Mix all the dry ingredients. Put the sour milk and mo-
lasses in a mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients (through
the sifter) to the milk and molasses. Melt the fat ; add it
to the other materials. Beat thoroughly and turn at once
into a shallow oiled pan. Bake in a moderate oven (375° F.
to 400° F.) 20 minutes or longer. (See Tests for Sufficient
Baking of Quick Bread, p. 197.)
1 The acidity of molasses may be due to fermentation or to the pre-
servatives used in many brands. It varies in quantity.
LEAVENING AGENTS 199
QUESTIONS
Mention the leavening materials used in this Gingerbread, and ex-
plain their action.
What is the price per quart of molasses ?
How many persons does this recipe serve ?
LESSON LXVI
Leavening with Baking Powder: Griddle Cakes
*
Experiment 74 : Effect of Cold Water on a Mixture of Cream of
Tartar and Baking Soda. — Test a bit of cream of tartar with litmus
paper. Is it acid or alkaline in reaction ? -
Put J teaspoonful of baking soda and twice the quantity of cream
of tartar in a dry test tube. Does any change take place ? Add
about 1 teaspoonful of cold water to the mixture and examine. What
change takes place ? What substance is being formed ?
Experiment 75 : Effect of Hot Water on a Mixture of Cream of
Tartar and Baking Soda. — Repeat Experiment 74, using hot water
instead of cold with the baking soda and cream of tartar. Which
causes greater effervescence, — hot or cold water ? Is it desirable to
have more of the gas formed before or after the mixture is placed in
the oven ? What, then, should be the temperature (hot or cold) of
liquids and other materials used in the quick bread mixtures ?
Experiment 76 : Effect of Hot Water on Baking Powder. — Add
about 1 teaspoonful of hot water to J teaspoonful of baking powder.
Compare the effervescence with that of Experiment 74. From the
comparison of Experiments 74, 75, with Experiment 76, what do you
infer is the composition of certain baking powders ? From these ex-
periments, what conclusion can be drawn with regard to the haste
necessary in mixing baking powder mixtures ? After moistening the
baking powder, how much time should elapse before placing the mix-
ture in the oven ?
Composition of Baking Powder. — Baking powder consists
of (a) baking soda, (b) an acid substance, and (c) a starchy
material. The acid substance varies in different baking
powders. Those in common use contain either cream of
tartar, acid phosphate, or alum as the acid material.
200 THE COOKING OF FOODS
The starch is added to keep the other materials dry, and
thus prevent the possible formation and consequent loss of
carbon dioxide. The proportion (by weight) of cream of
tartar and soda in baking powders is approximately two
parts cream of tartar to one part of soda. Since cream of
tartar is more bulky than soda (one and one fourth parts
of cream of tartar are about equal in weight to one part
of soda), the proportion (by measure) of cream of tartar and
soda is approximately two and one half parts of cream of
tartar to one part of baking soda.
The following " equation " represents roughly the action
of baking powder when heat and moisture are applied :
1 teaspoonful of baking soda + 2^ teaspoonfuls of cream
of tartar yield neutral substance -+- carbon dioxide gas.
As in the case of baking soda and sour milk, care must
be taken in measuring baking soda and cream of tartar.
There should not be an excess of either constituent. If the
baking powder is prepared in the home, one must remember
that the ingredients must be measured, or weighed, and
mixed most accurately.
Page 82
Presented as published in 1915. 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
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
Mix all the dry ingredients. Put the sour milk and mo-
lasses in a mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients (through
the sifter) to the milk and molasses. Melt the fat ; add it
to the other materials. Beat thoroughly and turn at once
into a shallow oiled pan. Bake in a moderate oven (375° F.
to 400° F.) 20 minutes or longer. (See Tests for Sufficient
Baking of Quick Bread, p. 197.)
1 The acidity of molasses may be due to fermentation or to the pre-
servatives used in many brands. It varies in quantity.
LEAVENING AGENTS 199
QUESTIONS
Mention the leavening materials used in this Gingerbread, and ex-
plain their action.
What is the price per quart of molasses ?
How many persons does this recipe serve ?
LESSON LXVI
Leavening with Baking Powder: Griddle Cakes
*
Experiment 74 : Effect of Cold Water on a Mixture of Cream of
Tartar and Baking Soda. — Test a bit of cream of tartar with litmus
paper. Is it acid or alkaline in reaction ? -
Put J teaspoonful of baking soda and twice the quantity of cream
of tartar in a dry test tube. Does any change take place ? Add
about 1 teaspoonful of cold water to the mixture and examine. What
change takes place ? What substance is being formed ?
Experiment 75 : Effect of Hot Water on a Mixture of Cream of
Tartar and Baking Soda. — Repeat Experiment 74, using hot water
instead of cold with the baking soda and cream of tartar. Which
causes greater effervescence, — hot or cold water ? Is it desirable to
have more of the gas formed before or after the mixture is placed in
the oven ? What, then, should be the temperature (hot or cold) of
liquids and other materials used in the quick bread mixtures ?
Experiment 76 : Effect of Hot Water on Baking Powder. — Add
about 1 teaspoonful of hot water to J teaspoonful of baking powder.
Compare the effervescence with that of Experiment 74. From the
comparison of Experiments 74, 75, with Experiment 76, what do you
infer is the composition of certain baking powders ? From these ex-
periments, what conclusion can be drawn with regard to the haste
necessary in mixing baking powder mixtures ? After moistening the
baking powder, how much time should elapse before placing the mix-
ture in the oven ?
Composition of Baking Powder. — Baking powder consists
of (a) baking soda, (b) an acid substance, and (c) a starchy
material. The acid substance varies in different baking
powders. Those in common use contain either cream of
tartar, acid phosphate, or alum as the acid material.
200 THE COOKING OF FOODS
The starch is added to keep the other materials dry, and
thus prevent the possible formation and consequent loss of
carbon dioxide. The proportion (by weight) of cream of
tartar and soda in baking powders is approximately two
parts cream of tartar to one part of soda. Since cream of
tartar is more bulky than soda (one and one fourth parts
of cream of tartar are about equal in weight to one part
of soda), the proportion (by measure) of cream of tartar and
soda is approximately two and one half parts of cream of
tartar to one part of baking soda.
The following " equation " represents roughly the action
of baking powder when heat and moisture are applied :
1 teaspoonful of baking soda + 2^ teaspoonfuls of cream
of tartar yield neutral substance -+- carbon dioxide gas.
As in the case of baking soda and sour milk, care must
be taken in measuring baking soda and cream of tartar.
There should not be an excess of either constituent. If the
baking powder is prepared in the home, one must remember
that the ingredients must be measured, or weighed, and
mixed most accurately.