Foods and home making

Molasses contains a small quantity of acid. Because of this fact we generally add baking soda to counteract the effect of acid, as in quick breads. Sour milk also is commonly used in gingerbread. Enough baking soda is added to counteract the acid not only of the molasses but of the sour milk. For each cup of molasses, teaspoon of baking soda should be used. Molasses and baking soda aid in leavening to a slight degree. Luncheon or Supper Desserts 321 GINGERBREAD | cup granulated sugar i cup molasses 1 cup sour milk \ cup fat 2 cups soft wheat or pastry flour 1 egg f teaspoon baking soda i teaspoon salt f teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon \ teaspoon nutmeg 2 teaspoons baking powder Sift some flour ; then measure it. Add the leavening and spices. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the sugar, molasses, and sour milk, and mix well. Melt the fat ; add it to the egg mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, passing them through a sifter while adding them. Beat until all ingredients are well mixed. Pour into a greased pan. A 9-inch square pan is suitable for this recipe. Bake in a moderate oven — 550° F. — for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is sufficiently baked. (See tests for sufficient baking of a quick bread, page 90.) Yield : 16 pieces, about 2 inches square. Serving Gingerbread. — The flavor of gingerbread goes well with that of apples. A dish of hot apple sauce or a baked apple with a piece of gingerbread makes a wholesome dessert. Whipped cream is good with gingerbread. A piece of fresh ginger- bread with a spoonful of whipped cream on top of it makes a dessert that is pleasing both in appearance and taste. Should pie be served for luncheon or for dinner ? Pie is often served at the close of dinner. If the dinner has been a hearty- one, the average two-crust pie is not a wise choice. Good pie crust contains much fat. It is a rich food, and is not suitable for the dessert of an elaborate dinner. It is better to serve pie at the close of a lighter meal, i.e., as the dessert of luncheon or supper. What is good pastry? You have perhaps seen pie crust that was crisp and tender. You may have seen crust also that was moist and pasty. Crisp, tender pie crust not only tastes better, but is believed to be more readily digested than soggy crust. Since pie is a slowly digested food, it should be of good quality. Good pastry is tender and flaky. Luncheon or Supper J22 How is pastry made? Only a few ingredients are used in making pie crust — flour, fat, salt, and water. Sometimes baking powder is added. It is important to use the correct proportion of ingredients. It is also important to mix the ingredients deftly and to bake the dough at the proper tempera- ture. To make pie crust tender, use considerable fat and very little water. Failure in making pie crust is often due to adding too much water. In mixing pie dough, try to make every spoonful of water moisten as much dough as possible. To make pie crust flaky, mix the flour and fat so that they will form layers. To do this, do not melt the fat as is done in making muffins, but cut the solid fat into the dry ingredients. The fat should be left in pieces. When the moistened flour with bits of solid fat mixed through it is rolled out, layers of flour and fat are formed.