make a stiff batter, fill buttered muffin-tins two thirds full, let rise, and bake.
SOUTHERN SALLY LUNN—III
Three cupfuls of flour, three eggs, one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in two cupfuls of milk, one half cupful of melted butter, and one tablespoonful of sugar. Beat well together into a stiff batter and let rise five or six hours. Then add a little warm water in which half a teaspoonful of baking soda has been dissolved, and pour the batter into a well-buttered cake-pan having a tube in the centre. Bake about three quarters of an hour and serve hot. It should be torn apart, not cut.
ZWIEBACK
One cake of compressed yeast dissolved in one cupful of scalded milk, a pinch of salt, and enough sifted flour to make a soft dough. Let rise until very light, then stir in one fourth of a cupful of melted butter, one fourth of a cupful of sugar, and one unbeaten egg. Mix thoroughly, and sift in enough more flour to make a smooth, elastic dough. Shape into a loaf and let rise until very light. A Russian-iron bread-pan holding one loaf is best for Zwieback. Let it rise once more until very light, then bake in a quick oven. Glaze with sugar dissolved in milk just before taking from the oven. When the loaf is cold, cut in half-inch slices and place in an open oven until golden-brown, dry, and crisp.
PANCAKES
The edible varieties of pancakes are readily distinguished from the poisonous growths. The harmless ones are healthful and nutritious and grow in private kitchens. The dark, soggy, leaden varieties are usually to be found in restaurants, but have been known to flourish in private kitchens also.
Batter for pancakes should be thoroughly beaten. A soapstone griddle is best, but an iron one will do, and many a savory pancake has come from a humble frying-pan. A pancake turner is essential, and no pancake should be turned more than once, as twice turning makes a soggy pancake from the most promising batter. In the following recipes, where exact proportions are given, they are not arbitrary as regards flour. The thickening properties of various brands of flour vary so much that no exact rule can be given. A perfect pancake batter will be smooth, light in texture, seem somewhat elastic to the touch of the mixing spoon, and will keep its shape on a griddle. Batter enough for one pancake should be dipped from the bowl with a cup or large spoon, as adding uncooked batter to that on the griddle even an instant after it has begun to cook will work disaster to the pancake—and the hapless mortal who eats it.
Maple syrup is the syrup par excellence for pancakes and waffles, but alas, it is difficult to procure. Much of it is made from corn cobs and molasses, sealed in tin cans bearing gaudy labels, and, sailing under false colors, is sold to the trusting consumer at a high price.
Even the bricks of maple sugar are not wholly trustworthy, though, as a rule, a better quality of syrup can be obtained by making it at home from the bricks. The ordinary adulterants cannot so readily be added to a crystallized as to a liquid product, though promising maple bricks are often made of brown sugar flavored with a little maple syrup.
Other syrups can be made easily and may possibly give welcome variety even to those fortunates who can secure the real maple syrup. Maraschino, noyeau, kirsch, and other cordials, orange-flower water, grated orange- and lemon-peel, and the fruit juices left from canned and preserved fruits, can all be used to advantage in flavoring a simple syrup made of sugar and water boiled till it hairs from the spoon. Always add flavoring to syrup just before taking it from the fire, and do not allow it to boil.
SOUTHERN BUCKWHEAT CAKES
Four cupfuls of buckwheat flour, sifted, one half cake of compressed yeast dissolved in a little lukewarm water, one teaspoonful of salt, and one tablespoonful of molasses. Mix with enough warm water to make a thin batter and set to rise over night. If the batter is sour in the morning add a bit of baking soda.
QUICK BUCKWHEAT CAKES
Three cupfuls of buckwheat flour and one cupful of white flour, one cupful each of milk and water, three heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one teaspoonful of salt, and one tablespoonful of molasses. Sift the dry ingredients together, mix, and fry as usual.
KENTUCKY BUCKWHEAT CAKES
One cupful of flour, two cupfuls of buckwheat flour, one teaspoonful of salt, one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in lukewarm water, and one tablespoonful of molasses. Beat well together and let stand over night. Fry on a soapstone griddle greased with suet, salt pork, or bacon. A bit of suet or salt pork tied in a bit of cloth was the old-fashioned method of greasing a griddle for buckwheat cakes.
