Original White House Cookbook

Sift one quart of flne white flour, rub into it three tablespoonfuls of cold butter, a teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of white sugar. Add a beaten egg to a cup of sour cream, turn it into the other ingredients, dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in a spoonful of water, mix all together, handling as little as possible; roll lightly into two round sheets, place on pie-tins and bake from twenty to twenty-five minutes in a quick oven. , This crust is delicious for fruit short-cakes. STRAWBERRY SHORT-CAKE. Make a rule of baking powder biscuit, with the exception of a little more shortening ; divide the dough in half ; lay one-half on the moldingboard (half the dough makes one short-cake), divide this half again, and roll each piece large enough to cover a biscuit-tin, or a large-sized pie-tin ; spread soft butter over the lower one and place the other on top of that ; proceed with the other lump of dough the same, by cutting it in halves, and putting on another tin. Set them in the oven ; when sufficiently baked take them out, separate each one by running a large knife through where the cold soft butter was spread. Then butter plentifully each crust. lay the bottom of each on earthen platters or dining-plates ; cover thickly with a quart of strawberries that have been previously prepared with sugar, lay the top crusts on the fruit. If there is any juice left, pour it around the cake. This makes a delicious short-cake. Peaches, raspberries, blackberries and huckleberries can be substituted for strawberries. Always send to the table with a pitcher of sweet cream. ORANGE SHORT-CAKE. Peel two large oranges, chop them fine, remove the seeds, add half a peeled lemon and one cup of sugar. Spread between the layers of shortcake while it is hot. LEMON SHORT-CAKE. Make a rich biscuit dough, same as above recipe. While baking, take a cup and a quarter of water, a cup and a half of sugar, and two lemons, peel, juice and pulp, throwing away the tough part of the rind; boil this for some little time; then stir in three crackers rolled fine; split the short-cakes while hot, spread with butter, then with the mixture. To be eaten warm. , HUCKLEBERRY SHORT-CAKE. Two CUPFULS of sugar, half a cupful f butter, one pint of sweet milk, one tablespoonful of salt, two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder sifted into a quart of flour, or enough to form a thick batter ; add a quart of the huckleberries; to be baked in a dripper; cut into squares for the table and served hot with butter. Blackberries may be used the same. FRIED DINNER-ROLLS. When making light raised bread, save out a piece of dough nearly the size of a small loaf, roll it out on the board, spread a tablespoonful of melted butter over it; dissolve a quarter of a teaspoonful of soda in a tablespoonful of water and pour that also over it; work it all well into the dough, roll it out into a sheet not quite half an inch thick. Cut it in strips three inches long and one inch wide. Lay them on buttered tins, cover with a cloth and set away in a cool place until an hour before dinner time ; then set them by the fire where they will become light. While they are rising, put into a frying pan a tablespoonful of cold butter and one of lard; when it boils clear and is hot, lay as many of the rolls in as will fry nicely. As soon as they brown