Girl's home manual of cookery, home management, home nursing and laundry

They may be added to beef loaf, rissoles, fish loaf.. Slices of stale bread may be used for fruit puddings. See Bread and Fruit Pudding, Bread and Butter Puddings, also Croutons, for serving with soups. FLOUR MIXTURES 49) FLOUR MIXTURES AND AGENTS USED TO LIGHTEN FLOUR MIXTURES Flour mixtures are of two kinds, doughs and batters. Doughs are stiff enough to be handled. Batters are thinner and can only be handled with a spoon. Food is made lighter and easier to digest by the following agents: (1.) Air, which is beaten into food, usually by means of eggs, which, when beaten, are capable of holding much air. (2.) Steam, produced by the heating of water in food. (3.) Carbonic Acid Gas, produced by an alkali (bicarbonate of soda) and and acid (cream of tartar) with a liquid. Carbonic acid gas is also produced when bicarbonate of soda is used with any one of the following: Vinegar, lemon juice, molasses or sour milk. All contain acid. This gas lightens doughs and batters by expansion, the dough being cooked while expansion of the gas takes place. Carbonic acid gas is also produced by means of growing yeast. This method is used in bread making. Bicarbonate of Soda Cream of Tartar Manufactured from.. Common salt ....... Argols, a sediment found in wine casks. Nature An acid. Mixtures A rough, white, A greyish white, smooth powder. lumpy powder. Taste Acid. Price per lb. 20 cents 40 cents Use in proportion ..._ One measure of soda Rather more than two parts of to two of tartar. tartar may be used to neutralize one part soda. Baking Powder. 4 lb. bicarbonate of soda. 4 lb. cream of tartar, or 3 OZ cornstarch: 3 oz. powdered tartaric acid. Mix the three ingredients together and sift three times. Keep in an airtight tin. The cornstarch is added to keep the soda and tartar dry and separate, to prevent action taking place before the baking powder is added to food. The Effect of Adding Baking Powder to Flour Mixtures. When baking powder is added to food, moistened and heated, carbonic acid gas (COz) is given off, which pushes up the dough, and Rochelle salts are produced and remain in the dough. The salts are a mild aperient and harmless in small quantities. Baking powders containing alum are injurious to the internal organs and should be avoided. When using baking powder, or soda with an acid and liquid, the COz is produced more quickly if heat is applied, therefore during the making keep everything cold, but bake at once in a hot oven so that the heat may quickly burst the starch grains in the flour as the CO: is pushing the dough up, the mixture is then baked light and porous. Biscuits and Scones. 1 scant cup sifted flour. 2 tsp. baking powder, or 1 tsp. cream of tartar and % tsp. soda. 1% tsp. salt. 1 tbsp. shortening, lard or butter, or half of each. ¥% cup (about) milk, or a mixture of half milk and half water. Method. Mix flour, salt and lightening agent together and sift twice. Chop shortening into flour and finish by rubbing it in with tips of fingers. Mix with a knife from the centre, gradually adding the liquid by degrees. Turn on to a floured board, make the dough.smooth on top. Roll lightly to half an inch in thickness, cut out with a round cutter. Place on an ungreased tin fairly close together. Bake at once in a very hot oven 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot on a doiley, or cold. One cup of flour makes five biscuits of average size. Note. If sour milk or buttermilk is used instead of sweet milk, lighten with % tsp. cream of tartar and ¥% tsp. soda, as the lactic acid in sour milk takes the place of half of the cream of tartar. Sultana Scones. 2 cups sifted flour. 1% tsp. butter. 2 tsp. cream of tartar. 3 tbsp. sugar. 1 tsp. soda. 4 tbsp. sultanas.