Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

In the morning butter some muffin-rings, and grease the griddle with either pork or butter. Spread the rings on the griddle, which must be nearly as hot as for ordinary griddle-cakes. Put a large spoonful of the risen batter into each ring, and cook until brown on one side ; then turn the muffins, and cook them on the other side. It will take from ten to twelve minutes to brown them completely. With the materials mentioned, two dozen muffins can be made. If wanted for supper, put them to rise at about eight o'clock in the morning; or if wanted for luncheon, make them at the same hour, but use half a cake of yeast instead of one-quarter of a cake. * Crumpets. To make two dozen crumpets there will be required five cupfuls of sifted flour, one-quarter of a cake of compressed yeast, two cupfuls and a fourth of warm water, one teaspoonful of salt, one table-spoonful of sugar, and three generous table-spoonfuls of butter. Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a deep bowl. Dissolve the yeast in a small part of the warm water, and then add the remainder of the water. Pour the liquid upon the flour, and beat until a smooth, light batter is formed. Cover it closely, and let it stand in a warm place over night. In the morning melt the three tablespoonfuls of butter, and beat into the risen batter. Fill buttered muffin-pans with the mixture, and after keeping in a warm place for half an hour, bake for an equal period in a moderate oven. Or, instead of baking in the oven, bake in rings on the griddle, like muffins cooked on the griddle. * Luncheon Muffins. For a dozen muffins use one pint of flour, half a pint of cream or milk, an egg, a table-spoonful of butter, one of sugar, two level teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Mix the flour and baking-powder. Beat the egg and sugar together. Melt the butter, and after adding it to the beaten egg and sugar, beat the mixture for a minute. Now add the salt and milk, and finally the flour and baking-powder. Mix quickly, and after putting into buttered muffin-pans, bake in a rather hot oven for twenty-five minutes. * Wheat Gems. These are easily and quickly made. The materials are : a quart of milk, a quart of sifted flour, half a dozen eggs, one table-spoonful of sugar, one table-spoonful of butter, and one teaspoonful of salt. Put two sets of iron gem-pans where they will get very hot. Beat the eggs until light (it is well to use a Dover egg-beater) ; then add the sugar, salt, and milk. Gradually pour this mixture upon the sifted flour, beating thoroughly ; and add the table-spoonful of butter, melted. Dip a piece of clean cloth into some soft butter, and rub it over the hot gem-pans ; then pour the batter into the pans, and bake for twenty minutes. The cakes will be light and delicate, and about double their original size. The same mixture, baked in earthen cups for an hour, would increase to four times its first size, and the cakes would then be called pop-overs, * Wheat Drop Cakes. The materials needed are : one pint of flour, two teaspooufuls of baking-powder, half a teaspoonful of salt, one generous table-spoonful of sugar, one table-spoonful of melted butter, half a pint of milk, and one egg.