"A pint not pressed down very hard. One of the first things you have to learn is just how to measure flour. It musn't be packed too hard, or your cake will be hard too; it musn't be put in too lightly, or the cake will fall and be heavy and ' soggy.' It must be pressed down just hard enough, and that you'll soon learn how to do." " I don't see any half-pint measure here, mamma," said Amy. "A common tumbler holds half a pint; not one of those that slant in towards the bottom, but one that goes down straight, like this. Now, Jessie, you may warm the butter a little, so that it will stir easily into the milk. WQ need not be as particular not to melt it as we are in making cake. Dissolve the soda in a quarter of a tea- cup of warm water — not boiling, remember, or you destroy its strength — measure your flour and put the cream tartar into the sieve with it, so that it may be thoroughly mixed." "Can't you ever use flour without sifting, Aunt Jane?'3 asked Jessie, who was not fond of taking extra trouble. " Never, if you want to be sure of having things nice," AUNT JANE'S COOKING GLASS. 33 said her aunt. " In the first place, you often find scraps of other things in the flour, like little sticks or straws; and then the sifting makes it much easier to mix with any liquid, and less liable to be lumpy. Now beat the eggs — not very long — and then stir all together, putting the flour in last Ah! your pints must have been a little too light; that is not quite what is called a stiff batter; we must put in a little more. There, that will do. Now stir it in very thoroughly, putting in the cherries gradu- ally." " What's that funny-looking thing for, Aunt Jane?" asked Jessie, "That is called a form, and is to pour the pudding into. In old times, before such things were known, we used either to bake our batter-puddings in the oven, or make them stiff enough to tie in a cloth. This is a great improvement." The batter was now poured into the form, (which was previously well buttered,) leaving a little room for it to swell in, and the form, after being tightly closed, was plunged into the kettle of boiling water ready to receive it " Now we can forget all about it for two hours," said Aunt Jane, " except that we must be sure not to let 34 SIX LITTLE COOK8. the water boil away so that any part of the form is left uncovered. Now, Amy dear, for your cake." Amy had the eggs beaten and every thing measured out, so there was nothing to do but put it together, which was a very simple matter, there being no butter. First the sugar and yolks were beaten up, then the lemon was added, then the milk ; afterward a little flour (sifted with the baking-powder) and a little white of egg alter- nately, until all was in. " This can be baked in one large cake or in the little gem -tins, just as you please, Amy," said her mother. "Which shall it be?" " Oh, the little ones, please! They look so cunning, and then it seems so much more when there are a good many of them!" " Yery well; you may butter the tins and fill them half full, then put them all into one pan, as we did the first day. Are you almost tired of waiting for your turn, Mabel?" " Oh, no," said Mabel, " I love to look on and see the girls doing these things."

AI-modernized reading of the original text

"A pint not pressed down very hard. One of the first things you have to learn is just how to measure flour. It mustn't be packed too hard, or your cake will be hard too; it musn't be put in too lightly, or the cake will fall and be heavy and ' soggy.' It must be pressed down just hard enough, and that you'll soon learn how to do." " I don't see any half-pint measure here, mamma," said Amy. "A common tumbler holds half a pint; not one of those that slant in towards the bottom, but one that goes down straight, like this. Now, Jessie, you may warm the butter a little, so that it will stir easily into the milk. WQ need not be as particular not to melt it as we are in making cake. Dissolve the soda in a quarter of a teacup of warm water — not boiling, remember, or you destroy its strength — measure your flour and put the cream tartar into the sieve with it, so that it may be thoroughly mixed." "Can't you ever use flour without sifting, Aunt Jane?'3 asked Jessie, who was not fond of taking extra trouble. " Never, if you want to be sure of having things nice," said her aunt. " In the first place, you often find scraps of other things in the flour, like little sticks or straws; and then the sifting makes it much easier to mix with any liquid, and less liable to be lumpy. Now beat the eggs — not very long — and then stir all together, putting the flour in last Ah! your pints must have been a little too light; that is not quite what is called a stiff batter; we must put in a little more. There, that will do. Now stir it in very thoroughly, putting in the cherries gradually." " What's that funny-looking thing for, Aunt Jane?" asked Jessie, "That is called a form, and is to pour the pudding into. In old times, before such things were known, we used either to bake our batter-puddings in the oven, or make them stiff enough to tie in a cloth. This is a great improvement." The batter was now poured into the form, (which was previously well buttered,) leaving a little room for it to swell in, and the form, after being tightly closed, was plunged into the kettle of boiling water ready to receive it " Now we can forget all about it for two hours," said Aunt Jane, " except that we must be sure not to let the water boil away so that any part of the form is left uncovered. Now, Amy dear, for your cake." Amy had the eggs beaten and every thing measured out, so there was nothing to do but put it together, which was a very simple matter, there being no butter. First the sugar and yolks were beaten up, then the lemon was added, then the milk ; afterward a little flour (sifted with the baking-powder) and a litthe white of egg alternately, until all was in. " This can be baked in one large cake or in the little gem -tins, just as you please, Amy," said her mother. "Which shall it be?" " Oh, the little ones, please! They look so cunning, and then it seems so much more when there are a good many of them!" " Yery well; you may butter the tins and fill them half full, then put them all into one pan, as we did the first day. Are you almost tired of waiting for your turn, Mabel?" " Oh, no," said Mabel, " I love to look on and see the girls doing these things."

Six little cooks