BUCKWHEAT CAKES WITH SOUR MILK
Take two cupfuls of thick sour milk, add a teaspoonful of salt, and enough buckwheat flour to make a thin batter. Let stand over night. In the morning add a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of lukewarm water and beat thoroughly. Fry at once.
CRUMB BUCKWHEAT CAKES
Two cupfuls of buckwheat flour, two and one half cupfuls of warm water, one cupful of dried bread crumbs, one cupful of milk, one tablespoonful of salt and half a cake of compressed yeast. Dissolve the yeast in the water and mix with the buckwheat flour. Add the salt, beat until well mixed, then cover and let stand over night in a warm place. Put the dried crumbs into the milk and let soak over night in a cool place. In the morning, mash the soaked crumbs and toss with a fork until light and dry, then mix with the risen buckwheat batter and fry as usual.
BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
Stir one cupful of blueberries into the batter for strawberry pancakes and fry as other pancakes.
CORN-MEAL PANCAKES
One cupful of corn-meal, one cupful of flour, four cupfuls of milk, one tablespoonful of melted butter, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, and three eggs. Add the melted butter to the corn-meal, boil the milk and pour it, scalding hot, over the corn-meal. Sift the dry ingredients together, and after the meal and milk have cooled stir the dry mixture into it. Add the well-beaten eggs last, beat hard, and bake like other griddle cakes.
CORN-MEAL PANCAKES—II
Two cupfuls of corn-meal, one cupful of flour, one tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of soda, one tablespoonful of melted butter, three eggs, and sour milk to thin the batter. Scald the meal with enough boiling water to mix it, then add the sugar and melted butter. Sift the flour and salt together and add to the meal. Add the eggs, beaten separately, the whites to a stiff froth, and the soda dissolved in a teaspoonful of warm water. Thin the batter with enough sour milk to make it of the right consistency and bake like other pancakes.
CORN-MEAL FLAPJACKS
Two cupfuls of corn-meal, one cupful of buttermilk, half a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of soda, half a cupful of boiling water, and one egg, well beaten. Mix the salt with the meal, pour over the boiling water, mix thoroughly and let cool. Add the buttermilk, in which the soda is dissolved, and the eggs, well beaten. If too thin add a very little sifted flour. Fry in butter or in equal parts of butter and lard.
CRUMB PANCAKES
Two cupfuls of bread crumbs soaked in milk until very soft. Add a pinch of salt, one cupful each of sweet milk and buttermilk, one teaspoonful of soda and one egg beaten separately, the white to a stiff froth. Beat hard and add enough sifted flour to make a good batter—probably about a heaping tablespoonful. Fry in butter on a griddle.
GREEN CORN GRIDDLE CAKES
One cupful of milk, one cupful of grated green corn, a pinch of salt, half a teaspoonful of baking powder, one egg, beaten separately, and enough sifted flour to make a thin batter. Butter the cakes while hot and serve at once.
DANISH PANCAKES
One cupful of flour, three eggs beaten separately, one pinch each of salt and soda dissolved in a teaspoonful of vinegar, and enough milk to make a thin batter.
FLANNEL CAKES
Beat two eggs thoroughly. Add one teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of sugar, three cupfuls of milk, and enough flour, sifted in with one teaspoonful of cream tartar and half a teaspoonful of soda, to make a thin batter. Bake on a greased griddle, butter, and serve very hot.
FRENCH PANCAKES
One and one half cupfuls of flour, one and one half cupfuls of milk, one teaspoonful each of salt and melted butter, two teaspoonfuls of brandy, and four eggs. Beat the yolks of the eggs till light-colored and creamy, add the other ingredients gradually and fold in the stiffly beaten whites last. Fry in a very hot frying-pan, using equal parts of lard and butter to fry in. Bake in small cakes, and after taking up spread very thinly with marmalade, honey, or jam, and roll up like a jelly roll. Sift powdered sugar over the rolls and serve at once, without butter or syrup.
