GINGER-BEEAD

' If in making ginger-bread the dough becomes too stiff before it is rolled out, set it before the fire. Snaps will not be crisp if made on a rainy day. Ginger-bread and cakes require a moderate oven, soaps a quick one. If cookies or snaps become moist in keeping, put them in the oven and heat them for a few moments. Always use New Orleans or Porto Rico molasses, and never syrups. Soda is used to act on the '* spirit" of the molasses. In making the old* &sliioned, soft, square cakes of ginger-bread, put a portion of the dough on a well-floured tin sheet, roll evenly to each side, trim off evenlj around the edges, and mark off in squares with a floured knife or wheel cutter. In this way the dough may be softer than where it is necessary to pick up to remove from board after rolling and cutting. Always have the board well covered with flour before roUicg all kinds of soft ginger-breads, as they are liable to stick, and should always be mixed as soft as they can be handled.

Ginger Cake with Spice.

Three eggs, one cup butter, two of Jour, one of sugar, scant half cup molasses, with half a tea-spoon soda stirred in it until it foams, half a wine-glass of brandy, half a table-spoon of ginger, a half of cinnamon, and a half of cloves and allspice mixed. Mix ingredi- ents, leaving whites of eggs until last; next to last, molasses. Fruit may be added.

Training Day Ginger-bread.

One gallon molasses or strained honey, one and a quarter pounds butter, quarter pound soda stirred in a half tea-cup sweet milk, tea- 8p(X)n alum dissolved in just enough water to cover it, flour to make it stiff enough to roll out; put the molasses in a very large dish, add the soda and butter melted, then all the other ingredients; mix in the evening and set in a warm place to rise over night ; in the morning kn^ad it a long time like bread, roll into squares half an mch thick, and bake in bread-pans in an oven heated about right for bread. To make it glossy, rub over the top just before putting

100 QINQEBrBREAD.

it into the oven the following: One well-beaten e^^ the same amount or a little more sweet cream, stirring cream and egg well together. This ginger-bread will keep an unlimited time. The recipe is com- plete without ginger, but two table-spoons may be used if preferred* — Over fifty years old, and formerly vxedjorr general muster days.

Excellent Soft Ginoer-br^l^d. One and a half cups Orleans molasses, half cup brown sugar, half cup butter, half cup sweet milk, tea-spoon soda, tea-spoon all- spice, half tea-spoon ginger ; mix all together thoroughly, add three cups sifted flour and bake in shallow pans. — Mrs. S. W

Sfonoe Ginger-bkead. One cup sour milk, one of Orleans molasses, a half cup butter, two eggs, one tearspoon soda, one table-spoon ginger, flour to make as thick as pound cake; put butter, molasses and ginger together, make them quite warm, add the milk, flour, eggs and soda, and bake as soon as possible. — Mrs, M, M, M

Ginger Cookies. Two cups molasses, one of lard, one of sugar, two-thirds cup sour milk, table-spoon ginger, three tea-spoons soda stirred in the flour and one in the milk, two ^gs. — Mm Tina Lay^

Ginger Cookies. One egg, one cup sugar, one cup mplasses, one table-spoon soda^ one of vinegar, one of ginger ; roll thin and bake quickly.

Ginger Cakes. One quart Orleans molasses, pint lard or butter, pint buttermilk, two table-spoons soda, two table-spoons ginger, flour enough to make a stifle batter ; pour the molasses and milk boiling hot into a large tin bread-pan in which have been placed the ginger and soda (the pan must be large enough to prevent running over) ; stir in all the flour possible, after which stir in the lard or butter ; when cold, mold with flour and cut in cakes. Care must be taken to follow these directions implicitly or the cakes will not be good; remember to add the lard or bvUer last, and buttermilk, not sour milk, must be used; boil the molasses in a skillet, and after pouring it into the pan, put the buttermilk in the same skillet, boil and pour it over

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the molasses, ginger and soda. This exceUent recipe was kept as a secret for a long time^by a professional baker. — Mrs. R. M. Hear denon.

Ginger Drop-Cakes.

Take three eggs, one cup lard, one of baking molasses, one of brown sugar, one large table-spoon ginger, one table-spoon soda dissolved in a cup of boiliug water, five cups unsifted flour; drop table-spoons of this mixture into a slightly greased dripping-pnn about three inches apart. — Mrs. X. McAUieter.

Best Ginger-drops. Half cup sugar, a cup molasses, half cup butter^ one tea-spoon each cinnamon, ginger and cloves, two tea-spoons soda in a cup boiling water, two and a half cups flour ; add two well-beaten eggs the last thing before baking.' Baked in gem-tins or as a common, gmger-bread, and eaten **'arm with a sauce, they make a nicer des- sert— Mrs. C. HawkSy

Ginger-snaps. Two cups molasses, one of lard, one table-spoon soda, one of gbger, flour to roll stifi! — Miss Mary Gallagher,

Ginger-snaps.

One pound and six ounces flour, four of sugar, eight of butter,

six of preserved orange peel, half pint of molasses, one tea-spoon

soda dissolved in two tablenspooiis boiling water, one tea-spoon cloves,

two of ginger. Soften the butter and mix it with the sugar and

molasses, add the spices, orange pt^^el and soda, beat well and stir in

the flour, flour the board and roll the paste as thin as possible, cut

in circles and bake in a very quick oven. This quantity makes

one hundred and twenty-nine snaps, about three inches across.— Jr*

ik KUdien.

Hotel Ginger-snaps.

One gallon molasses, two pounds brown sugar, one quart melted

batter, half cup each ground cloves, mace, cinnamon and ginger,

one cup soda. — Mrs. Hattie Clemmons.

Molasses Cake. One cap each of butter, sugar, sour milk and molasses, five cups flour, two eggs, one tablewspoon soda, one of ginger. — Mrs, A. J. Palmes.