Chapter VII: Preface (7)

Put the sugar and water to cook in a saucepan. Boil until a fairly hard ball is formed when the sirup is tried in cold water or until it threads when dropped from a spoon, as shown in Fig. 25. If a thermometer is used to test the sirup, it should register 240 to 242 degrees Fahrenheit when the sirup is taken from the stove. Beat the egg white, add the cream of tartar, and continue beating until the egg white is stiff. Then, as in Fig. 26, pour the hot sirup over the beaten egg white very slowly, so as not to cook the egg, beating rapidly until all the sirup has been added.

Continue to beat with a spoon or egg whip until the icing is light and almost stiff enough to spread on the cake, as in Fig. 27. Then place the bowl over a vessel containing boiling water, as in Fig. 28, and beat for 3 or 4 minutes while the water boils rapidly underneath. With this treatment, the icing will not change in consistency, but will become easier to handle and will permit of being used for a longer period of time without becoming hard. In fact, it may be kept until the next day if desired by placing a moist cloth over the top of the bowl so as to prevent a crust from forming.

CHOCOLATE ICING

If chocolate icing is desired, a square of melted chocolate may be added to the icing given in the preceding recipe after the sirup has been added to the egg white.

BROWN-SUGAR BOILED ICING

1-1/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. white sugar 1/3 c. water 2 egg whites Pinch of cream of tartar

Boil the sugar and the water until it threads or forms a fairly hard ball when tried in cold water.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, adding a pinch of cream of tartar while beating. Pour the hot sirup over the egg whites and continue beating. Flavor with vanilla if desired. Beat until stiff enough to spread and, if desired, cook over boiling water as described for boiled white icing.

TIME-SAVING ICING

7/8 c. granulated sugar 3 Tb. water 1 egg white

Put the sugar, water, and egg white into the upper part of a small double boiler. Have the water in the lower part boiling rapidly. Set the part containing the ingredients in place and beat constantly for 7 minutes with a rotary egg beater, when a cooked frosting that will remain in place will be ready for use. The water in the lower receptacle must be boiling rapidly throughout the 7 minutes.

CAKE FILLINGS

93. As already explained, any icing used for the top of the cake may also be used for the filling that is put between the layers, but often, to obtain variety, an entirely different mixture is used for this purpose. A number of recipes for cake fillings are here given, and from these the housewife can select the one that seems best suited to the cake with which it is to be used. As will be noted, many of them are similar to custard mixtures, and these, in addition to being used for cakes, may be used for filling cream puffs and éclairs. Others contain fruit, or nuts, or both, while still others resemble icing, with the exception of being softer. No difficulty will be experienced in making any of these fillings if the directions are carefully followed. They should be applied to the cake in the same way as icings.

FRENCH FILLING

2 c. milk 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. flour 1/8 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Heat the milk to scalding in a double boiler. Mix the sugar, flour, and salt. Pour the hot milk over this, and stir rapidly to prevent the formation of lumps. Return to the double boiler and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Beat the eggs slightly and add them to the mixture. Cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the flavoring, cool, and place between layers of cake or use for filling cream puffs or éclairs. Half of the recipe will be sufficient for cake filling.

CHOCOLATE FILLING

If chocolate filling is desired, melt 1-1/2 squares of chocolate and add to the French filling while it is hot.

COFFEE FILLING

A very good coffee filling may be made by scalding 2 tablespoonfuls of coffee with the milk, straining to remove the grounds, and then adding to French filling for flavoring.

FRUIT CREAM FILLING

2/3 c. heavy cream 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. crushed raspberries, strawberries, peaches, or any desirable fresh fruit

Whip the cream until stiff, add the sugar, and fold in the crushed fruit. Place between layers of cake.

RAISIN-AND-NUT FILLING

1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. water 1/2 c. raisins 1/4 c. chopped nuts

Boil the sugar and water until they form a firm ball when tried in cold water. Chop the raisins and nuts and add them to the sirup. Cook until stiff enough not to run, and place between layers of cake.

COCONUT FILLING

1 c. milk 1/2 c. shredded coconut 1/3 c. sugar 2 Tb. corn starch 1 egg

Heat the milk to scalding with the coconut. Mix the sugar and corn starch, pour the hot milk into it, and stir rapidly so as to prevent lumps from forming. Cook for 15 or 20 minutes. Beat the egg slightly, add to the mixture, and cook for 5 minutes more. Cool and spread between layers of cake.

LEMON FILLING

2 Tb. corn starch 1/3 c. sugar 1/2 c. boiling water 1 Tb. butter 1 lemon 1 egg

Mix the corn starch and sugar, and add to this the boiling water. Put to cook in a double boiler, add the butter, the grated rind of the lemon, and cook for 15 or 20 minutes. Beat the egg slowly, add to the mixture, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and add the juice of the lemon. Cool and spread between layers of cake.