FEATHER PANCAKES
Scald two cupfuls of milk, dissolve in it one half cake of compressed yeast, and add a teaspoonful of salt. Sift in enough flour to make a thin, smooth batter, and set to rise over night. In the morning add to it one cupful of thick sour milk, one tablespoonful of melted butter, two eggs, beaten separately, one teaspoonful of soda sifted in with enough flour to make a smooth, thin batter. Let stand twenty or thirty minutes, then bake as usual.
FRUIT PANCAKES
Add apple sauce, berries, chopped dates, figs or prunes, orange marmalade, chopped preserved quinces, or any desired fresh fruit or preserves to any good pancake batter, in the proportion of one heaping tablespoonful of fruit to each cupful of batter. The grated pineapple which comes in cans is particularly satisfactory and needs no further preparation. The fruit juice, sweetened, should be used instead of syrup wherever possible.
GRAHAM GRIDDLE CAKES
One cupful of wheat flour and one cupful of Graham flour, sifted with one teaspoonful of salt and one tablespoonful of sugar. Beat two eggs separately, the whites to a stiff froth. Add two cupfuls of thick sour milk in which a teaspoonful of soda has been dissolved, mix with the eggs, and stir the flour into the liquid. When the batter is well mixed, add a heaping tablespoonful of butter, melted, beat hard, and fry like other griddle cakes.
HOMINY GRIDDLE CAKES
Soak two cupfuls of fine hominy all night and cook it in a double boiler all day or until soft. When wanted for griddle cakes add two cupfuls of white corn-meal, sifted, three tablespoonfuls of butter, melted, a pinch of salt, three eggs, well beaten, and four cupfuls of milk, or less if necessary, to make a thin batter.
MARYLAND GRIDDLE CAKES
Three cupfuls of flour, three cupfuls of milk, one teaspoonful of salt, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and three eggs. Beat the eggs thoroughly, stir into the milk, sift the dry materials together, beat hard, and fry at once.
POTATO PANCAKES
Peel eight or ten good-sized potatoes and drop into cold water to prevent discoloration. Grate rapidly on a coarse grater. To the pulp add four eggs, well beaten, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and half a cupful of flour sifted with half a teaspoonful of baking powder. Mix lightly but thoroughly, and bake on a hot griddle. Serve with butter, but without syrup. Germans add a little grated onion to potato pancakes.
RAISED PANCAKES
Four cupfuls of milk, one half cake of compressed yeast, three tablespoonfuls of melted butter, one teaspoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of soda, two eggs, and enough flour for a batter. Scald the milk and cool it, then dissolve the yeast in it and add the salt and sugar. Add enough sifted flour to make a smooth, thin batter, cover, and let stand over night in a warm place. In the morning add the melted butter, the soda dissolved in a little warm water, and the eggs, beaten separately. Cover and let stand half an hour in a warm place. Bake like other griddle cakes and serve immediately.
RAISED PANCAKES—II
Mix one cupful of scalded and cooled milk, in which one quarter of a yeast cake has been dissolved, with one heaping tablespoonful of butter, melted, one teaspoonful of sugar, one pinch of salt, and one cupful of sifted flour. Let rise over night. In the morning add one egg beaten separately, the white to a stiff froth. Beat to a smooth, thin batter and fry as usual.
SOUTHERN RICE PANCAKES
Boil one cupful of well-washed rice as directed in the chapter on Cereals. Add to it one half cupful of cream, two tablespoonfuls of flour sifted with one tablespoonful of baking powder, and two eggs, beaten separately, the whites to a stiff froth. Use only enough butter to keep the cakes from sticking to the griddle and serve as soon as done.
RICE PANCAKES—II
Mix two cupfuls of boiled rice with two cupfuls of milk and let stand over night in a cool place. In the morning, add three cupfuls of sifted flour, one teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of melted butter and one tablespoonful of sugar. Beat until thoroughly mixed, with two cupfuls of milk and a tablespoonful of baking powder, then add three eggs, beaten separately, folding in the stiffly beaten whites last. A cupful of cream may be used instead of the butter.
