The Aunts' Cook Book

Varied these viands, varied those Who gathered them for filing, Yet one and all have sprung to aid This little book's compiling. Behold the glad and quick response From Kennebunk to Austin, With Sally Lunn from Sunny South, Or be it beans from Boston. Would it might bear to you besides Our interest unabating In all that waits you, but — oho! What were the worth of prating? Love's protestations naught confirm, Despite all would-and-shoulding; Love's labour marks the final test. The proof is in the pudding. R. H. Cookery means the knowledge of Medea and of Circe and of Helen and of the Queen of Sheba. It means the knowledge of all herbs and fruit and balms and spices, and all that is healing and sweet in the fields and groves and savory in meats. It means carefulness and inventiveness and willingness and readiness of appliances. It means the economy of your grandmothers and the science of the modern chemist; it means English thoroughness and French art and Arabian hospitality; and in fine, it means that you are to be perfectly and always ladies — loaf givers. Ruskin BREAD AND BUNS — =K. ^<r^ Grandmother Holden's Buns 1 pint new milk Plenty of sifted bread flour V^ cup butter (about tbree quarts) J^ cup lard 1 yeast cake ^ cup sugar pint of boiling water 1 teaspoonful salt To boiling water add milk, butter, lard, salt, sugar and enough flour to make a good sponge. Mix with spoon and keep warm. When very light and full of bubbles mix in remaining flour for a soft bread dough. Cover and let rise again. Roll very thin and cut with biscuit cutter. Let rise again. Bake in hot oven. This recipe should be divided for an ordinary-sized family. S 6 Bread and Buns Aunt Robbie's Bread For one pint of liquid (either milk, water, or half milk and half water — temperature 75 degrees) use one compressed yeast cake dissolved in a little luke warm water. Add one level teaspoonful of salt, and flour enough to make a clean, smooth, but not sticky, dough, kneading it well and making it into a loaf. Let rise until light. Shape into loaves and let rise again. Bake 45 minutes in hot oven for the first ten minutes. Aunt Dell's Oat Meal Bread Scald 1 cup of rolled oats with one pint of boiling water and let stand one hour. Add }4: cup of molasses or sugar. 1 level tablespoon of salt. y^ cake of compressed yeast dissolved in luke warm water. 1 quart of flour. Mix in bread mixer. Let rise, put into pans. Let rise again and bake in hot oven for first 10 minutes. Aunt Elinor's Quick Rolls 1 yeast cake 2 tablespoons lard 3 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon sugar J^ cup scalded milk J^ teaspoon salt 3^ cup tepid water Add shortening to hot milk and cool until tepid. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and add to milk. Beat in half the flour, beating very smooth, add rest of flour and salt. Knead thoroughly. Roll J^ inch thick, cut in rounds, butter the crease and fold over in Parker House shape. Raise about 2 hours in warm place and bake 15 to 20 minutes at about 480** to 500° Bread and Buns 7 Aunt Robbie's Parker House Rolls 1 pint of milk scalded Enough bread flour to make soft sponge 1 yeast cake dissolved in luke-warm water. Mix and let rise till double its bulk. Work in 34 pound butter, soft but not melted. Add J^ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, enough flour to make stiff dough. Knead like bread with little flour on board. Let rise again till light. Roll out to J^ inch thickness. Shape with biscuit-cutter, dipped in flour. Brush half of each piece with melted butter. Fold and press edges together. Place in greased pan, cover, let rise and bake in hot oven fifteen minutes. Aunt Virginia's Gluten Rolls 3 cups of sifted health flour J^ teaspoon of salt 3 teaspoons baking powder 1% cups of milk Mix all together, bake in an iron gem pan, in a hot oven for 20 minutes. Auntie's Sally Lunn