ORANGE FILLING

Orange filling may be made by using grated orange rind in place of the lemon in the recipe for lemon filling and 1 tablespoonful of lemon juice and 2 tablespoonfuls of orange juice.

MARSHMALLOW FILLING

2-1/2 c. sugar 3/4 c. hot water 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1 egg white

Boil the sugar, water, and cream of tartar until the sirup threads. Beat the egg white until stiff, add the sirup slowly so as not to cook the egg, and beat constantly until thick enough to spread on the cake without running. This may be used for icing, as well as filling.

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CAKES, COOKIES, AND PUDDINGS (PART 1)

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

(1) Discuss briefly the use of cake in the diet.

(2) What leavening materials are used in cake making?

(3) (_a_) What are the two general classes of cakes? (_b_) In what way do they differ?

(4) Of what value in cake making are pans with removable bottoms?

(5) Give the various steps up to mixing in making a cake.

(6) How should pans be prepared for: (_a_) butter cakes? (_b_) sponge cakes?

(7) Give the general proportion of ingredients for sponge cake.

(8) Give the order necessary for combining the ingredients in sponge cake.

(9) (_a_) Describe the baking of sponge cake. (_b_) How can you tell when sponge cake is ready to be taken out of the oven?

(10) When and how is sponge cake taken from the pan in which it is baked?

(11) (_a_) Give the general proportion of liquid and flour used for butter cake. (_b_) What makes this proportion vary?

(12) Give the steps necessary for mixing the ingredients of butter cake.

(13) Describe the baking of butter cake.

(14) (_a_) How can you tell when butter cake is sufficiently baked? (_b_) How is it removed from the pan and cooled?

(15) What is the value of cake icing?

(16) (_a_) What ingredients are used to make the simplest icings? (_b_) What kind of sugar is best for uncooked icings?

(17) What kind of icing should be used for sponge cake? Tell why.

(18) How is the surface of a cake that is to be decorated with an ornamental design prepared?

(19) (_a_) Describe the icing of a layer cake. (_b_) How may a rough surface of icing be made smooth?

(20) (_a_) Tell how boiled icing is made. (_b_) What is the test for determining when the sirup is boiled sufficiently?

CAKES, COOKIES, AND PUDDINGS (PART 2)

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SMALL CAKES

VARIETIES OF SMALL CAKES

1. Under the heading Small Cakes are included numerous varieties of cakes made of many different kinds of materials and baked in various shapes and sizes. Some of them, such as meringues and kisses, contain nothing except eggs and sugar and consequently are almost confections. On the other hand, many of them, including cookies of all kinds, drop cakes, ladyfingers, etc., are merely the usual sponge and butter-cake mixtures altered in such ways as may be desired. In addition, there are cream puffs and éclairs, the various kinds of cakes made with yeast, and doughnuts and crullers, all of which, while not exactly cake mixtures, are similar enough to small cakes in preparation and use to be discussed in connection with them.

2. NATURE OF MIXTURES FOR SMALL CAKES.--The mixtures used for small cakes are made into batters and doughs of various thicknesses. For instance, the batter used for cup cakes is as thin as that for layer cake; that for drop cakes must be stiff enough to hold its shape when it is dropped on a flat sheet; while cookies require a dough that is stiff enough to be rolled out in a thin layer and then cut into various shapes with cutters. The mixing of cakes of this kind differs in no way from that of large cakes, the greater thickness being obtained merely by the addition of flour.

3. BAKING SMALL CAKES.--Small cakes bake more quickly than large ones; consequently, a hotter oven is required for them. Cookies will bake in 10 to 15 minutes. They should rise and start to brown in 1/2 of this time, and should finish browning and shrink slightly in the remaining half. Drop cakes require a little more time than cookies. They should rise during the first third of the time, brown slightly during the second, and finish browning and shrink during the last third. Cup cakes being larger require from 15 to 25 minutes to bake, depending on their size. They should rise and brown in the same way as drop cakes. The baking of most of the other varieties demands special attention and is discussed in connection with the cakes themselves.

When the majority of small cakes, including cookies, are put into the oven to bake, they should be set on the lower rack. Then, when the browning has started, they should be changed to the upper rack, where they will brown more quickly. This transfer may also be necessary in the case of the larger sized cup cakes.

Small cakes baked in muffin pans should be allowed to stand for several minutes after being removed from the oven in order to cool. Then a knife or a spatula should be run around the edge to loosen each cake from the pan. If the pan is then turned upside down and tapped lightly once or twice, the cakes will, as a rule, come out in good condition. Cookies and drop cakes should be taken from their pans or sheets while warm and then allowed to cool on a cake cooler or on clean towels spread on a table.

