Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book

Baking-Powders. — When your druggist or cook is not to be relied upon, use a baking-powder which has been tested and proved pure. Pure baking-powders are soda and cream of tartar mixed by weight in the proper proportion, and combined with rice flour, cornstarch, or some harmless ingredient to insure their keeping. To allow for this starch the measure should be a little more than the combined amount of soda and cream of tartar ; three rounding teaspoonfuls of baking-powder being equal to one level teaspoonful of soda and two full teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar. One even teaspoonful of baking-powder for each cup of flour is a convenient formula. Soda is also neutralized by sour milk or lactic acid. This is economical, particularly for those who have pure milk and more than they can use while it is sweet. But milk is often adulterated, and, in winter, grows bitter before it sours ; and the degree of acidity varies so much that the result is often failure. Sour milk is best when it sours quickly, and is thick and smooth, not separated. One even teaspoonful of soda to one pint of nicely thickened or loppered milk is the proportion. When the milk tastes or smells sour, but is not thick, use it as sweet milk in gingerbread or brown bread, where you have molasses to complete the acidity. Add a very little more soda if the receipt call for sweet milk, or a little less if for sour milk. Nearly all kinds of soda biscuit, muffins, gems, etc., should have the dry ingredients mixed in one bowl, and the liquids, such as milk, eggs, melted butter, etc., in another ; and when ready to bake, stir the two quickly and thoroughly together, and bake immediately in a very hot oven. Molasses gives another acid which is combined with soda, to raise and lighten dough. Directions for its use are given under rules for brown bread and molasses gingerbread. The Boston Cook Book. Soda and Cream of Tartar Biscuit. 1 quart sifted flour. 2 fall teaspoonfuls cream of 1 even teaspoonf ul salt. tartar. 1 even teaspoonful soda, meas- 1 large tablespoonful butter, ured after pulverizing. Milk to make a very soft dough : new-process flour will take a pint or more ; St. Louis flour, less. Mix in the order given, sifting the soda, salt, and cream of tartar into the flour. Then sift all together twice. Rub in the butter with the tips of the fingers, until there are no large lumps. Mix in the milk gradually, using a broad knife and wetting only a small part of the flour with each addition of the milk. When just stiff enough to be handled (not kneaded) , cut it through with the knife until barely mixed ; it should look spongy in the cuts and seem full of air. Turn it out on a well-floured board ; toss with the knife till well floured ; touch it with the hands as little as possible ; pat it with the rolling-pin, which must be lifted quickly that it may not stick ; and when the dough is about half an inch thick, cut it into rounds and bake at once. To make Twin Biscuit, roll the dough out less than half an inch thick, cut into rounds, spread with softened butter, and put two together, and bake ten or fifteen minutes. Baking-Powder Biscuit. These are made in the same way as the preceding, using three rounding teaspoonfuls of baking-powder in place of soda and cream of tartar. Sour Milk Biscuit.