Virginia Cookery-book

Most house-keepers keep a supply of both Horsford's powder and the Royal Baking Powder, to be used as occasion requires, and good recipes for their use accompany each package. For years we have found it well to sift a whole package of Horsford's powder into thirty pounds of good extra superfine flour of fine grade, and thus have it ready at hand whenever wanted. Biscuits made with that powder are better, we think, than soda. But, since it is perhaps necessary for a country house -keeper to know many different ways of preparing the same article of food, as she cannot always get the very supplies she needs at a moment's warning, we append a recipe whereby even soda biscuits may be rendered palatable. The first rule to be observed is to use the baking powder sparingly, A teaspoonful, in conjunction with some acid, is enough to lighten a gallon of good flour, instead of a quart, as ordinary cooks imagine. Soda Biscuit. One quart of flour, one table-spoonful of butter and lard mixed, one teaspoonful of salt, one quarter teaspoonful of soda ; enough buttermilk or sour milk to make the dough just stiff enough to be handled (half a pint is about what will be needed) ; the soda should be sifted with the flour and the shortening rubbed in before the buttermilk is added. These biscuits do not require kneading or beating, but must be mixed and baked as quickly as possible afterward. The quicker the process, the more likely to be successful. Roll out a little less than half an inch thick, and stick well. Golden Loaf of Albemarle. Three pints of flour, six eggs, six or seven good-sized Irish potatoes, one table-spoonful of lard, one table-spoonful of sugar, one large teacupful of yeast. If, when made up, the proper consistency of light bread-dough has not been attained, add milk, water, or flour, whichever your judgment decides is needed. The dough must be worked thoroughly, which may be known by its blistering. When wanted for breakfast it must be mixed and worked the night before. In the morning do not work it at all, but only empty and settle it in the greased pan in which it is to be baked. VIRGINIA COOKERY-BOOK. Brandon Rolls. Put a quarter of a pound of butter into two quarts of flour ; add the yolks of two eggs and half a pint of yeast, previously made into a sponge ; make up the dough with warm milk until it is of the consistency of loaf-bread dough ; a pint, or rather more, of milk will be needed ; put into a greased mould overnight, and bake in the morning. Old Maids. From your plain loaf -bread dough take oft a large piece in the morning ; with your hand pull off quite large bits and shape them in round cakes six inches in diameter and half an inch thick ; let them rise again as you would lightened biscuits, and bake them upon a griddle ; they should look very white, with a light - brown ring in the centre. These same cakes are sold in our larger cities as English muffins, and are a favorite bread in Virginia at breakfast, known either under the name we have given or locally as "hoe-cakes." They may, indeed, be baked on a hoe before an open fire, such as in past times were always used to cook by. Brown Bread. Three quarts of Graham flour, one quart of lukewarm water, a gill of molasses, half a pint of Indian meal gruel, three teaspoonfuls of salt, a large m'ug of good hop yeast. Busks, No. 1. Take one quart of milk, one teacupful of cream, half a pound of lard, a quarter of a pound of butter, one tablespoonful of salt, and boil them together. Beat well four eggs with one pound of sugar (fair brown, say extra C *) ; * Every good grocer knows the grade of sugar designated.