BREAD, SCONES, AND CAKES

To make bread. — Seven pounds flour, 2 ounces German yeast, 1 teaspoonful sugar, 1 tablespoonful salt, a little butter, and a little more than a quart of water.

Mode: Take 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, the sugar and yeast, with a cupful of tepid water (the water to be the heat of new milk), set it near the fire to rise for half an hour. Put all the flour but one handful into a basin, mix well with the salt ; if the yeast has risen well, you will have light bread. Add the yeast and a quart of tepid water to the flour in basin, knead it with the hand until smooth ; then take the butter and rub over the dough. Cover the basin with a cloth, set it near the fire, let it rise for three hours ; then divide the dough into loaves, and bake for one and a half hours in a moderate oven. If the oven is too cold, the bread will not rise ; if too hot, it will destroy the yeast.

Wheat meal bread. — Ingredients, 2 pounds wheat meal, 2 tea- spoonfuls of baking soda, 2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar, 1 tea- spoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of sugar, 2 teaspoonfuls dripping, and not quite a quart of buttermilk.

Mode : Mix the wheat meal, the baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, sugar, and dripping well together ; then stir in the buttermilk, and mix quickly and thoroughly for not more than ten minutes. Put into a tin and bake in rather a quick oven for one and a half hours. This will make two loaves at least.

Soda bread. — Ingredients, 2 pounds flour, 2 pounds Indian meal, 3 teaspoonfuls baking soda, 3 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar, 1 large teaspoonful of salt, 1 large teaspoonful of sugar, a little more than a quart of buttermilk.

Mode : Mix all the dry ingredients well together, then stir in the buttermilk ; mix well and divide it into three or more loaves, and bake in a tin in a rather quick oven ; time, one hour. Very wholesome.

Soda scones. — One-fourth stone flour, large teaspoonful baking

COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 33

soda, one teaspoonful cream of tartar, buttermilk, and a small tea- spoonful of salt.

Mix the dry ingredients together thoroughly and lightly ; add the buttermilk to make the dough, and divide into from four to six pieces. Sprinkle a little flour on the baking board, and roll out the dough with rolling pin to about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut in four and bake on a hot griddle till of a pale brown ; then turn and bake the other side the same.

Steamed brown bread. — One pound Indian meal, half a cup of treacle, salt, 1 teaspoonful baking soda, and 1 teaspoonful cream of tartar.

Mode : Mix meal, treacle, a pinch of salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar well together ; then add enough buttermilk to make a firm dough ; mix quickly, and put into steamer or basin, and steam in fast boiling water for four hours.

Baked brown bread. — One pound wheat meal, 1 pound Indian corn meal, half a cup of treacle, salt, 1 egg, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking soda, 2 teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, milk or water.

Mode : Mix wheat meal, Indian meal, half teaspoonful salt, baking soda, cream of tartar well together ; warm the treacle and add it, with the milk (or water), to the dry ingredients; put in floured tin, and bake five hours in a moderate oven.

Oat cakes. — Mode: Put 1 pound of oatmeal into a basin, a very small pinch of baking soda, and a small teacupful of tepid water ; mix well. Spread some dry meal on the baking board, lay the dough on it and knead with knuckles till you have it half the size wanted. Roll out smooth, and finish with rolling-pin ; it should be very thin. Cut in three, and rub well with dry meal on both sides ; put them on the griddle. The fire must not be too quick ; when quite dry (not brown), take them from the griddle, and toast the other side before the fire till crisp. One teaspoonful of melted dripping is thought by some to be an improvement.

Wheaten meal scones. — One pound wheat meal, 1 pound flour, teaspoonful baking soda, teaspoonful cream of tartar, teaspoonful dripping, half teaspoonful salt, and a little buttermilk.

Mode: Mix the meal, flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, dripping, and salt well together ; then add the buttermilk to make a light dough ; divide, and roll out to the thickness of a quarter an inch, and bake on not too hot a griddle.

Rice scones. — One pound rice, one-fourth pound flour, 1* tea- spoonful sugar, and half teaspoonful salt.

Put the rice, sugar, and salt into a saucepan, with 1 quart

34 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.

water, and let it come to the boil. Then set it to the side of the fire, and let it steam for two hours with the lid close till all the water has been absorbed and the rice has become soft; then sprinkle the flour on the baking board and turn the rice out on it. Let it stand till cool ; then divide into six parts, and roll out very thin. Cut each part in three, and bake on not too hot a griddle.

Potato scones. — Potatoes, flour, and salt.

Take any boiled potatoes left from the dinner ; bruise them nice and smooth on the table or baking board ; add salt to season ; then shake some flour over them or work it in, roll out very thin, prick with a fork, and cut in three. Bake on not too hot a griddle.

Scalded scones. — One pound flour, one-half teaspoonful salt.

Mix the flour and salt together, and add boiling water enough to make a good, firm dough; then divide it, and roll out very thin on the baking board sprinkled with flour. Cut in three, and bake on not too hot a griddle.

Indian meal and flour scones. — One pound Indian meal, 1 pound flour, 1 tablespoonful treacle, 1 teaspoonful baking soda, 1 teaspoonful cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful salt, and butter- milk.

Mix all together, and then add enough buttermilk to make a nice, soft dough ; divide it, and roll out each piece into about a fourth of an inch thick. Cut in four, and bake on not too hot a griddle.

