If eggs are scarce and high, if too much shortening disagrees with some member of the family, Royal Baking Powder permits the lessening of both or either of these ingredients, without impairing the delicacy or digestibility of the finished biscuit. Royal Baking Powder is pure and health¬ ful, and its use in excess can produce no harm ; yet for cooking results it is best to be guided by the quantity specified in the re¬ ceipts. Baking powder could be added until a dry, powdery biscuit resulted. The mixing of the baking powder, flour, and other dry ingredients should be thorough and the liquid always added gradually. This is imperative if a delicate, evenly leavened biscuit is wanted. The other ingredients can then be added, following the special direc¬ tions as given in each receipt. In using shortening for biscuits, especially through the winter season, with some limita¬ tion, good, sweet home-made lard may take the place of butter. Butter will give a light cream coior; lard whitens the biscuits. This ROYAL BAKING POWDE substitution will not do when considerable shortening is called for, as in cake; but in receipts where the quantity does not exceed 2 ounces or tablespoons to the quart of flour, butter may, in the majority of cases, be re¬ placed by lard without impairing the taste. Biscuits are mixed toe. soft dough, which is turned out, patted down or rolled to a proper thickness, and then cut out and baked. F rom long experience it has been found that the re¬ sult is much better and the food more digest¬ ible when the finished biscuit is small and not too thick. The scientific reason for this is that the oven heat necessary for biscuit, if they are made very large, will brown the outside before the center is as thoroughly baked as it ought to be. The dough should be rolled out until lA inch thick; the biscuits should be of medium size, — 2 inches or less across, — and placed slightly apart in the pans. A favorite cutter of expert biscuit- makers is the open end (not the cover) of a 14-pound Royal Baking Powder can. A good oven heat will bake the biscuits perfectly in from 15 to 20 minutes, and even a dyspeptic can eat them without fear of consequences. The biscuits may, of course, be made thicker or thinner, as more or less of the soft inside part may be preferred, but the time of baking must be regulated accordingly. The same directions will apply to hot bak¬ ing powder breads made with a batter. If baked in a sheet the batter should rarely be more than an inch deep in the pan, some¬ times less; if in cups or molds they should not be more than % full. This allows the heat to penetrate the mixture quickly; the moisture and heat start the baking powder into life ; each tiny grain of the powder acts on the materials surrounding it; the dough or batter expands, then is stiffened by the heat, and all the starch grains are thoroughly and evenly cooked.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

If eggs are scarce and high, if too much shortening disagrees with some member of the family, Royal Baking Powder permits the lessening of both or either of these ingredients, without impairing the delicacy or digestibility of the finished biscuit. Royal Baking Powder is pure and health¬ ful, and its use in excess can produce no harm ; yet for cooking results it is best to be guided by the quantity specified in the re¬ ceipts. Baking powder could be added until a dry, powdery biscuit resulted. The mixing of the baking powder, flour, and other dry ingredients should be thorough and the liquid always added gradually. This is imperative if a delicate, evenly leavened biscuit is wanted. The other ingredients can then be added, following the special direc¬ tions as given in each receipt. In using shortening for biscuits, especially through the winter season, with some limita¬ tion, good, sweet home-made lard may take the place of butter. Butter will give a light cream coior; lard whitens the biscuits. This ROYAL BAKING POWDER substitution will not do when considerable shortening is called for, as in cake; but in receipts where the quantity does not exceed 2 ounces or tablespoons to the quart of flour, butter may, in the majority of cases, be re¬ placed by lard without impairing the taste. Biscuits are mixed to a soft dough, which is turned out, patted down or rolled to a proper thickness, and then cut out and baked. F rom long experience it has been found that the re¬ sult is much better and the food more digest¬ ible when the finished biscuit is small and not too thick. The scientific reason for this is that the oven heat necessary for biscuit, if they are made very large, will brown the outside before the center is as thoroughly baked as it ought to be. The dough should be rolled out until lA inch thick; the biscuits should be of medium size, — 2 inches or less across, — and placed slightly apart in the pans. A favorite cutter of expert biscuitmakers is the open end (not the cover) of a 14-pound Royal Baking Powder can. A good oven heat will bake the biscuits perfectly in from 15 to 20 minutes, and even a dyspeptic can eat them without fear of consequences. The biscuits may, of course, be made thicker or thinner, as more or less of the soft inside part may be preferred, but the time of baking must be regulated accordingly. The same directions will apply to hot bak¬ ing powder breads made with a batter. If baked in a sheet the batter should rarely be more than an inch deep in the pan, some¬ times less; if in cups or molds they should not be more than % full. This allows the heat to penetrate the mixture quickly; the moisture and heat start the baking powder into life ; each tiny grain of the powder acts on the materials surrounding it; the dough or batter expands, then is stiffened by the heat, and all the starch grains are thoroughly and evenly cooked.

Royal baker and pastry cook