Domestic science (Johnson, for schools and homes)

and one that should be desired; for if the milk does not sour, it will putrefy. Sour milk is wholesome, and would be more freely used, if more pleasant to the taste; while pu- trefaction in any form is the result of the multiplication and development of ptomaines^ some classes of which are the most dangerous species of bacteria. Milk which will not sour under the common methods of treatment, may be regarded with suspicion. It contains some preservative. Sour milk is utilized as food in various ways; one of which is in leavening, used in combination with bi-carbonate of soda; (common baking soda). Sour Milk Pancakes: Two and one-half cups flour, one-half teaspoon salt, two cups sour milk, one and one-fourth teaspoon soda; add sour milk, and egg well beaten. Bake on a hot, greased griddle. When puflFed, full of bubbles, and of a rich chestnut color, turn, and cook on the other side. Serve with butter, and syrup if desired. LESSON 21. Review of the previous lessons on leavening. Baking Powder: Eight ounces bi-carbonate of soda, eighteen ounces cream of tartar, four ounces corn starch. Mash or roll the soda until free from lumps. Add the corn starch, mix well, and sift five or six times through a fine strainer. Add the cream of tartar, mix thoroughly, and sift six or seven times. Place in the boxes or cans, or in Mason's jars. Keep closely covered. Two level teaspoons baking powder should be allowed for each cup of flour. Batters and doughs leavened with baking powder should be handled as little as possible, and cooked as soon as mixed, in a hot oven. Less baking pow- der is used in mixtures containing eggs. Use cold liquids for mixing. Pastry flour is sometimes used in baking powder mix- tures. Bread flour requires more liquid than pastry flour. Bread flour may be substituted for pastry flour, by taking two tablespoonfuls from each cupful. COOKING 47 Cream of Tartar is made from grapes. In making wine, tartaric acid from the grapes forms in lumps on the side of the wine-casks. This is purified, and ground into a powder, which is called cream of tartar. Bi-CAE30}^ATE OF SoDA is made from common salt, Starch is put into baking powder to keep the cream of tartar and soda separate and dry, because soda, being made from salt, absorbs moisture, like salt. Lesson 22. Slowness in mixing and in baking all kinds of "quick breads," allows the gas to escape to such an extent that what would, otherwise, have been a light and delicious creation, comes from the oven a heavy and indigestible mass, and the cook wonders: "Why?" One-Egg Muffins: Three and one-half cups flour, six teaspoons baking powder, one teaspoon salt, three table- spoons sugar, one and one-third cup milk, three tablespoons melted butter, one egg. Mix and sift dry ingredients; add the milk gradually, the egg well beaten, and the melted but- ter. Bake in buttered gem pans twenty-five minutes. If iron-pans are used, they must be previously heated. This receipe makes thirty mufiins. Lesson 23. Corn Meal Muffins: One-half cup corn meal, one cup flour, three teaspoons baking powder, one tablespoon sugar, one tablespoon melted butter, one-half teaspoon salt, <^hree-fourths cup milk; one egg. Mix and bake as one-egg mufiins. Lesson 24.