Barley meal scones. — Two pounds barley meal, three-fourths teaspoonful baking soda, three-fourths teaspoonful cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful salt, and buttermilk.

Mix, and add enough buttermilk to make a nice, soft dough ; then sprinkle a little meal on the baking board, and roll out to a fourth of an inch thick. Cut in three, and bake on not too hot a griddle.

Crullers. — One and one-half pounds flour, one-half pound sugar, one-fourth pound butter, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, milk, and lemon.

Mode : Butter and sugar, beat to a cream, add flour and milk alternately till all are in ; beat up the eggs very lightly ; grate the rind of the lemon into the flour, and add the juice ; then put in baking powder, mix well, roll out to a quarter of an inch thick, divide into small rounds, cutting center out of each to form rings. Fry in hot fat a light brown. The quantities given will make eighty-five crullers.

COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 35

Cocoanut cake. — One-half pound sugar, 1 pound flour, one- fourth pound butter, milk, 1 cocoanut, 2 eggs, and 1 large tea- spoonful baking powder.

Mode : Grate cocoanut. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, beat the eggs very light, and by degrees add the milk and flour ; then cocoanut and baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Bake in a tin or mold for two hours.

Small cocoanut cakes (good for children). — One cocoanut, 1 egg, half a gill milk, one-fourth pound sugar, one-fourth pound flour, half a teaspoonful of baking powder, and 1 tablespoonful of corn flour.

Mode : Mix corn flour, sugar, baking powder and flour well to- gether ; add milk and cocoanut grated, beat up the egg well, and add. Divide the mixture, and work it with your hands into small cones or drops. Bake on buttered paper in a quick oven.

Ginger bread. — One pound flour, one-half pound treacle, one-half pound sugar, one-half pound lard ; 3 eggs, a large teaspoonful of gin- ger, a teaspoonful of cinnamon, half teaspoonful cloves, 2 teaspoon- fuls of baking powder, half a nutmeg grated, a little salt, and milk.

Mode : Melt the lard, sugar and treacle in a saucepan. Beat up the eggs well, mix the flour, baking powder, spice, and a pinch of salt well together ; add the melted lard, sugar, treacle, and eggs. Use a little milk to make a soft batter, and bake in a moderate oven one and a half hours. Fruit can be added to this cake — raisins, currants, or almonds — which will make it richer.

Rough robin. — One and one-half pounds flour, one-half pound rice flour, one-half pound lard or butter, one-half pound sugar, 1 pound currants, 1 pound sultana raisins, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1 teaspoonful ground caraways, 1 teaspoonful cinnamon, and a little salt.

Mode: Mix lard, flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, and a pinch of salt well together, and beat well. Then add fruit. Mix with buttermilk to make a stiff batter. Bake for two hours.

Rice cake. — One pound flour, one-half pound rice, one-half pound sugar, one-half pound butter, 4 eggs, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder, 1 teaspoonful essence of vanilla, salt and milk.

Mode : Beat butter to a cream, add the yolks of the eggs and the sugar ; beat very lightly. Then add the flour (after being well dried before the fire or in the oven), baking powder, pinch of salt, vanilla, and sufficient milk to make a nice, thick batter. Beat up the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and add them last. Mix all very lightly, and bake for two hours in a moderate oven.

36 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.

Seed cake. — One pound flour, one-half pound sugar, one-half pound butter, 3 eggs, 2 spoonfuls caraways, milk, and a teaspoonful baking powder.

Mode : Mix butter to a cream, add yolks of eggs, sugar and flour (well dried), baking powder, seeds, pinch of salt, and milk to make a stiff batter. Beat whites of eggs to a stiff froth, and add them last. Stir very lightly, and bake one and a half hours.

Sultana cake. — One pound flour, one-half pound sugar, one- half pound lard, 3 eggs, 1 pound sultana raisins, the rind of a lemon grated, 1 large teaspoonful baking powder, salt and milk.

Mode : Mix the lard, flour, yolks of eggs, baking powder, pinch of salt, sugar, and raisins well together ; and add enough milk to make a stiff batter. Beat the whites of eggs to a stiff froth and add, mix in very lightly, and bake for one and a half hours.

French cake. — One pound flour, three-fourths pound sugar, one- fourth pound butter, 2 eggs, milk, large teaspoonful baking pow- der, and salt.

Mode : Beat butter and eggs to a cream ; add the sugar and flour by degrees, and mix with a little milk to a stiff batter, or soft dough. Add the salt and baking powder last ; mix all well, and bake in a moderate oven one and a half hours.

Pancakes. — One pound flour, fourth pound sugar, one egg, a teaspoonful carbonate of soda, a teaspoonful cream of tartar, buttermilk.

Mode : Beat sugar and egg very lightly, mix in by degrees the flour and milk, work well, add soda and cream of tartar last. Take a little dripping in a piece of clean muslin, rub over the griddle ; drop batter in spoonfuls. When one side is done turn them.

Pancakes. — Rub 1 pound of flour, 2 ounces dripping, teaspoon- ful carbonate of soda, teaspoonful cream of tartar, one-fourth pound sugar, all well together. Add buttermilk to make a soft batter. Rub the griddle over with dripping, and put a spoonful on for each pancake. When one side is done turn. Can be flavored with anything that is liked, or currants may be added.