Principles of cooking

Baking powder is a mixture of the alkali sodium bicarbonate, some acid powder, and starch. The soda furnishes the gas, carbon dioxide, which is the direct leavening © agent. When moisture is added, the acid acts on the soda, and liberates the gas. A mixture of soda and acid powder reacts slowly in moist air, thus losing strength. Starch is added to prevent such interaction, until the baking powder is used in cooking. One and one half to two level teaspoons of baking powder are usually used to each cup of flour. | Baking Powder may be grouped in three classes : — 1. Cream of Tartar Baking Powder. 2. Phosphate Baking Powder. 3. Alum Baking Powder. Cream of tartar baking powder is made from cream of tartar (acid potassium tartrate), soda, and starch. It is the best-known baking powder and probably the most wholesome to use, because it leaves no harmful products in the food. It forms carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and Rochelle salts, —a mild laxative when taken in small quantities. Phosphate baking powder is made from acid calcium phosphate, soda, and starch. The e only objection to it objection to its use is that the gas is liberated so quickly that much is quickly that much is lost before it can be Alum powder is made from potash alum or ammonium alum, soda, and starch, and its sale is prohibited in some states because of the harmful effects of alum on the human system, though the alum is decomposed when soda is added. From the accompanying table, which shows in what proportion to mix the ingredients for the three kinds of baking powder, it will be seen why alum baking powder is cheap and can be sold for twenty-five cents a pound and cream of tartar baking powder is necessarily higher in price. Baking powder can be made at home at one half the price paid for it in the stores. The ingredients should be thoroughly mixed, sifted, and packed in air-tight cans. CREAM OF TARTAR POWDER Cream of tartar (acid potassium tartrate) 1 pound $.40 Soda % pound 05 Starch % pound 105 2 pounds $.50 PHOSPHATE POWDER Soda I pound $.10 Calcium acid phosphate 13 pounds 45 Starch I pound .I0 35 pounds $.65 ALUM POWDER Soda I pound $.10 Alum 4 pounds .074 Starch 2 pounds 20 32 pounds = $.372 Baking Powder Biscuit and Variations. — These variations of biscuit are shortcake, dumplings, fruit pudding, fruit roll, pin-wheel biscuit, Dutch apple cake, nut bread, meat pie. They are made like a biscuit dough, but differ in the amount of shortening, liquid, or sugar used. Nore. — The teacher may teach as many of these recipes as she has time for. The most important at this time are biscuit, apple dumplings, and shortcakes, because they give practice in handling the dough and perfecting the pupils’ knowledge of biscuit making. The other recipes may be worked in when lessons that require long cooking are given and the pupils have little work to do. Such lessons are those on cooking of legumes and the meat lessons. Another reason for giving several recipes that may be used later in the work is that a review of a process impresses it on the mind. For the same reason more recipes are often included than the teacher can use with some classes. Usually one recipe constitutes a lesson, for a ninetyminute period, if some time is devoted to recitation. Baking Powder Biscuit. — Mix and sift together two cups of flour, four teaspoons of baking powder, one half teaspoon of salt. Add four tablespoons of butter or lard, and work it in with a fork, until it is perfectly blended and the flour is flaky. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour in three fourths cup of milk or water. Start in the center and stir with a fork, in widening circles, until