Original White House Cookbook

Warm a teacupful of lard in a pint of milk ; when nearly cool add enough flour to make a thick batter and add a small cupful of yeast ; beat it well and set it to rise ; when light work in gradually and carefully three cupfuls of sugar, the whipped whites of six eggs, half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a spoonful of milk, one teaspoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon and half of a nutmeg grated ; then work in gradually enough flour to make it stiff enough to roll out ; let it rise again and when very light roll it out in a sheet an inch thick ; cut into rounds ; put into the centre of each round a large Sultana raisin, seeded, and mold into perfectly round balls ; flatten a little ; let them stand a few minutes before boiling them ; have plenty of lard in the pot and when it boils drop in the cakes ; when they are a light brown take them out with a perforated skimmer ; drain on soft white paper and roll, while warm, in flne powdered sugar. Pursell’s Bakery, New York City. CRULLERS OR WONDERS. Three eggs, three tablespoonfuls of melted lard or butter, three tablespoonfuls of sugar ; mix very hard with sifted flour, as hard as can be rolled, and to be rolled very thin like pie crust ; cut in squares three inches long and two wide, then cut several slits or lines lengthwise to within a quarter of an inch of the edges of the ends ; run your two forefingers through every other slit ; lay them down on the board edgewise and dent them. These are very dainty when fried. Fry in hot lard a light brown. GERMAN DOUGHNUTS. One pint of milk, four eggs, one small tablespoonful of melted butter, flavoring, salt to taste ; first boil the milk and pour it, while hot, over a pint of flour ; beat it very smooth and when it is cool have ready the yolks of the eggs well beaten ; add them to the milk and flour, beaten well into it, then add the well-beaten whites ; then, lastly, add the salt and as much more flour as will make the whole into a soft dough ; flour your board, turn your dough upon it, roll it in pieces as thick as your finger and turn them in the form of a ring ; cook in plenty of boiling lard. A nice breakfast cake with coffee. NUT CAKES. (Fried.) Beat two eggs well, add to them one ounce of sifted sugar, two ounces of warmed butter, two tablespoonfuls of yeast, a teacupful of luke-warm milk and a little salt. Whip all well together, then stir in by degrees one pound of flour, and, if requisite, more milk, making thin dough. Beat it until it falls from the spoon, then set it to rise. When it has risen make butter or lard hot in a frying pan ; cut from the light dough little pieces the size of a walnut, and, without molding or kneading, fry them pale brown. As they are done lay them on a napkin to absorb any of the fat. TRIFLES. Work one egg and a tablespoonful of sugar to as much flour as will make a stiff paste ; roll it as thin as a dollar piece and cut it into small round or square cakes ; drop two or three at a time into the boiling lard ; when they rise to the surface and turn over they are done ; take them out with a skimmer and lay them on an inverted sieve to drain. When served for dessert or supper put a spoonful of jelly on each. PUFF-BALL DOUGHNUTS.