Principles of cooking

Batters contain some leavening agent which is sifted in with the flour. “They must be beaten thoroughly so as to inclose as much air as possible. When equal quantities of flour and water are “mixed together, the flour tends to lump unless some precaution is taken to prevent it. For this reason, when mixing a batter, sift flour, salt, and leavening agent together, then add about one third of the liquid and press out all the lumps by rubbing the bowl of the spoon against the side of the bowl. Slowly add the remainder of the liquid, and when the batter is perfectly smooth, add eggs and melted butter and, begin to beat. Beat with long, deep strokes which take the spoon through to the bottom of the bowl, so as to inclose the air. Never stir a mixture after you have started to beat it, because stirring breaks up the air bubbles that are already formed and they escape to the surface. When the mixture is well beaten, the heat applied will expand the air and the eggs, the gluten will coagulate, and the product will be light and porous. Doughs are usually mixed differently from batters when they contain shortening, sugar, and other ingredients. The shortening is creamed or softened first so that when the sugar is added it will be partially dissolved. Creaming is rubbing the butter or lard against the side of the bowl, with a spoon, until it is soft as cream. The sugar is then added slowly, and carefully rubbed into the butter. Biscuit dough is mixed in an entirely different way. The flour, salt, and leavening agent are mixed first, and then the shortening is cut in. (Pupils should read a recipe through before they begin to work. All ingredients should be measured and ready before- attempting to put things together. Measure the dry ingredients, not including sugar, first, and sift together. To add alternately means to add part of the liquid, then part of the flour, and beat them in thoroughly before adding more.) FLourR — LEAVENING AGENT— SODA AND Sour MILK Griddle Cakes. (Pour Batter.) — Sift together two cups of flour, one half teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of soda; add one and three fourths cups of sour milk, and rub free from lumps, add one well-beaten egg and two tablespoons of melted butter, and beat well. Have the pancake griddle smoking hot, grease it with lard or with a piece of fat pork, using only enough fat to grease the pan. Drop the batter by tablespoons on the hot griddle. Let the cakes cook until they are full of bubbles and browned at the edges, then turn and brown the other side. Pancakes should be turned but once. Serve immediately with butter, sugar, sirup, or gravy from sausage. Corn Bread or Johnny Cake. (Drop Batter.) — Sift together one cup of corn meal, one cup of flour, one fourth teaspoon of salt, one half teaspoon of soda. Add one cup of sour milk, and free from lumps. Add four tablespoons of molasses, one egg well beaten, four tablespoons of melted butter, beat well. Turn into a shallow pan that has been buttered, and bake thirty minutes in hot oven. Ginger Bread (Soft Dough). — Cream one half cup of shortening (butter, lard, one half butter and one half lard, or oleomargarine), add one half cup of sugar and work the shortening and sugar together. Add one cup of molasses, two well-beaten eggs, and one cup of sour milk alternately with three cups of flour, one half teaspoon of soda, one teaspoon of ginger, and one fourth teaspoon of salt sifted together. Beat well. Bake in buttered shallow pan, in hot oven, for thirty minutes. BAKING POWDER