A manual of home-making

Enough of the sugar sirup should Ix^ added to the fruit juier to sweeten them, enough acid juice to contribute the de*sire »est, and the whole diluted to taste w^th shaved ice or with i water* Green te^ makes a good foundation for a fruit punch, Well-scrubbe<l skins of pineapples, oranges* and lemons may be covered with water» a little sugar added, antl the mixtun allowed to stand for several hours to draw out the flavoring, matter. This thin juice may \ye used immediately to mafc fruit drinks. I CHAPTER XXI BATTERS ANB DOUGHS By Mary F. Henhy When flour and liquid are mixed in such proportions that the resiihinjii: mixture van hv lieatcn, it is calleti a batter. When the mixture is so thick that it cannot be beaten, but must be made smooth liy kneading, it is called a dough. The essential in- gredients of Imtters and doughs are flour, liquid, and leavening. Shortening^ eggs, sugar, and salt are not essential hut they eon- tribute to flavor and texture. "Light breads" can be made from wheat flour because it contains certain materials whieh when moistened fonn a sticky elastic substance called gluten. When a mixture containing gluten is heated, the moisture and the air which may lie incorpoialedt expand and stretch the gluten. If the terai>erature is sufheiently high, the gluten hardens and forms a framework surrounding whatever other ingredients are contained in the loaf. However, it is not safe to rely solely on the expansion of the moisture or whatever air happens to be present in the mixture, either as the result of beating a plain batter or of adding wefl-beaten eggs. In most batters and doughs a gas wdiieh expands on heating is intro- duced by means of the growth of yeasts or !iy chemical leaven- ing agents. This gas acts more powerfully than does air or steam because it is more abmidant. Yeast doughs are discussed in Chapter XXIV, CLASSIFICATION Pour 6aifer«.— Mixtures of about equal parts of flour and Hquid, such as those used in making popovers and pancakes^ are called pour batters because they can be poured. Drop baUers. — ^Mixtures of about two parts of flour to one 473 I I I I I 474 A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING part of liquid, sucli its those usihI for nuitiin« and cakes, callefl drop battern, because they drop from a spoou, Soft fhughs. — Mixtures of about three parts of Hour to oni part of liquid, such as Inscuits, are called soft doughs. Stiff doughs, — Mixtures of about four parts of flour to one* part of Uc|uifi, such as yeast bread, are called stiff doughs. (Seo-i C;iiapter XXIV.) INGREDIENTS Flmir, A good grade of flour should be used for all douRhs and batt (p. 495). Pastry flour is better than bread flour for quirks bread mixtiires and cake, since it p:ives a more tender prcKluei| than does bread flour. Pastry flour may bo nia<le at hfitiie aiN coriliu^ to the supp:estions on pa^e 41R). When other flours aro| substituted for wlieat flour in a recipe, it should Ik? on the baais of weight, since there is much variation in measure. Liquid.