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PREPARATION OF SMALL CAKES

CUP AND DROP CAKES

4. NATURE OF CUP AND DROP CAKES.--CUP CAKES are a variety of small cakes baked in muffin pans. Many of the mixtures used for large cakes may be made into cup cakes by baking them in pans of this kind. Instead of pouring the mixture into the pans from the bowl, as is done in the case of large cakes, it is put into them by means of a spoon, as shown in Fig. 1. The pans should be filled only about half full in order to give the mixture an opportunity to rise. When the cakes are baked, they usually reach the top of the pans.

5. Cup cakes may be served plain or they may be iced in any desired way. Fig. 2 shows a group of cakes of this kind, the three on the right being cup cakes without any icing or decoration and the rest, cup cakes iced and then decorated in a variety of ways. As will be observed, cup cakes lend themselves well to decoration. The materials used here for the decorating are chiefly citron and maraschino cherries, both of which may be cut into a variety of shapes. The cakes are first covered with a white icing for a foundation, and the decorative materials are applied before it becomes dry. Other materials may, of course, be used for decorating cup cakes, and original designs may be worked out in a number of attractive ways.

6. DROP CAKES differ from cup cakes in that a stiffer batter is used and the mixture is then dropped from a spoon on a greased and floured cooky sheet. As shown in Fig. 3, which illustrates a plate of drop cakes ready to serve, cakes of this kind are not generally iced. However, the mixture used for them often contains fruits and nuts.

7. RECIPES FOR CUP AND DROP CAKES.--Several recipes for cup cakes and drop cakes are here given. No difficulty will be experienced in carrying out any of them if the suggestions already given are applied. With each recipe is mentioned the approximate number of cakes the recipe will make. The exact number it will produce will depend, of course, on the size of the cakes; the smaller they are the greater will be their number.

CUP CAKES (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

2/3 c. butter 2 c. sugar 4 eggs 3-1/4 c. flour 4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. mace 1 c. milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the flour, baking powder, and mace together, and add alternately with the milk. Flavor with the vanilla, put into greased and floured muffin pans, and bake. Cover with chocolate icing and serve.

BROWNIES (Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)

1/3 c. butter 1/3 c. sugar 1/3 c. molasses 1 egg 1-1/4 c. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/3 tsp. soda 1/2 c. chopped nut meats

Cream the butter, add the sugar and molasses, beat the egg and add it. Mix the flour, baking powder, and soda together, and sift into the mixture. Fold in the chopped nut meats, put in thin layers into muffin pans, and bake in a hot oven until done. Remove from the pans, cool, and serve.

CINNAMON CUP CAKES (Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)

1/2 c. butter 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 4 tsp. baking powder 2 c. flour 1 Tb. cinnamon 1/2 c. milk

Cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the baking powder, flour, and cinnamon together, and add alternately with the milk. Put into greased and floured muffin pans and bake.

COCOA CUP CAKES (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

1/3 c. shortening 1-1/4 c. sugar 2 eggs 2 c. flour 1/2 c. cocoa 1/8 tsp. soda 3 tsp. baking powder 3/4 c. milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the shortening and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the flour, cocoa, soda, and baking powder together and add alternately with the milk. Flavor with the vanilla, put into greased and floured muffin pans, and bake in a hot oven. Remove from the pans, cool, and serve. If desired, these cakes may be iced with white icing and sprinkled with coconut.

ROXBURY CAKES (Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)

1/4 c. butter 1/2 c. sugar 2 eggs 1/2 c. molasses 1/2 c. milk 1-3/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. soda 3/4 c. raisins 1/2 c. English walnut meats

Cream the butter and add the sugar gradually. Beat the eggs and add them. Add the molasses and milk. Mix and sift the dry ingredients and stir these into the first mixture. Fold in the finely chopped raisins and nuts. Bake in a moderate oven and ice with white icing.

APPLE-SAUCE CAKES (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

1/4 c. butter 1 c. sugar 2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. soda 2 tsp. baking powder 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 c. apple sauce 1 c. raisins

Cream the butter and add the sugar gradually. Sift the dry ingredients together and add alternately with the apple sauce made according to the following directions. Stir in the raisins dredged with a little of the flour. Bake in muffin pans in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.

APPLE SAUCE

1 qt. apples 1/2 c. sugar 1 c. water

Peel and quarter the apples. Put them to cook in the water. When soft, force through a sieve, add the sugar, and return to the fire until the sugar is dissolved. Cool and use for the cakes.

SOUR-MILK DROP CAKES (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cakes)

1/3 c. butter 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1/2 c. sour milk 2-1/2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 c. nut meats 1/2 c. raisins

Cream the butter and add the sugar, the beaten egg, and the milk. Sift the flour, soda, and baking powder together and add them. Fold in the nuts and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased and floured cake sheet. Bake rather slowly, remove from the sheet, cool, and serve.

