By remembering a few things when using an acid and
alkali in cooking, it is possible to be morally sure of suc-
cess. First, the gas is given off as soon as the mixture
is moistened. Second, the greater the heat, the greater
the expansion of gas, air, and steam. To demonstrate
this, put a teaspoonful of baking-powder into each of
two tumblers ; and by pouring ice-water into one, you
will find that the gas expands and is given off slowly,
whereas by pouring boiling water into the second tumbler,
you fill it with expanded gas in an instant. As our ob-
ject in using the alkali and acid is to obtain this gas, and
thus make the dough or batter light, we should so use
BREAD, ROLLS, AND MUFFINS. 797
them that but little of the gas will be lost. Now, to
make perfect biscuit or duinplings we must mix the
acid and alkali dry in the flour. This is always done if
baking-powder be used, and should be if soda and cream-
of-tartar be employed. The soda should be ground fine
on a plate with a knife or spoon, and then measured,
and put into the flour with the cream-of-tartar. After
a thorough mixing, the ingredients should be rubbed
through a sieve. The mixing and handling of the dough
should be rapid and light ; the biscuit should be cut
rather small, and baked in a hot oven; and as soon as
finished they should be removed from the oven, as they
will become tough and dark if allowed to remain even a
short time.
To Make Biscuit. — Mix with a quart of flour (meas-
ured before sifting) a teaspoonful of soda, two of cream-
of-tartar, one of salt, and two of sugar, and after rubbing
all through a sieve, rub into the mixture a table-spoonful
of butter. Wet with a scant pint of cold milk✪ Cream-of-Tartar Biscuit ; and after
stirring the dough into the form of a smooth ball, roll it
down to the thickness of an inch upon a board lightly
sprinkled with flour. Cut out the biscuit, and, placing
them loosely in lightly buttered pans, bake from twelve
to eighteen minutes, — the time depending upon the size
of the biscuit and the heat of the oven. If you prefer,
you may use three heaping teaspoonfuls of baking-pow-
der instead of the soda and cream-of-tartar. The dough
should be as soft as you can make it and yet handle it ;
for if it be rather stiff, the biscuit will be hard and dry.
Cream Biscuit.
Use for a small pan of biscuit two cupfuls of flour,
half a cupful of sour cream, half a cupful of sour milk
or buttermilk, one teaspoonful of baking-powder, one of
sugar, half a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful
of soda✪ Cream Biscuit.
798 MISS PARLOA'S KITCHEN COMPANION.
Mix the sugar, salt, and baking-powder with the flour,
and rub through a sieve. Dissolve the soda in two table-
spoonfuls of cold water, and add it to the sour milk and
cream. Stir quickly and well, and then mix with the
dry ingredients. Mix as quickly as possible with a
spoon, and turn on a well-floured board. Pat with the
hand until a cake about half an inch thick is formed.
Cut this into, small cakes with a tin cutter, dipping the
cutter into flour each time. Bake in a hot oven for about
eight or ten minutes.
With the materials given a very soft dough will be
made, which must be handled quickly and carefully. If
heaping cupfuls of flour were used, the dough would be
firmer and more easily handled, but the biscuit would not
be so delicate.
* Dropped Biscuit. ✪ Dropped Biscuit
Page 422 · 3 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1887. 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
By remembering a few things when using an acid and alkali in cooking, it is possible to be morally sure of success. First, the gas is given off as soon as the mixture is moistened. Second, the greater the heat, the greater the expansion of gas, air, and steam. To demonstrate this, put a teaspoonful of baking-powder into each of two tumblers ; and by pouring ice-water into one, you will find that the gas expands and is given off slowly, whereas by pouring boiling water into the second tumbler, you fill it with expanded gas in an instant. As our object in using the alkali and acid is to obtain this gas, and thus make the dough or batter light, we should so use
them that but little of the gas will be lost. Now, to make perfect biscuit or duinplings we must mix the acid and alkali dry in the flour. This is always done if baking-powder be used, and should be if soda and creamof-tartar be employed. The soda should be ground fine on a plate with a knife or spoon, and then measured, and put into the flour with the cream-of-tartar. After a thorough mixing, the ingredients should be rubbed through a sieve. The mixing and handling of the dough should be rapid and light ; the biscuit should be cut rather small, and baked in a hot oven; and as soon as finished they should be removed from the oven, as they will become tough and dark if allowed to remain even a short time.
To Make Biscuit. — Mix with a quart of flour (measured before sifting) a teaspoonful of soda, two of creamof-tartar, one of salt, and two of sugar, and after rubbing all through a sieve, rub into the mixture a table-spoonful of butter. Wet with a scant pint of cold milk ; and after stirring the dough into the form of a smooth ball, roll it down to the thickness of an inch upon a board lightly sprinkled with flour. Cut out the biscuit, and, placing them loosely in lightly buttered pans, bake from twelve to eighteen minutes, — the time depending upon the size of the biscuit and the heat of the oven. If you prefer, you may use three heaping teaspoonfuls of baking-powder instead of the soda and cream-of-tartar. The dough should be as soft as you can make it and yet handle it ; for if it be rather stiff, the biscuit will be hard and dry.
Cream Biscuit.
Use for a small pan of biscuit two cupfuls of flour, half a cupful of sour cream, half a cupful of sour milk or buttermilk, one teaspoonful of baking-powder, one of sugar, half a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of soda.
Mix the sugar, salt, and baking-powder with the flour, and rub through a sieve. Dissolve the soda in two tablespoonfuls of cold water, and add it to the sour milk and cream. Stir quickly and well, and then mix with the dry ingredients. Mix as quickly as possible with a spoon, and turn on a well-floured board. Pat with the hand until a cake about half an inch thick is formed. Cut this into, small cakes with a tin cutter, dipping the cutter into flour each time. Bake in a hot oven for about eight or ten minutes.
With the materials given a very soft dough will be made, which must be handled quickly and carefully. If heaping cupfuls of flour were used, the dough would be firmer and more easily handled, but the biscuit would not be so delicate.
* Dropped Biscuit.
Records on this page
Cream-of-Tartar BiscuitCream BiscuitDropped Biscuit