RICE PANCAKES—III
Dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in a tablespoonful of cold water, and stir it into two cupfuls of thick sour milk. Add two cupfuls of sifted flour, a pinch of salt, two eggs, beaten separately, and one cupful of cold boiled rice. Fry brown on a well-greased griddle.
STRAWBERRY PANCAKES
Six eggs, beaten separately, two cupfuls of milk, two cupfuls of sifted flour, and one teaspoonful of salt. Mix the flour and salt, then add the milk and stir in the well-beaten yolks. Beat hard until the mixture is very light. Then fold in the whites, beaten to a stiff froth. Bake on a well-greased griddle and serve two to each person, with butter and crushed and sweetened strawberries between. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Half this recipe is sufficient for a small family.
SOUR MILK PANCAKES
Two cupfuls of sour milk, two and one half cupfuls of sifted flour, one teaspoonful of soda, one tablespoonful of warm water, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, and two eggs. Beat the yolks of the eggs till light-colored and creamy, add the sour milk, salt, and sugar, and beat till thoroughly mixed. Add the flour gradually, beating constantly, then the soda dissolved in warm water, then the melted butter, then the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Fold together carefully and bake at once.
SOUR MILK PANCAKES—II
To four cupfuls of sour milk add enough flour to make a batter that will pour, sifted in gradually and thoroughly mixed. Add two eggs, well beaten, one tablespoonful of melted butter, one teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little warm water. Bake on a very hot griddle, well greased.
WHEAT PANCAKES
Three cupfuls of flour, two cupfuls of milk, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one tablespoonful of melted butter, three eggs, and one teaspoonful of salt. Sift the dry ingredients together. Beat the yolks of the eggs till light-colored and creamy and stir into the milk. Mix with the flour, then add the melted butter and beat to a smooth batter. Add a little more milk if the batter seems too thick. Add the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, fold in carefully, and bake as usual.
WHEAT PANCAKES—II
Three cupfuls of milk, two cupfuls of sifted flour, three eggs, one pinch of salt, and two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Beat the yolks of the eggs till light-colored and creamy, and mix thoroughly with the milk. Put the flour in a bowl and pour on a part of the milk, making a thick batter. Beat this thick batter hard until very smooth, dissolve the baking powder in the rest of the milk and add it, beating thoroughly, and add the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs last. This batter may be used for waffles. The thinner it is the more delicate the cakes will be.
COFFEE CAKES, DOUGHNUTS, AND WAFFLES
BABA À LA PARISIENNE
Prepare the yeast as for French Coffee Cake. Beat four tablespoonfuls of sugar to a cream with one cupful of butter and the grated yellow rind of a lemon. Add seven unbeaten eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg thoroughly into the mixture before the next is added. Make a sponge of the yeast, one cupful of milk, scalded and cooled, and one cupful of sifted flour. Let it rise until very light—about half an hour—and mix with the hand into the egg mixture, adding two more cupfuls of sifted flour. Butter a tube-pan, put in the dough, sprinkle with chopped almonds, sugar, and spice, let it rise two hours, and bake very slowly.
GERMAN COFFEE BREAD
Scald and cool to lukewarm one cupful of milk. Add one heaping tablespoonful of butter and two heaping tablespoonfuls of sugar, one quarter of a yeast cake dissolved in one tablespoonful of warm water, a pinch of salt, and enough sifted flour to make a soft dough. Let it rise over night. In the morning, roll out and spread in a flat buttered tin. Rub with softened butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and bake about half an hour in a moderate oven. Cut into squares and serve hot.
GERMAN COFFEE CAKE
One tablespoonful of butter, one cupful of sugar, one egg, one cupful of milk, one and one half cupfuls of flour, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, the juice and grated rind of half a lemon. Mix thoroughly, spread the dough in a shallow buttered baking-pan, sprinkle with chopped nuts, sugar, cinnamon, and dots of butter. Bake until brown and crisp, cut in squares, and serve piping hot.
AUSTRIAN COFFEE CAKE
Four cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, five eggs, well beaten, with two tablespoonfuls of sugar, two cupfuls of milk, and one tablespoonful of softened butter. Mix thoroughly, spread in a buttered baking-pan, dot with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and bake in a quick oven. Serve hot.
