The farm cook & rule book

Café au Lait Make 1% cupfuls of strong coffee, using 5 tablespoonfuls of coffee to iy2 cupfuls of water. Heat 5 cupfuls of milk and pour the coffee in this. Serve for breakfast. Flavored Milks Place a few drops of any good flavoring extract in a glass of milk and add 2 teaspoonfuls of sugar. Sprinkle a little nutmeg or cinnamon over the top. A spoonful of whipped cream on top of every glass of flavored milk improves its appearance and taste. Spiced Milk Heat 2 cupfuls of sweet milk but do not let it boil. Add 2 teaspoonfuls of sugar, a speck of salt and Vs teaspoonful of nutmeg, Ys teaspoonful of cloves and % teaspoonful of cinnamon. Beat until the spices are blended with the milk and serve warm. Cocoa for a Party % cupful cocoa % teaspoonful salt % cupful sugar 4 cupfuls cold water % cupful flour 4 cupfuls milk % teaspoonful vanilla Mix the cocoa, sugar, flour and salt together; add the water; stir to remove the lumps and cook 20 minutes, stirring the mix- BEVERAGES 11 ture constantly until the boiling point is reached and occasionally afterward. Add milk, bring to the boiling point and add vanilla. Beat 1 minute and serve with marshmallows or stiffly beaten cream. This cocoa will stand for hours and improve with the standing. There will be no settlings in the bottom of the utensil in which it is placed. This serves 10 persons. Good bread may be obtained by the use and careful manipulation of wholesome materials. The flour should be creamy white and free from contamination by molds, bacteria and insects. The yeast must be fresh with the well-known yeasty odor. Of course, it must not be sour. The shortening should have a good flavor. What is the Ideal Loaf? In making bread for exhibits at fairs and for use at home quite frequently the question is asked: What is the ideal loaf? The appearance of the loaf is the first factor of importance. The crust should be of an even golden brown color on the top, bottom and sides. The sides are straight and the top is slightly rounded. The surface is free from cracks and creases. One of the necessary requirements of the ideal loaf is a pleasing fresh or nutty flavor with no trace of a sour or acid taste. Thoroughness of baking influences both the flavor and the appearance of the loaf. A way to determine whether the baking is thorough is to cut a slice from a newly baked loaf and then press the two crusts together. If the loaf springs back in shape again with no injury to the crumb, the baking is thorough. The crumb should be of a creamy white color and feathery in appearance ; the openings in it should be small and of a uniform size. Yeasts for Bread Making If compressed yeast is used, one should be certain that it is fresh. The cakes which have patches or streaks of black on them should be discarded. Since very high or low temperatures destroy the yeast plant, only lukewarm liquids are used in bread making. When liquid yeast is the form used, it should be kept covered and in a cool place from one baking day to another. It produces best results when used frequently. Water, potato water, whey, whole milk and skim milk are liquids suitable for use in bread. Milk should always be scalded and cooled until lukewarm before being added to the dough. Oaring for the Sponge and Dough