A cupful of dry material should be filled and heaped
lightly (not shaken down) , then levelled off even with the
top. A small scoop should be kept in the flour or sugar
to use in filling the cup. A heaping cupful is all the cup will
hold. A cupful of liquid is not what you can carrj?" without
spilling, but what the cup will hold without running over ;
full to the brim. Place 3'Our cup in a saucer, while filUng
it, or in the bowl in which the liquid is to be poured.
Half a cupful is not half the distance from the bottom to
the rim. Most cups are smaller at the bottom, for which
allowance must be made. Take two cups of the same
size and shape, fill one with water, then pour the water
without spilling into the other cup until it stands at the
same level in both cups. This gives jow the half-cupful
exactly, which in the cups used here is two thirds of the
height, or within an inch of the top. The quarter and
three-quarter measures ma}^ be found in the same way. A
scant cupful is within a quarter of an inch of the top.
^'Butter the size of an egg^' is a very common expression.
This equals about one quarter of a cupful, or two ounces,
or one heaping tablespoonful, either of which is more easily
30
The Boston Cook Book.
written than the first expression. Place an egg in one
tablespoon, then pack butter in another till it fills the
spoon in the same proportion as the egg, and 3'ou will
easil}^ carry it in mind.
Have your materials measured or at hand, and all uten-
sils ready before beginning the mixing, or putting the
ingredients together. Keep a bucket or pan full of flour,
freshly sifted each day, and ready for use. Measure flour
first, and put it in a bowl or pan together with salt, soda,
cream of tartar, and spice ; measure butter and put it in
the mixing-bowl ; then measure the sugar, and, in scraping
out the sugar, take the butter which has adhered to the
cup. Break yom eggs on the edge of the cup ; if the white
be clear, the egg is good. Put the yolks in one bowl and
the whites in another ; measure the milk or liquid, and,
after using the beaten j^olk, clean out the bowl with the
milk. Or, measure all the dry ingredients, break and sep-
arate the eggs, measure the milk, add it to the beaten
yolks, and measure the melted butter last. In either way
you can make one cup do for all without washing. Two
eggs beaten separately " means that the yolks and whites
are to be beaten separately, not each whole egg beaten
separately.
A tablespoonful of melted hutter is measured after melt-
ing. A tablespoonful of hutter melted is measured before
melting.
To economize space, in many of the receipts the abbre-
viations are written : one cup for one cupful, tablesp. for
tablespoonful, teasp. for teaspoonful, and saltsp. for salt-
spoonful. All these measures mean a full measure, unless
scant or heaping measures are specified.
Table of Weights and Measures.
4 sal tspoonf Ills of liquid
4 teaspooiif Ills of liquid
3 teaspooiifuls of dry material
4 tablespoonfuls of liquid
2 gills
1 teaspoonful.
1 tablespoonful.
1 tablespoonful.
1 wineglass, or ^ gill, or ^ cup.
1 cup, or ^ pint.
The Boston Cook Book.
31
16 tablespoonfuls of liquid
12 tablespoonfuls of dry material
8 heaping tablespoonfuls of dry material
4 cups of liquid
4 cups of flour
2 cups of solid butter
\ cup of butter
Page 22
Presented as published in 1884. 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 cupful of dry material should be filled and heaped lightly (not shaken down), then levelled off even with the top. A small scoop should be kept in the flour or sugar to use in filling the cup. A heaping cupful is all the cup will hold. A cupful of liquid is not what you can carry without spilling, but what the cup will hold without running over ; full to the brim. Place your cup in a saucer, while filling it, or in the bowl in which the liquid is to be poured. Half a cupful is not half the distance from the bottom to the rim. Most cups are smaller at the bottom, for which allowance must be made. Take two cups of the same size and shape, fill one with water, then pour the water without spilling into the other cup until it stands at the same level in both cups. This gives you the half-cupful exactly, which in the cups used here is two thirds of the height, or within an inch of the top. The quarter and three-quarter measures may be found in the same way. A scant cupful is within a quarter of an inch of the top.
^'Butter the size of an egg^' is a very common expression. This equals about one quarter of a cupful, or two ounces, or one heaping tablespoonful, either of which is more easily
The Boston Cook Book.
written than the first expression. Place an egg in one tablespoon, then pack butter in another till it fills the spoon in the same proportion as the egg, and you will easily carry it in mind.
Have your materials measured or at hand, and all utensils ready before beginning the mixing, or putting the ingredients together. Keep a bucket or pan full of flour, freshly sifted each day, and ready for use. Measure flour first, and put it in a bowl or pan together with salt, soda, cream of tartar, and spice ; measure butter and put it in the mixing-bowl ; then measure the sugar, and, in scraping out the sugar, take the butter which has adhered to the cup. Break your eggs on the edge of the cup ; if the white be clear, the egg is good. Put the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another ; measure the milk or liquid, and, after using the beaten yolk, clean out the bowl with the milk. Or, measure all the dry ingredients, break and separate the eggs, measure the milk, add it to the beaten yolks, and measure the melted butter last. In either way you can make one cup do for all without washing. Two eggs beaten separately " means that the yolks and whites are to be beaten separately, not each whole egg beaten separately.
A tablespoonful of melted butter is measured after melting. A tablespoonful of butter melted is measured before melting.
To economize space, in many of the receipts the abbreviations are written : one cup for one cupful, tablesp. for tablespoonful, teasp. for teaspoonful, and saltsp. for saltspoonful. All these measures mean a full measure, unless scant or heaping measures are specified.
Table of Weights and Measures.
4 saltspoonfuls of liquid 4 teaspoonfuls of liquid
3 teaspoonfuls of dry material
4 tablespoonfuls of liquid 2 gills
1 teaspoonful.
1 tablespoonful. 1 tablespoonful.
1 wineglass, or ^ gill, or ^ cup. 1 cup, or ^ pint.
The Boston Cook Book.
16 tablespoonfuls of liquid
12 tablespoonfuls of dry material
8 heaping tablespoonfuls of dry material 4 cups of liquid
4 cups of flour
2 cups of solid butter
\ cup of butter