HUNGARIAN ROYAL COFFEE CAKE
Six cupfuls of flour, two cupfuls of butter, four cupfuls of milk, three eggs, three quarters of a pound of cleaned and seeded raisins, one half cupful of sugar, three cakes of compressed yeast, half a cupful of shredded citron, and eight pulverized cardamon seeds. Mix the sugar, butter, flour, and milk thoroughly, the yeast having been dissolved in the milk, previously scalded and cooled. Dredge the fruit with flour and add last. Let rise four hours, or more, if necessary. When ready for baking, rub with softened butter, sprinkle with cinnamon, granulated sugar, and chopped almonds. Bake in a tube-pan or in a ring on a large baking-sheet.
FRENCH COFFEE CAKE
Dissolve a cake of compressed yeast in two tablespoonfuls of tepid water. Add a pinch of salt and a tablespoonful of sugar. Cream a cupful of butter with three fourths of a cupful of powdered sugar, and add, gradually, the unbeaten yolks of six eggs, one at a time, and the grated yellow rind of a lemon. Sift two cupfuls of flour into a bowl and make into a thin batter with the dissolved yeast and one cupful of scalded and cooled milk. Add the egg mixture, and beat with the hand till the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Add a handful of sultanas, half a cupful each of blanched and shredded almonds and shredded citron, and, lastly, the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Put into a tube-pan which has been well buttered, and set in a warm place to rise. Bake very slowly. When fully risen and beginning to brown, rub with softened butter, and sprinkle with sugar and spice.
VIENNA COFFEE CAKE
Dissolve a cake of compressed yeast in one cupful of scalded and cooled milk, add a pinch of salt and one tablespoonful of brown sugar. Sift one cupful of flour into a bowl, add the milk and yeast, beat to a smooth, light batter, free from lumps, and set away in a warm place till very light. Cream three quarters of a cupful each of butter and powdered sugar, add four whole eggs, unbeaten, three unbeaten yolks, and two cupfuls of sifted flour, working with the hand, and adding egg and flour alternately. Incorporate gradually into the risen batter, working thoroughly with the hand. Dredge half a cupful of blanched and shredded almonds, a tablespoonful of shredded citron, and half a cupful of cleaned and seeded raisins thoroughly with flour, and work into the dough with the hand. Put into a buttered tube-pan or mould and let rise in a warm place for three or four hours, then bake an hour in a moderate oven. When beginning to brown, rub with softened butter, sprinkle with granulated sugar and spice, and set back into the oven until done. All risen coffee cakes will keep well if wrapped closely in a cloth, and may be served cold, or reheated in a brisk oven for a few minutes just before serving.
BERLIN COFFEE CAKE
Make a sponge with two cupfuls of milk, scalded and cooled, a cake of compressed yeast dissolved in the milk, a pinch of salt, and one cupful of sifted flour. Let rise two hours in a warm place, then add one half cupful of melted butter, one cupful of cleaned and seeded raisins, one fourth cupful of finely shredded citron, one cupful of sugar, and three eggs, well beaten. Add enough sifted flour to make a stiff dough, knead thoroughly, roll into a long thin strip, cut in three strips, lengthwise, braid, and twist into a ring. Arrange in a circle on a well-buttered baking-sheet and let rise till very light, then bake half an hour. It will be more delicate if the strips are rubbed with softened butter before braiding and will come apart more easily. Before taking from the oven glaze with sugar and milk, or rub with butter and sprinkle with sugar and spice.
QUICK COFFEE CAKE
Cream one fourth of a cupful of butter with one cupful of sugar, add one egg, well beaten, one half cupful of milk, a pinch of salt, and one and one half cupfuls of flour sifted, with a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder. Spread in a pan, sprinkle with seeded and cleaned raisins or currants, a little shredded citron, dot with butter, and sift over sugar and spice, cinnamon preferred. Serve hot, cut in small squares.
