Public school household science

3 eggs. ⅝ cup milk. ⅝ cup butter. 1 cup sugar. 1 cup seeded raisins. ½ cup candied peel (shredded) 3 cups flour. 4 tsps. baking powder. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the eggs until very light, add to the butter and sugar; stir in the milk gradually. Sift the flour and baking powder together and mix with the fruit, then add to the mixture. Beat all thoroughly, then pour into a well-greased deep cake tin and bake in moderate oven. NoTB. — For cake icing see page 96 in miscellaneous recipes. 77.— GINGER SNAPS. 1 cup molasses. ½ tsp. soda. ½ cup fat. 1 tbsp. ginger. 3i cups flour. li tsps. salt. Stand the molasses in boiling water. When warm pour over the fat and stir until smooth. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stand in a cold place for some time. Toss mixture on a floured board and roll with floured rolling-pin as thinly as possible: shape with a cutter first dipped in flour. Place close together on a buttered i sheet and bake in a hot oven. Gather up the trimmings iand roll with some more dough until all is used. 78.— PLAIN PASTRY. 2 cups flour. ½ cup butter. 2 tbsps. lard. ½ tsp. salt. Cold water. Mix salt and flour, put in chopping tray, add lard and butter, and chop until well mixed. Moisten to a stiff dough with cold water.. Toss on floured board, pat into a ball and roll out. Fold in three layers and roll again. Set in a cold place for an hour. Note. — Pastry, unless light and tender, should never be eaten ; even then it should be avoided by people with poor digestion. There are so many food preparations superior to pastry in .both nutritive value and cost of time and material, that it will be wise to give it a very secondary place in the training of a culinary artist. However, as it is still a popular fancy with many, we may as well make the best of it. Butter is more wholesome in pastry than lard, although the latter makes a light crust. In order to secure satisfactory results in pastry making — especially puff pastry — three things should be observed : (1) have all the materials cold; (2) use as little liquid as possible; (3) handle lightly and quickly. Pastry should be very cold when it is put into the oven. Have the oven very hot. CHAPTER X. Flour-Mixtures (continued). BREAD. The most valuable food product manufactured from flour is bread. As one of the most important articles of the daily diet it naturally follows that special attention should be given to the process of making and care. Bread is made from a mixture of flour, yeast, water and salt ; other ingredients are frequently used with them, but are not essential. They merely serve to vary the flavor and texture. FLOUR. The best bread flour is slightly granular, creamy in color, and will not retain the impression of the fingers when pressed in the hand, and can be kneaded into a firm, elastic dough. YEAST. Yeast consists of tiny plants which can only be seen under the microscope, and belongs to the fungus family. These plants have the power of changing dextrin* and sugar into alcohol and the gas carbon dioxide (CO2) The process is one of fermentation, and the gas produced makes bread light and porous.