Biscuit

Ingredients

• three level teacups of entire wheat flour
• three level teaspoons of baking powder
• one and one-half teacups cold water
• one tablespoonful of vegetable butter

Method

1. 1

   Mix flour and baking powder, add cold water and vegetable butter, stir rapidly, drop from spoon onto an oiled baking plate, and bake in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes.

As published

This recipe was extracted from A practical cook and text book for general use (1896) by Ellen Goodell Smith, page 29. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

biscuit raised with yeast as they are not considered very wholesome. But being very popular they may be rendered less injuri- ous by mixing the same as bread, using vegetable butter for shortening, very little if any sugar, or dates very finely cut may be substituted for sugar. The dough should be well kneaded in the kneader, turned at once upon the moulding board, and cut into biscuit; put in an oiled baking pan and treat the same as bread ; but do not eat them until at least twelve hours old. Warm them in a hot oven, and they will be as fresh as when first baked. Dates, figs, and raisins cut in small pieces are a fine addition to raised bread where changes are desired. Soda and Cream of Tartar, In using these chemi- cals, observe the exact rule; one level teaspoonful of soda, and twice that quantity of cream of tartar, which should be thoroughly mixed or sifted in the dry flour. The soda should be dissolved in a little warm water, and added to the mixing liquid. To get a level teaspoonful, fill your spoon, and draw a knife across it, thus leaving the bowl of the spoon exactly level full, if one-half a spoonful is desired, divide the level spoonful lengthwise with a knife. Baking Powder. Baking powder if good is convenient because being properly mixed, there is less depending on carelessness or injudicious measuring. BREAD. 77 BE ACCURATE IN MEASURING ! A level spoonful, a rounding spoonful and a heaping spoonful, are different measures and should not be con- fused. The level spoonful is secured as heretofore stated. The rounded spoonful, rounds above the rim of the spoon, as much as it dips below, while the heaping spoonful means as much as will lie on the spoon. Most baking powders give their own measure, but to aid those who may desire smaller quantities of flour than that given, a less measure has been made, and readers of this book can proportion the baking powder thus — one level teaspoonful to one level cup of flour. For the benefit of those who use baking powder a few practical suggestions and recipes may not come amiss. And let it be observed that in all of the recipes, milk can be used, or half milk, in which case rather less shortening is needed. Bread. Put one quart of sifted flour of any kind you wish to use in your mixing bowl, and two rounding tea- spoonfuls of baking powder ; mix very thoroughly together by sifting, or with a spoon ; add sufficient cold water to make a dough stiff enough to mold into biscuit, and turn at once into one or two small bread pans ; dip a spoon in cold water, smooth the dough, and bake in a hot oven ; from thirty-five to forty-five minutes. White flour absorbs less water than entire wheat, or graham, and no definite rule can be given for the water used, as it may vary from one and a half to two and a half cups. Biscuit. Mix together three level teacups of entire wheat flour, and three level teaspoons of baking powder ; add to th's, one and one-half teacups cold water and one 78 THE FAT OF THE LAND. table-Spoonful of vegetable butter, stir it thoroughly- together as rapidly as possible and drop from spoon on an oiled baking plate or pan, or into warm, not hotgtm pans ; this will make twelve biscuits ; dip a spoon in oil or cold water press them lightly to shape them, and put in a hot oven ; bake fifteen or twenty minutes or until done. They should rise very quickly and bake without scorching. Equal parts of white flour and entire wheat may be used for these biscuit, or entire wheat and light gluten in equal parts. Shortcake. Made the same as biscuit, with the addi- tion of a little more shortening. Do not mix too stiff, and turn on tin plates or a baking pan, smooth lightly over with an oiled spoon and bake twenty minutes or until done. Should this cake be full of holes and caverns it indicates that the dough was too thin; if lacking in lightness make it less stiff. Equal parts of white flour and entire w^heat may be used in the above manner. Dumplings. One pint sifted flour, white or entire wheat, or equal parts of each, and one rounding tea- spoonful of baking powder ; sift or mix thoroughly together, add sufficient cold water to make a soft dough like biscuit ; drop from spoon with the aid of a knife — closely together on an ordinary deep pie plate and set at once in a steamer or steam cooker. Be sure the water boils and keep it boiling until they are done, which should be in thirty-five or forty minutes. If these are to be eaten with a rich stew of any kind they do not require shortening ; if they are to be served with stewed or fresh fruit, shorten with one tablespoonful of vegetable butter

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.