I find it is never necessary to use soda in making biscuits,
no matter how sour the milk used may be. When the milk is
sour I just add a teasp or more baking powder. Biscuits made
with buttermilk and baking powder are simply delicious, and
there is no danger of them being yellow or soggy, provided one
uses a good grade baking powder. — [Mrs. E. T., Cal.
The secret of good muffins is to have the batter as stiff as
can be beaten, and to beat it well, as that makes the muffins
light. — [Mrs. P. H., Tex.
Be sure to bake all gems and muffins in a hot oven, and
take them out as soon as they are done. Anything made with
soda will turn yellow or brown and taste strong, if overdone. —
[G. B., N. Y.
Deep gem irons are best. They should be well greased and
hot when the mixture is put in them, and should be only half
filled. The oven should also be very hot. The harder the gem
batter is beaten the better. — [K. A. D., N. D.
110 FARM AND HOME COOK BOOK
When dropping dumplings by the spoonful into the soup, be
sure to wet the spoon thoroughly in the soup every time, to
prevent the batter from sticking to the spoon. — [A. G., Mass.
The broth or soup should be boiling when the dumplings are
dropped in, and the kettle tightly covered while the dumplings
are boiling. The secret of having them light lies in not dis-
turbing them while they are cooking. — [A. G., Mass.
In making gems or breakfast cakes, I find that they will be
just as light, even if the egg which the recipe usually calls for
is omitted, provided the batter is well beaten and the gem
irons and oven are both very hot. — [Mrs. G. H. W., N. H.
Always have the waffle molds well greased. A rind of fat
meat is best, as it greases more evenly than lard. Have the
molds good and hot, and bake the waffles crisp and brown.
When made right they will almost "melt in your mouth." —
[Mrs. W. B. F., N. C.
When you have a large quantity of dumplings to boil, it is
a good plan to first mould them all and lay them out on a
platter, so that they can all be dropped into the boiling liquid
at once, as otherwise those dropped in first would be boiled
longer than the last. — [A. G., Mass.
Bread put to soak for dumplings must not be fresh nor
must the water be warm, otherwise it will be a sticky mass.
The bread should be several days old, and be soaked only a
short while in cold water, after which it should be squeezed
out with the hands and broken up into fine crumbs. — [A. G.,
Mass.
Though the quantities called for in recipes are usually about
correct, it is the best plan, since ingredients vary so much, to
boil one dumpling as a sample. When dumplings are removed
from the soup, they should be broken open to allow the steam
to escape. This will prevent them from becoming soggy. — [A.
G., Mass.
Puddings, Gustards and Sweet Sauces
Page 69
Presented as published in 1907. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
I find it is never necessary to use soda in making biscuits, no matter how sour the milk used may be. When the milk is sour I just add a teasp or more baking powder. Biscuits made with buttermilk and baking powder are simply delicious, and there is no danger of them being yellow or soggy, provided one uses a good grade baking powder. — [Mrs. E. T., Cal.
The secret of good muffins is to have the batter as stiff as can be beaten, and to beat it well, as that makes the muffins light. — [Mrs. P. H., Tex.
Be sure to bake all gems and muffins in a hot oven, and take them out as soon as they are done. Anything made with soda will turn yellow or brown and taste strong, if overdone. — [G. B., N. Y.
Deep gem irons are best. They should be well greased and hot when the mixture is put in them, and should be only half filled. The oven should also be very hot. The harder the gem batter is beaten the better. — [K. A. D., N. D.
When dropping dumplings by the spoonful into the soup, be sure to wet the spoon thoroughly in the soup every time, to prevent the batter from sticking to the spoon. — [A. G., Mass.
The broth or soup should be boiling when the dumplings are dropped in, and the kettle tightly covered while the dumplings are boiling. The secret of having them light lies in not disturbing them while they are cooking. — [A. G., Mass.
In making gems or breakfast cakes, I find that they will be just as light, even if the egg which the recipe usually calls for is omitted, provided the batter is well beaten and the gem irons and oven are both very hot. — [Mrs. G. H. W., N. H.
Always have the waffle molds well greased. A rind of fat meat is best, as it greases more evenly than lard. Have the molds good and hot, and bake the waffles crisp and brown. When made right they will almost "melt in your mouth." — [Mrs. W. B. F., N. C.
When you have a large quantity of dumplings to boil, it is a good plan to first mould them all and lay them out on a platter, so that they can all be dropped into the boiling liquid at once, as otherwise those dropped in first would be boiled longer than the last. — [A. G., Mass.
Bread put to soak for dumplings must not be fresh nor must the water be warm, otherwise it will be a sticky mass. The bread should be several days old, and be soaked only a short while in cold water, after which it should be squeezed out with the hands and broken up into fine crumbs. — [A. G., Mass.
Though the quantities called for in recipes are usually about correct, it is the best plan, since ingredients vary so much, to boil one dumpling as a sample. When dumplings are removed from the soup, they should be broken open to allow the steam to escape. This will prevent them from becoming soggy. — [A. G., Mass.
Puddings, Custards and Sweet Sauces