The Queen Cook Book: A Careful Compilation of Recipes and Practical ...

[illustration: page break] three slices of raw potatoes or a bit of dry bread, which furnishes something for the heat to act upon. Test the heat also by dropping in a little bit of batter. If the heat is right it will quickly rise in a light ball with a splutter, and soon brown; serve hot. Pork fritters are made by dropping bits of fried breakfast bacon in the batter. Fruit fritters by dipping quarters or halves in batter, having one piece in each fritter. Moisten the flour with milk an hour before using, that the flour may swell and thus be lighter. Do not put a fork in them; lay them on brown paper to drain a minute. Sweet Corn Oyster Fritters. 2 finely floured crackers, i pint grated sweet com or more if needed 2 eggs Salt and pepper Must hold together well. Beat well together; have ready in spider your hot lard (half of it beef drippings is better, they will not soak fat so much) but not scorching hot, drop in little cakes about the size of an oyster, when brown turn and fry on the other side, watching constantly for fear of burning. If fat is just right heat, the corn fritter will be light and delicious; if not, soggy. Beat the whites of eggs to a stiff froth just before frying. Serve hot to eat with meats; have them cooking while the table is being served. Japanese Fritters. Cut stale bread into slices a half inch thick, then cut the slices in pieces about two inches square. Soak these squares in fritter batter, about one minute and fry in boiling fat, turning them as they brown; when 28 The Queen Cook Book done skim out with wire skimmer, lay on brown paper, serve hot. Serve with fairy sauce, or maple syrup. French Fritters. I tumbler water '^ cup butter I teaspoon sugar i teaspoon salt Put all together in stew pan on the stove, and when well heated so that the butter is thoroughly melted, stir in rapidly one heaping pint of flour. Take it from the fire and break in one egg, blend it and break in another, and then another, till five have been broken in; then in very hot lard and butter drop spoonfuls of this mixture and cook as fritters. When you take them out roll them in sugar and cinnamon, or eat with fairy butter, as you like. From a French Chef in Heidelberg. Fried Cakes. I cup milk I tablespoon butter I cup fine sugar 2 teaspoonsbaking-powder I teaspoon salt . i egg Sift the baking powder into flour enough to make a soft dough, say one quart or more of flour. Roll out one-half inch thick or less, then cut in strips and twist, or cut with cutter, then with smaller cutter cut a hole in center and fry in fat. Queen of Doughnuts. I cup butter i ^ cups sugar I small cup yeast i ^ pints milk 5 eggs I teaspoon salt Stir all well together in stiff sponge over night, after you have stirred butter and sugar to a cream, and beaten the eggs separately, have the milk warm The Queen Cook Book 39 and add the yeast. M^ke them stiff enough in the morning after kneading well to roll out; pinch off pieces as large as a walnut, roll into balls, let rise, roll out some, and cut in rings, or whatever form you like, sprinkle a clean napkin (which lay on the J)oard) or two slightly with flour, lay the cakes on napkins on board, cover lightly, let rise; roll about one-half inch thick, keep warm, after they are cut out, let stand from thirty to fifty minutes, then have ready a spider of boiling fat (suet is best) ; put the cakes into this fat upside down, that is, the side that was top on the napkin, should be the under side in the fat, because the crust which forms on top prevents them from rising. As soon as they rise and are brown on the under side slip the fork under the cake and turn. Cook them done through. Drain on brown paper. If you prefer it sift together powdered sugar, cinnamon or nutmeg, and sift it on cakes while hot. Very Nice Raised Doughnuts. I quart raised dough i tablespoon butter