The home cook book

Cream together one heaping teacup of shortening (threequarters of which should be butter, the rest lard) and two even teacups of sugar. To this add five well-beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly. Next put in one teacup of sweet milk, half a teaspoon of salt, half a nutmeg, the grated rind of a lemon, and two tablespoons of lemon extract. Beat well together. Stir in four teacups of sifted flour. This done, knead in two more teacups of flour. Roll out on the pastry board not quite a quarter of an inch thick, cut with a small biscuit cutter, and bake in a floured pan. With a feather or a very small brush dust the top of each one lightly with the white of an egg not beaten, and sift over them (with a small tea strainer) granulated sugar. Bake in a quick oven a very light brown. MACAROONS Home-made macaroons cost much less than when bought in a bakery — then you know they are fresh. On a large platter put three-eighths of a pound of powdered sugar (sifted), half a pound of almond paste and add gradually the whites of three eggs slightly beaten. With the hands work this mixture into a perfectly smooth paste. Line a large baking pan with buttered paper and drop the paste from a teaspoon in tiny balls half an inch apart. The macaroon mixture slightly spreads in baking. They require from fifteen to twenty minutes in a slow oven. After baking, turn the paper to which the macaroons stick upside down, wet it with a cloth wrung from cold water, and they will come off easily, MAPLE SUGAR COOKIES Mix a cup of butter with three cups of maple sugar. Add two beaten eggs, a cup of sour milk, and then stir in flour and one teaspoon of dissolved soda. Make the dough stiff enough to separate in lumps off a spoon, roll out and bake. MOLASSES COOKIES Have half a cup of lard or butter and till up the cup with cold water. Mix with two cups of molasses and one tablespoon each of salt, vinegar, and ginger. Stir in flour and add two teaspoons of soda dissolved in two tablespoons of hot water. Put in enough flour to roll the dough in a soft blanket, cut in shapes and bake in a slow oven. NEW YORK NEW YEAR'S CAKES Cream together a pound of sugar and a pound of butter and then add a small cup of milk. Gradually stir in three pounds of flour into which three heaping teaspoons of baking powder have been sifted, and then add three tablespoons of caraway seeds. Roll out the dough in sheets half an inch thick, and cut into cakes about four inches long and two inches broad. Prick the top with a fork, lay in greased pans, and bake a light brown.