In most families there is a large amount of corn or Indian meal
used, but the quantity purchased at a time depends upon the kind
of meal selected. The common kind, which is made by grinding
between two mill-stones, retains a great deal of moisture, and in
hot weather, will soon grow musty ; but- the granulated meal will
keep for any length of time. The corn for this meal ^is first dried;
and it takes about two years for this. Then the outer husks are re-
moved, and the corn is ground by a process that produces grains
like granulated sugar. After once using this meal one will not will-
ingly go back to the old kind. Indian meal is made from two kinds
•of corn, Northern and Southern. The former gives the yellow meal,
and is much richer than the Southern, of which white meal is made*
Sweet milk may be used in place of sour, and vice versa, remem-
bering that the proportions are one level teaspoon soda to one pint
Bour milk, and with sweet milk two heaping teaspoons baking pow-
der, or two teaspoons cream tartar and one of soda, to one quart
flour. It always pays best to buy pure soda and cream tartar
at a higher price. They are more certain in action, and free from
injurious foreign substances.
Biscuit may be made by taking a part of the dough prepared
for bread at the point when it is ready to make into loaves, knead in-
to it a little more flour, with lard, eggs, sugar, or what ever is de-
sired, let rise, then work again and let rise a second time, after
which turn out on table and knead again a few minutes, roll out
and cut out or mold with the hand for biscuit, when they are ready
for the pan which should be well greased. Biscuit require a quick
oven for from fifteen to twenty minutes. Before placing in the
oven, wet the top slightly with warm water and a better brown will
be given to the crust, or to glaze, brush over with milk and sugar
or the yolk of an egg, sweetened and well beaten in a little milk.
A very hot oven will bake biscuit in eight to ten minutes, but
the oven should be allowed to cool off slowly as they bake and they
must be watched closely to prevent burning. Bread or pastry
mixed with water requires a hotter fire than that mixed with milk«
BREAKFAST AND TEA CAKES. ' 33
It requires a longer timd for tiscuits and rolls to rise before placing
in the oven, as the heat arrests fermentation sooner in the small
rolls than in the large loaves of bread which continue to rise fafter
they have been placed in the oven. Biscuit should be molded two
hours before the meal for which they are intended, and Parkerhouse
rolls need three hours to rise. The most important point in both
bread and rolls is to act promptly at each rising, just when the
proper time has been reached. Handle soda biscuit as little as
possible, and the whole process should be rapid. The soda and
cream-tartar, or baking powder should be mixed with the flour
so that effervescence takes place in the dough. A teaspoon soda and
two of cream-tartar, or three teaspoons baking-powder to one
quart of flour is the right proportion. Use baking-powder or soda
and cream-tartar with sweet milk, and soda alone with sour milk.
Place in hot pans and bake in quick oven immediately. A very hot
oven is required for gems, but the fire should be ready to go down
as the heat which is right at first would burn them when nearly
done.
Page 24
Presented as published in 1890. 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
In most families there is a large amount of corn or Indian meal used, but the quantity purchased at a time depends upon the kind of meal selected. The common kind, which is made by grinding between two mill-stones, retains a great deal of moisture, and in hot weather, will soon grow musty ; but- the granulated meal will keep for any length of time. The corn for this meal is first dried; and it takes about two years for this. Then the outer husks are removed, and the corn is ground by a process that produces grains like granulated sugar. After once using this meal one will not willingly go back to the old kind. Indian meal is made from two kinds •of corn, Northern and Southern. The former gives the yellow meal, and is much richer than the Southern, of which white meal is made. Sweet milk may be used in place of sour, and vice versa, remembering that the proportions are one level teaspoon soda to one pint sour milk, and with sweet milk two heaping teaspoons baking powder, or two teaspoons cream tartar and one of soda, to one quart flour. It always pays best to buy pure soda and cream tartar at a higher price. They are more certain in action, and free from injurious foreign substances.
Biscuit may be made by taking a part of the dough prepared for bread at the point when it is ready to make into loaves, knead into it a little more flour, with lard, eggs, sugar, or what ever is desired, let rise, then work again and let rise a second time, after which turn out on table and knead again a few minutes, roll out and cut out or mold with the hand for biscuit, when they are ready for the pan which should be well greased. Biscuit require a quick oven for from fifteen to twenty minutes. Before placing in the oven, wet the top slightly with warm water and a better brown will be given to the crust, or to glaze, brush over with milk and sugar or the yolk of an egg, sweetened and well beaten in a little milk.
A very hot oven will bake biscuit in eight to ten minutes, but the oven should be allowed to cool off slowly as they bake and they must be watched closely to prevent burning. Bread or pastry mixed with water requires a hotter fire than that mixed with milk.
It requires a longer timd for biscuits and rolls to rise before placing in the oven, as the heat arrests fermentation sooner in the small rolls than in the large loaves of bread which continue to rise fafter they have been placed in the oven. Biscuit should be molded two hours before the meal for which they are intended, and Parkerhouse rolls need three hours to rise. The most important point in both bread and rolls is to act promptly at each rising, just when the proper time has been reached. Handle soda biscuit as little as possible, and the whole process should be rapid. The soda and cream-tartar, or baking powder should be mixed with the flour so that effervescence takes place in the dough. A teaspoon soda and two of cream-tartar, or three teaspoons baking-powder to one quart of flour is the right proportion. Use baking-powder or soda and cream-tartar with sweet milk, and soda alone with sour milk. Place in hot pans and bake in quick oven immediately. A very hot oven is required for gems, but the fire should be ready to go down as the heat which is right at first would burn them when nearly done.