The century cook book

Hermits. One cupful of butter, one and one-half cupfuls of nice brown sugar, three eggs, one cupful of stoned and chopped raisins, one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves to taste, and flour enough to roll out; cut in squares and bake in a moderately quick oven. Cream Puffs. Stir together in a saucepan one cupful of butter with two of flour; when well mixed add half a pint of boiling water, stir smooth, and when it boils set aside to cool, when cool, add five eggs and beat for two or three minutes; cover the bottom of a baking pan with buttered A Currant Bush. 136 Drop Cakes, Cookies and Fried Cakes paper and drop the mixture on it in small spoonfuls, or it can be put in muffin rings. Bake for twenty-five or thirty minutes in a brisk oven. Cream for Filling. Boil one pint of milk, heat together I cupful of sugar, 2 eggs and Yi cupful of flour, stir this into the boiling milk and let it cook for three minutes; flavor with lemon or vanilla; cut a circular piece out of the top of each pufif, fill with the custard and replace the top. Eclairs. One pint of milk, 6 ounces butter, 8 ounces corn starch, ten eggs. Boil the milk and butter together, add the corn starch and boil for three minutes. After removing the paste from the fire, let cool, and then add the eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly; bake in oval-shaped patty pans; when done, cut open and fill with whipped cream, flavored to taste; make an icing for the tops flavored the same as the whipped cream. Chocolate Eclairs. Make the same as above, fill the center of the cakes with vanilla custard, and ice with chocolate icing. Transparent Puffs. Mix together i pint of water, 2 ounces butter, 6 ounces corn starch, then beat in 5 whole eggs and the whites of five. Beat well and bake in patty pans or in small spoonfuls on buttered paper. Doughnuts. Beat 2 eggs and i cupful of sugar together, add 4 tablespoonfuls of melted lard, i cupful of sour milk, I teaspoonful of soda, a Doughnuts, pinch of Salt, seasoning to suit taste and flour enough to make a soft dough; roll out, cut in rings by using two sizes of cake cutters and fry them in hot lard. Raised Doughnuts. Measure off 2 quarts of flour, put in a large stirring bowl and make a cavity in the middle. Drop Cakes, Cookies and Fried Cakes 137 scald a pint of milk and when tepid add a heaping cupful of sugar, ^ of a cupful of butter and a cake of yeast; pour this in the cavity in the flour and stir in enough flour to make a sponge, cover and set away in a warm place to rise, letting it stand all night. In the morning put in a ^ teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little water and knead in the rest of the flour. Let it rise again until light, knead again, roll out and cut into shape, and let them lie on the pastry board eight or ten minutes before frosting. Fry in hot lard. Frosting. Beat the whites of 2 eggs to a stiff froth, stir in i)4 cupful of sugar and a teaspoonful of extract of lemon or vanilla. Designs for Frosting. Boiled Frosting. Put in a stewpan 2 cupfuls of sugar and % a cupful of milk, set on the stove and boil for five minutes; care must be taken to prevent scorching. When boiled, take off the fire and beat until it creams; spread on the cake at once.