CRULLERS
Three eggs, a pinch of salt, two cupfuls of flour, three tablespoonfuls of milk, six tablespoonfuls of melted butter, and six tablespoonfuls of sugar. Roll out half an inch thick, cut out with a small cake cutter which has a hole in the centre, and fry in very hot lard. Drain on brown paper and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
PLAIN DOUGHNUTS
Sift two teaspoonfuls of baking powder with four cupfuls of flour. Dissolve half a cupful of sugar in one cupful of milk. Add to the milk one teaspoonful of salt, half a nutmeg, grated, and two well-beaten eggs. Combine with the dry mixture, roll out, cut in rings, and fry in deep fat. Drain on brown paper.
DOUGHNUTS—II
Half a cupful of butter, one cupful of sugar, three cupfuls of flour, one egg, and one and one half cupfuls of milk, and a slight grating of nutmeg. Make into a soft dough, roll out, cut into shapes, and fry in hot fat. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
RAISED DOUGHNUTS
One cupful of butter, one cupful of sugar, one teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, and two eggs, well beaten. Work this mixture into two cupfuls of bread dough or roll mixture made ready for its second rising, and let rise an hour or more. When light, roll out, cut into circles or squares, let rise until very light, and fry in smoking-hot fat. Let drain on brown paper and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
LIGHT DOUGHNUTS
Three quarters of a cupful of granulated sugar, two eggs, beaten separately, one cupful of milk, three tablespoonfuls of melted butter, three cupfuls of flour, three heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and half a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs last, then work in enough more sifted flour to make a soft dough, probably about two cupfuls. Roll very thin, cut out, fry in smoking-hot fat, and drain on brown paper. This recipe makes about five dozen doughnuts, and half of it will be sufficient for an ordinary family unless they are especially fond of doughnuts.
RAISED FRUIT DOUGHNUTS
Cream together one heaping tablespoonful of butter and one fourth cupful of sugar. Dissolve one half a cake of compressed yeast in one cupful of milk that has been scalded and cooled. Add half a teaspoonful of salt to the milk and yeast, combine mixtures, and work in two cupfuls of flour. Let rise until double in bulk. Mix together one half cupful of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, a grating of nutmeg, and a pinch of allspice, one half cupful of cleaned currants, cleaned and seeded raisins, and shredded citron, mixed, and a scant two cupfuls of sifted flour. Lastly, add one egg, well beaten, knead thoroughly, and let rise until very light. Cut or tear off pieces of dough the size of an egg, drop into smoking-hot fat, and fry like other doughnuts. Drain on brown paper and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
BLUE GRASS WAFFLES
Two cupfuls of thick sour cream, two cupfuls of flour, three eggs, well beaten, and half a teaspoonful of soda sifted with the flour. Mix quickly, folding in the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs last, and bake until golden brown and crisp on hissing-hot, well-greased waffle-irons.
CREAM WAFFLES
Sift together one cupful of flour, three tablespoonfuls of corn starch, and a pinch of salt. Mix one egg, well beaten, one scant teaspoonful of soda, and two cupfuls of sour milk together and gradually combine mixtures, beating hard meanwhile. Bake in hot, well-greased waffle-irons and butter the waffles before serving.
FEATHER WAFFLES
Four cupfuls of milk, three eggs, beaten separately. Add the milk to the yolks and a pinch of salt, then add one and one half tablespoonfuls of rich cream or melted butter and sifted flour enough to make the batter a little stiffer than pancake batter. Add the whites of the eggs last, beaten to a stiff froth, and stir in quickly two teaspoonfuls of baking powder.
GEORGIA WAFFLES
Two cupfuls of flour, a pinch of salt, two cupfuls of buttermilk, one cupful of melted lard, one scant teaspoonful of soda, and one egg. Sift the flour and salt together and beat into a smooth batter with the buttermilk. Add the well-beaten egg, then the hot lard, beat thoroughly, add the dry soda, beat hard for a minute or two, and bake in hissing-hot waffle-irons.
HOMINY WAFFLES
One cupful of cold cooked hominy, one egg, well beaten, one tablespoonful of melted butter, one pinch of salt, two cupfuls of milk, and two cupfuls of flour sifted with one teaspoonful of baking powder. Mix thoroughly and bake in very hot waffle-irons, well buttered.
