The art of cookery

corn-meal, ' ' for making all kinds of corn-bread. These are the formulas that were in vogue when bolted cornmeal was the only meal manufactured and used, and if they produced satisfactory results with bolted meal, they certainly do not when granulated meal is used. Such a mixture — whether the meal be bolted or granulated — does not make bread of any kind of a very high character ; but, be its character high or low, it has no legitimate claim to the title of corn-bread. For bread-making purposes wheat flour and corn-meal have no affinity whatever, as one requires scalding and the other does not. Corn-meal requires a good deal of cooking to develop its finest flavor, and make it palatable and healthful ; and the main point in making good corn-bread is to scald the meal thoroughly. The water used for scalding meal should be boiling, and that none of its efficacy be lost it is desirable that the vessel in which the dough is mixed, and the spoon with which it is stirred, should be warm. There is a vast difference in the quality of cornbread made with scalded meal and that made with meal which has been merely soaked with warm water. Almost every kind of corn-bread is better for being cooked from forty to sixty minutes, and if the meal is not thoroughly scalded when mixed it should be baked considerably longer. Granulated meal makes much lighter, drier, sweeter, and more delicious bread than bolted meal, and is preferable for all culinary purposes. But it should be always thoroughly scalded with boiling water or milk before it is made into bread or cakes, and whenever cold milk is used it should be added gradually. There are several grades of granulated meal — some being quite Bread- Making . 209 coarse and some very fine — and as the coarse will absorb fully twice as much water as the fine in the process of scalding, it requires the exercise of judgment to have the dough of the proper consistency — neither too soft nor too stiff. The formulas here given are for meal of medium fineness. If the meal used is very coarse more liquid will be required, if very fine less liquid. Corn Dodgers. — One cup of granulated corn-meal, three fourths of a cup of boiling water, half a cup of cold sweet milk, one heaping teaspoon sugar, one level teaspoon salt. Mix the salt and sugar with the meal, pour the boiling water over the mixture, and when thoroughly scalded add the cold milk gradually, and stir well. The dough should be sufficiently stiff to retain its shape without spreading, when placed upon the griddle. Put a piece of butter about the size of a pea upon the griddle, where the cake is to be placed, and as soon as it melts drop a spoonful of the dough upon it. Fill the griddle in this manner with cakes, and when they are browned on the under side, place a bit of butter upon each of them, turn them over, and gently press as close to the griddle as possible, with a knife or cake paddle. After being turned on the griddle and browned on both sides, the cakes can be transferred to a baking pan, and finished in a hot oven ; or if more convenient they can be baked, without the griddle being used, on a baking pan in the oven. Such cakes or dodgers can be baked in thirty minutes, but are sweeter and nicer when baked a longer time.