Farm and home cook book and housekeeper's assistant

When fresh fruit is not obtainable I use well soaked and cooked dried apples in my mince meat. A whole orange chopped fine also gives a fine flavor to the mince meat. When fresh beef is not obtainable (if one can be sure of getting a good quality), canned roast beef may be substituted for fresh beef in mince meat, or one can use the lean meat from a pig's head, boiled. — [L. E. M., Ala. Doughnuts, Griddle Qakes and Pritters ^=» HERE are all kinds of doughnuts — good, bad, and indifferent. When they are not as good as they should be, it rests with the cook, who has probably failed to inform herself on all the fine points of doughnut manufacture. The following hints may be found useful in following the various recipes presented herewith. The dough should be as soft as possible, and not handled any more than is absolutely necessary. If too much baking powder is used the doughnuts will soak up fat, and if the dough is too stiff the fried cakes will be tough. Since they are fried in grease it is not advisable to use much shortening in the doughnuts. Equal parts of clarified lard and suet are the best to fry them in. The kettle should not be too small and there should be plenty of the fat, which should be hot. To keep the fat clear and to keep it from over-heating, some cooks drop in a piece of raw potato. It is well to test with a sample doughnut, to see if the dough is of the right consistency and the fat at the proper degree of heat. When the doughnut is dropped into the fat it should come to the top almost immediately, and when it is brown on one side it should be turned to brown on the other side. When the doughnuts are lifted from the fat they should be laid out on brown paper, to absorb the superfluous fat. It is best not to fry more than five or six doughnuts at a time, as dropping in too many fresh doughnuts would cool the fat too rapidly. A little practice and careful .following of directions should result in a product that is both wholesome and palatable. Raised Doughnuts I Scald 2 cups sweet milk, and when partly cool add 2 cups sugar, 1 cup lard, 2 well-beaten eggs, 1 cup yeast, a little grated nutmeg and flour to mix in a loaf. Let rise over night, and in the morning roll out 1 inch thick. Cut with cookie or biscuit cutter. Let stand until light, and then fry in hot fat. — [Mrs. F. F. B., O. Raised Doughnuts 11 Boil and mash 2 medium sized potatoes, stir them into 1 pt boiling milk, add a little salt, and % cup sugar. Set aside until lukewarm, then add 2 well-beaten eggs, and i/^ yeast cake dissolved in a little warm water. Let this rise until light, then add V2 cup butter, and flour to mould. Let rise once more in a warm place (takes about 4 hours), and then roll and cut about % inch thick. Let them rise again, and fry in hot lard. When cooled, roll in powdered sugar. — [M. B., 111. Raised Doughnuts III To 1 pt light bread sponge add 1 cup sugar, i/^ cup melted lard, 1 well-beaten egg, 1 teasp cinnamon, allspice and cloves mixed, and 1 teasp soda dissolved in 3 tablesp warm water. Mix stiff with flour, and let rise one hour, then roll and cut into cakes, and let these rise about 2 0 minutes. Fry in hot lard. It takes longer to fry raised doughnuts than those made with baking powder. — [Mrs. S. N., AVash. Farmer's Doughnuts I