RAISED HOMINY WAFFLES
To one cupful of cold cooked hominy add two cupfuls of scalded milk in which one half a yeast cake has been dissolved, one tablespoonful of butter, melted, a pinch of salt, one tablespoonful of sugar, and two cupfuls of flour. Mix thoroughly and set to rise over night. In the morning add two eggs, beaten separately, folding in the stiffly beaten whites last. Bake in very hot, well-greased irons.
INDIAN WAFFLES
One cupful each of flour and corn-meal, two cupfuls of thick sour milk, one cupful of sour cream, half a teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of soda, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and two eggs, beaten separately, the stiffly beaten whites being folded in last. Bake in a very hot, well-greased waffle-iron and serve very hot.
KENTUCKY WAFFLES
Make a smooth paste of two cupfuls of sifted flour and two cupfuls of milk, add one half cupful of softened butter, not melted, then the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, then the stiffly beaten whites, and, just before baking, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder. Beat very hard for five minutes and bake in a hissing-hot iron.
MARYLAND WAFFLES
Beat four eggs separately, the whites to a stiff froth. To the beaten yolks add a pinch of salt, two cupfuls of milk, and enough sifted flour to make a stiff batter. Beat hard until perfectly smooth and free from lumps. Thin the batter by adding gradually the beaten whites of the eggs, and a little more milk in which a level teaspoonful of baking powder has been dissolved. Add lastly one tablespoonful of melted butter or lard. Have the waffle-irons very hot and well greased, and butter each waffle as soon as done. Crisp light waffles are delicious when served with cream and sifted maple-sugar.
PLAIN WAFFLES
Two cupfuls of sifted flour, two cupfuls of milk, one tablespoonful of melted butter, one tablespoonful of melted lard, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder sifted with the flour, two eggs well beaten, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Beat thoroughly and have the irons hot before mixing.
RICE WAFFLES
One cupful of cold boiled rice beaten light with one cupful of milk. Add one tablespoonful of melted butter, half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little of the milk, two eggs well beaten, and enough flour, sifted in with one teaspoonful of cream tartar, to make a thin batter. Beat thoroughly and bake in well-greased waffle-irons. Cream tartar and spices are practically certain to be pure when bought of a druggist instead of a grocer. (Not knocking the groceryman.)
RICE AND CORN-MEAL WAFFLES
One cupful of cold boiled rice, one half cupful each of wheat flour and corn-meal, one tablespoonful of melted butter, one half teaspoonful of soda dissolved in hot water, one teaspoonful of salt, two eggs, beaten separately, and enough milk to make a thin batter. The waffle-irons must be very thoroughly greased and the baking must be done with great care, as these waffles are likely to burn.
SWEDISH WAFFLES
Two cupfuls of cream, whipped stiff, one half cupful of sugar, one egg beaten with one fourth cupful of cold water, one half cupful of melted butter, and enough flour, sifted, to make a thin batter. Fold the whipped cream in carefully just before baking, and sprinkle with sugar when done.
TENNESSEE WAFFLES
Two cupfuls of sifted flour, half a teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of melted butter or lard, one egg, beaten separately, and milk enough to make a thin batter. Bake until brown in a well-greased waffle-iron.
VIRGINIA WAFFLES
Three eggs, well beaten, two cupfuls of milk, one half cupful of melted butter, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and enough flour to make a thin batter. Bake in hissing-hot waffle-irons.
BREAKFAST BEVERAGES
The breakfast beverage par excellence is coffee, at least in American households, but, rather than have coffee poorly made, it is better to have no coffee at all. The French method of coffee making has practically superseded the old-fashioned boiled coffee. Cheap coffee, carefully made in the proper kind of a pot, has a better flavor than the more expensive brands can possibly have when improperly made.
The best coffee-pot on the market, which publishing ethics forbid us to mention by name, is made of nickel, comes in five or six different sizes, has a close fitting cover, a wooden handle, and has inside a finely woven wire strainer, which does away entirely with the questionable, and often unclean, cloth strainer. A cloth, no matter how carefully kept, will eventually become saturated with the grounds, and add the flavor of reheated coffee to the fresh brew in the pot.
