Standard Paper-Bag Cookery

Egg Biscuits. — To make these delicious biscuits, beat one egg until light, then mix with it two-thirds of a cupful of milk. Add to one pint of flour a heaping teaspoonful baking powder and one-half teaspoonful salt, and sift. Blend with the mixture one tablespoonful of butter and two tablespoonfuls of sugar. Add the egg mixture, make into a dough and knead lightly. Roll into a sheet a quarter of an inch thick, stamp out with a round cutter, brush over the top of each biscuit with cream, prick with a fork, bag, and bake in a hot oven. Maple Biscuits.— Make a very rich baking powder biscuit dough and roll out to half the thickness of biscuits, cut out with a small cutter, sprinkle grated maple sugar over the tops of half of them, moisten the under sides of the others and lay them on top of the sugared ones, pressing them on well. Lay close together in a bag, brush over with milk or melted butter, seal and bake in a quick oven. Nut Biscuits.— Sift together two cupfuls flour, onehalf teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful and a half of baking powder. Rub in one heaping tablespoonful of butter or vegetable shortening, and add one cupful of nuts, pecans, hickory or English walnuts chopped and a tablespoonful of sugar. Mix to a soft dough with milk or milk and water, mould with the hands into small balls, place in a greased bag, brush each biscuit over with milk or melted butter, put a pinch of chopped nuts on each, seal and bake in a hot oven. Raisin Biscuits. — These are excellent for home luncheon or the children's school or picnic lunch. Sift together one quart of flour, a half teaspoonful of salt and two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Work into the sifted flour a cupful of shortening, then add a cupful each seedless raisins and milk. Mix well and roll out on the molding board. Cut in small round biscuits, bag, and bake in a quick oven. Hot Cross Buns. — Sift together one quart of pastryflour, three teaspoonfuls of baking powder and a teaspoonful of salt. Rub into the flour a piece of butter the size of an egg. Mix together a cupful each of milk and water and add one cupful of sugar. Stir into the flour, add two beaten eggs, and mix soft. Cut into small biscuits, make the cross on the top of each, bag, and bake in a very hot oven. Sift powdered sugar over them as soon as taken from the bag. A half cupful chopped raisins or currants may be added to the dough if desired. Warmed Over Breads. — It is a trick worth knowing that cold biscuit, rolls, gems and the like can be brushed over with water, put in a greased paper bag, sealed and set in the oven for eight minutes to emerge as fresh as though just newly baked. CHAPTER XIX. CAKES.