The royal baker and pastry cook

The same directions will apply to hot baking powder breads made with a batter. If baked in a sheet the batter should rarely be more than an inch deep in the pan, sometimes less ; if in cups or molds they should not be more than % full. This allows the heat to penetrate the mixture quickly; the moisture and heat start the baking powder into life; each tiny grain of the powder acts on the materials surrounding it ; the dough or batter expands, then is stiffened by the heat, and all the starch grains are thoroughly and evenly cooked. Royal Hot Biscuit. — 1 quart flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon lard or butter, 1 pint sweet mUk. cold (never use sour milk) ; use cold water when milk cannot be obtained. Sift together flour, salt, and powder ; rub in shortening ; add milk ; form into smooth, consistent dough. Flour the board, turn out dough, roll out to thickness of % inch, cut with small round cutter ; lay them close together on greased baking-tin ; bake in good hot oven. Old biscuit can be made fresh by moistening and placing in oven until heated through. Breakfast Biscuit. — Take 1 quart sweet milk, 1 cup melted butter, a little salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, flour enough to make a stiif batter ; do not knead into dough, but drop into buttered tins from a spoon ; bake in a hot oven — unless it is hot they will not be light and tender. Emergency Biscuit.— 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder ; mix and sift; rub in 1 tablespoon butter. Mix to a thick batter with milk, drop by small spoonfuls on greased pans, and bake in quick oven. Egg Biscuit. — Mix and sift well together 1 pint flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder. Beat 1 egg, add % cup milk, stir into dry mixture, adding more milk if necessary to mix to soft dough. Turn out on board, knead for a moment, cut into circles, place 1 inch apart on greased pans. Brush with little beaten egg, and bake in very hot oven. Sandwich Biscuit. — Sift together 1 pint flour, Mj teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder. Rub in 1 heaping tablespoon butter. Mix to a soft dough with milk. Roll out % inch thick. Cut into rounds. On Mi of the rounds spread a little soft butter, add a thick layer of finely chopped and seasoned cold meat ; cover with remaining rounds and press together. Brush tops with milk, place 1 inch apart on greased pans, and bake in hot oven. Nut Biscuit. — Sift together 2 cups flour. Mi teaspoon salt, 1 heaping teaspoon Royal Baking Powder. Rub in 1 heaping tablespoon butter, add 1 cup ground or very finely chopped nuts — English walnuts, hickory-nuts, or almonds — and 2 tablespoons sugar ; mix to a soft dough with milk. Mold with the hands into small balls, place well apart on greased pans, brush each with mUk, put a pinch of chopped nuts on top, and bake in hot oven. Diamonds. — Prepare dough as for Royal biscuit. Knead and roll out Mi inch thick. Cut in strips 2 inches wide, then cut strips into diamonds ; place on greased pans 1 inch apart, brush with milk, and bake in very hot oven. Royal Muffins. — Beat 3 eggs, add 1 pint milk, Ml teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and sufficient flour to make a drop batter — about 3 cups — into which has been thoroughly sifted 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Beat hard for 1 minute, fill greased muffin-cups or -pans % full, bake in hot oven about 20 minutes.