The nickel coffee-pots having the wire strainer inside are easily kept clean with boiling water alone, and about once a month may be boiled out with a weak solution of baking soda.
Various blends of coffee have their champions, and the blended package coffees are, in the main, very good. It is better to buy in small quantities, a pound or two at a time, have the coffee pulverized very finely at the grocery, and keep a watchful eye on the man while he does it, lest he add alien elements to the coffee. Pulverized coffee keeps perfectly in ordinary Mason jars, tightly sealed, if bought in small quantities, as suggested.
The ideal coffee blend is two thirds Mandeheling Java and one third Arabian Mocha, but very little genuine Mocha ever reaches this country, though trusting consumers often pay high prices for what the man says is sure-enough Mocha. Pure Java is easier to get, and South American, Mexican, Cuban, and Porto Rican coffees are beginning to deserve consideration.
Presuming that we have the pot and a good quality of coffee, finely pulverized, we will proceed to brew the nectar of the gods. The water must be fresh and captured while on its first boil. Scald the coffee-pot, and put into it one heaping tablespoonful of pulverized coffee for each person and another for the poor, neglected pot. If the coffee is desired extra strong, put in another tablespoonful, or even two. Pour in one cupful of boiling water for each tablespoonful of coffee, keeping the pot over steam, but never over the fire itself. Occasionally the grounds may be lifted from the bottom of the strainer with a spoon in order to hasten the process a bit. The strength of Samson may be given the brew by pouring out a cupful or two of the coffee after it is made, and compelling it to go over the ground(s) again.
Put the desired amount of sugar in each cup, and add a liberal quantity of cream. Fill three fourths full with coffee and weaken slightly with freshly boiling water. Coffee poured into cream and afterward weakened with boiling water is an entirely different beverage from that which results when the process is reversed. Anybody knowing why, please write.
Never, never, never under any circumstances use the same coffee twice, or add fresh coffee to the remnant in the pot, if by chance there should ever be any left. Trim over last year’s hat, if you must, and buy no books for a year except this one, but do have the daily coffee right.
Our deep feeling on this subject is caused by our own cherished reputation for coffee making, which extends as much as three blocks in every direction of the compass.
BOILED COFFEE
One cupful of ground coffee, mixed with a raw, unbeaten egg, and part of the shell. Add half a cupful of cold water, and put it into the coffee-pot. Pour over four cupfuls of boiling water, and as it rises and begins to boil, stir it with a silver spoon. Let boil hard for ten or fifteen minutes, then take from the fire. Pour out one cupful of the coffee, then put it back, and set the pot on the back of the stove for five minutes to settle.
CAFÉ GLACÉ
A welcome variant in summer, even for people who do not like cold coffee. Fill iced-tea glasses three fourths full of inch cubes of ice, add a lump or two of sugar, and pour in the coffee, boiling hot. Do not stir, but add the cream immediately. For some strange reason, it is better than if the hot coffee is poured over the ice, sugar, and cream. Anybody knowing why, please write.
CHOCOLATE
Make exactly like cocoa, using milk instead of water. A few drops of vanilla added to chocolate pleasantly accentuates its flavor.
COCOA
Directions are given on the package the cocoa comes in. If not, buy another kind.
TEA
Cheap tea contains sawdust, dried and powdered hay, grass-seed, and departed but unlamented insects. Moral—buy good tea, or go without. Have the kettle boiling, and take the water at the first boil. Scald out the tea-pot, which must never be of metal, and put into it one teaspoonful of tea for each person, and one for the pot, or more, if curly hair for the drinker is desired. Pour one cupful of boiling water for each person and another for the pot upon the tea, and pour off the tea inside of three minutes. After that the boiling water busies itself in taking tannic acid out of the tea grounds. Tannic acid hardens albumen into a leathery substance of which the most courageous stomach is rightfully suspicious, and also puckers the mucous membrane of the stomach into smocking. Persistent drinking of boiled tea is quite likely to relieve the stomach altogether of its valued and hard-worked mucous membrane.