The national course in home economics

One and one-half cupfuls of butter, three cupfuls of sugar, five cupfuls of flour, one cupful of sour cream, five eggs, one teaspoonful each of soda, cinnamon and cloves and one small glassful of grape juice. Use nutmeg, raisins and currants to taste. If the cream is rich add one spoonful more of flour. Mrs. James Woodruff. PICNIC CAKE. The ingredients needed for making two medium-sized cakes are: one and one-quarter pounds of flour, one-half pound of currants, the same of sugar, six ounces of butter, three eggs, four teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, six drops of essence of lemon (or small quantity of grated nutmeg) and one teacupful of milk. First well mix all the drv ingredients, lastly adding the eggs and milk; beat well for a few minutes and bake at once. Mrs. Sally O'Connell. PLAIN NUT CAKE. Take two cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of butter, three cupfuls of flour, one cupful of cold water, four eggs, one teaspoonful of soda, and two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar; mix well and last of all add two cupfuls of kernels of hickory nuts or walnuts, stir in thoroughly. Mrs. E. Ford. COFFEE CAKE. Use one cupful of brown sugar, one cupful of molasses, one-half cupful of butter, one cupful of strong coffee, one egg, or yolks of two, one heaping teaspoonful of soda in flour, one tablespoonful of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of cloves, two pounds of raisins, one-fourth of a pound of citron. Soften the butter, beat with the sugar, add the eggs, spices, molasses and coffee, then the flour, and lastly the fruit dredged with flour. Mrs. H. O. Payne. SOFT GINGERBREAD. (None Better.) One-half cupful of sugar, one cupful of molasses, one-half cupful of butter, one teaspoonful each of ginger, cinnamon and cloves, two teaspoonfuls of soda dissolved in one cupful of boiling water, two and onehalf cupfuls of flour; add two well-beaten eggs the last thing before baking. Mrs. Katharine Douglass. CAKES. SOFT GINGERBREAD— No. 2. One-half cupful of sugar, one cupful of molasses, one-half cupful of butter, one teaspoonful each of ginger, cinnamon and cloves, two teaspoonfuls of soda dissolved in one cupful of boiling water, two and onehalf cupfuls of flour; add two well-beaten eggs the last thing before baking. (This is excellent.) Mrs. E. Wallace. PLAIN GINGERBREAD. One cupful of molasses, one cupful of sugar, one cupful of boiling water; dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in hot water; use one-half coffeecupful of shortening, one teaspoonful of ginger and a little salt. Add flour enough to make it pretty stiff. ^ Mrs. Charlotte Gooding. CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD. Mix in a large bowl one cupful of molasses, one-half cupful of sour milk or cream, one teaspoonful of ginger, one teaspoonful of cinnamon and one-half teaspoonful of salt; dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in a teaspoonful of cold water; add this and two tablespoonfuls of melted butter to the mixture. Now stir in two cupfuls of sifted flour and finally add two ounces of chocolate and one tablespoonful of butter, melted together. Pour the mixture into three well-buttered deep tin plates, and bake in a moderately-hot oven for about twenty minutes. Maria Parloa. MOLASSES GINGERBREAD.