The Aunts' Cook Book

Cream the butter. Add sugar and egg well beaten. Sift baking powder with flour and add to first mixture, alternating with milk. Bake in buttered gem pans 25 minutes. Aunt Gertrude's Bran Muffins 2 tablespoonsful molasses 3^ pint of sour cream (N. O. or Barbadoes) 1 egg well beaten J^ teaspoonful of soda J^ pint bread flour 3^ teaspoonful of salt 3^ pint of bran Mix ingredients in order given. Beat well and bake 30 minutes in well-greased gem pans. 12 Bread and Buns Grandmother Davis's Soda Biscuits (from Aunt Mattie) 1 quart of flour 2 teaspoonsful of baking 1 teaspoonful of salt powder Mix together in a bowl, then add 1 tablespoonful of very fresh lard and 1 cupful of milk. Mix with the hand quickly. Toss on slightly-floured board, pat and roll out. Cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in hot oven. Aunt DelPs Baking Powder Biscuits 2 cups flour Ji cup butter J^ teaspoonful salt J^ cup Crisco 1 tablespoonful sugar ^ cup milk Mix dry ingredients. Sift twice. Work in butter and Crisco with tips of fingers — not too thoroughly. Add milk gradually. Toss on floured board. Pat and roll out. Cut with biscuitcutter and bake 12 minutes in hot oven. Aunt Virginia's Maryland Biscuits 1 lb. of flour and a light 3^ lb. lard, pinch of salt, mix with cold water, beat a full half hour. Bread and Buns 13 Big Uncle Tom's Potato Biscuits (from Aunt Mattie) 1 cup lard 2 qts. flour and enough milk 4 large potatoes to make a nice dough J^ yeast cake Boil potatoes and mash them. Let dough rise almost six hours and cut in very small biscuits. Let rise again and bake in moderate oven and serve very hot. Aunt Elizabeth's Popovers Beat 3 eggs until light Add 2 cups milk Add J^ teaspoon salt Add 2 cups sifted flour Stir above until smooth and then strain. Have gem or muffin pans hot and greased. Fill quickly with mixture, bake in a quick oven and serve immediately. Aunt Virginia's Coffee Cake Put J^ quart of flour into a bowl — make a well in the center — put into it four ounces of butter, three eggs well beaten, J^ cup of sugar, and one yeast cake, dissolved in two teaspoons of warm water. Work this mixture gradually into a smooth paste with the flour. It should now be about the thickness of an ordinary cake batter. Add 1 unbeaten egg, beat thoroughly with the hand; then add another egg and beat again. If the mixture seems a little too thick, add 1 gill of milk. Cinnamon may be added, if liked. Pour this mixture into a greased Turk's Head, cover and stand in a warm place until it doubles its bulk. Bake in a moderately quick oven 45 minutes. 14 Bread and Buns Aunt Robbie's Griddle Cakes 2/^ cups pastry flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ^ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup sour milk 2 eggs 1 cup sweet milk 1 tablespoonful melted butter 1 teaspoon soda Put the soda into the sour milk. Mix and sift flour, salt, sugar and baking-powder. Add the sour and the sweet milk and the egg, well beaten. Drop by spoonfuls on a hot soapstone griddle. When full of bubbles, turn and cook on other side. It is easier to make good cakes on a coal stove than on a gas stove. Aunt Robbie's Buckwheat Cakes 1 cup of white flour 1 cup of old-fashioned buckwheat flour, enough warm water to make a thick batter }/i yeast cake dissolved in warm water Cover with cloth and let stand over night. In the morning beat in 4 tablespoonsful molasses 4 tablespoonsful melted butter 3^ teaspoon soda in a little warm water Bake on soap-stone griddle. Aunt Emery's Swedish Griddle Cakes 2 3^ cups flour 1 quart sweet milk J/^ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons melted butter 2 eggs Bread and Buns IS