FRUIT DROP CAKES (Sufficient for 2 Dozen Cakes)

1/3 c. shortening 2/3 c. sugar 1 egg 1/4 c. milk 1-3/4 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cloves 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 c. raisins

Cream the shortening and add the sugar, egg, and milk. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together. Sift these dry ingredients into the mixture and add the raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased and floured cake sheet and bake in a hot oven until light brown.

OAT-FLAKE DROP CAKES (Sufficient for 2 Dozen Cakes)

1/2 c. shortening 1 c. sugar 1 egg 2 c. oat flakes 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 3 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 c. milk

Cream the shortening and add the sugar. Beat the egg and add to the mixture. Add the oat flakes and vanilla. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together and add alternately with the milk. Drop on greased pans to bake.

GINGER DROP CAKES (Sufficient for 2 Dozen Cakes)

1/2 c. shortening 1/2 c. brown sugar 1 egg 2-1/2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 Tb. ginger 1/2 c. sour milk 1/2 c. molasses

Cream the shortening, add the sugar, and mix well. Beat the egg and add it. Sift the dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk and molasses. Drop on greased sheets and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 or 20 minutes.

8. APPLYING ORNAMENTAL ICING TO CUP CAKES.--Sometimes it is desired to put icing on cup cakes in an ornamental way. In such an event, an uncooked icing is used and it is usually applied by means of a pastry tube, although certain simple designs can be made with a small paper cornucopia. When icing is to be used for this purpose, it should be of the consistency shown in Fig. 4; that is, it should be so heavy that a large quantity of it will cling to the spoon, and when it drops it will fall in a mass rather than run off.

Have the pastry bag clean and dry, and make it ready for use by slipping the pastry tube inside of the bag, as shown in Fig. 5. The point of the tube should protrude from the narrow end of the bag, which is too small to allow the top of the tube to be pushed through. The cakes to be decorated with the aid of a pastry tube are usually prepared, as the cake in the illustration shows, by covering it with a perfectly smooth coating of uncooked icing of some kind.

With the tube inserted and the cake coated, the work of decorating may be taken up. Roll the top of the bag down, as shown in Fig. 6, and into it put as much of the icing as is desired. See that the icing is pushed as far down into the end of the bag as possible. Then, as in Fig. 7, hold the top of the bag shut with one hand and with the other grasp it at the place where the contents end. When the hands have been so placed, press down on the bag so that the icing will be forced from the point of the tube. To make the decorations most satisfactorily, have the point of the tube pressed tightly against the surface of the cake and raise it very slowly as the icing comes out. Otherwise the shape of the design will not be good, as a little experimenting will prove. The rosette tube is used to make the decorations here shown, but if a different form of decoration is desired, one of the other tubes may be selected.

9. With cakes of this kind, it is often desired to have a simple decoration without first applying the foundation icing. This can be done, as shown in Fig. 8, by pressing icing through a pastry bag containing the rosette tube and placing the decoration merely on the center of each cake. This is suggested as an economical use of icing and a decoration a little out of the ordinary. The points of the pastry tube should be bent toward the center in order to produce the rosettes in the manner here shown. In fact, the shape of a rosette can often be changed to some extent by opening or closing these points a trifle.

COOKIES

10. CLASSES OF COOKIES.--Cookies are of two general classes: those which are made thick and are expected to be soft when they are served and those which are made thin and are intended to be crisp and brittle when eaten. Thin, crisp cookies are usually known as _wafers_ or _snaps_. Soft cookies are made from a dough that contains a little more liquid than that used for brittle cookies. The dough of which both varieties are made should be thick enough to remove from the mixing bowl in a lump and roll out on a board. After being rolled until it is the desired thickness, it is cut into pieces of any desired size and shape and baked in the oven on large flat pans.

11. INGREDIENTS IN COOKIES.--The ingredients used in the making of cookies are similar to those used for drop cakes, with the exception of the amount of flour. In fact, any cooky mixture that is made a little more moist by omitting some of the flour may be used for drop cakes. More flour is needed in cooky mixtures because they must be of a certain thickness in order to be rolled out successfully. The amount of flour needed varies with the kind that is used, more of some varieties of this ingredient being required than of others. It is usually advisable to add the last cup of flour with caution. If the mixture seems to be getting stiff before all the flour is added, what is not needed should be omitted; but if it does not become stiff enough to handle, more should be added.

12. Considerable variety exists in the shortening that may be used in cooky mixtures. If desired, butter may be used, but for most cookies it is not at all necessary that the shortening consist entirely of butter, and for some no butter at all is required. Other fats and oils, such as lard, Crisco, lard compound, Mazola, cottoline, butterine, and any other tasteless shortening, may be substituted for all or part of the butter. Any of the following cooky recipes that contain butter do so because that particular cooky or cake is better when made with butter, but, if desired, some other fat may be used for a part or all of it. In case merely shortening is mentioned, any fat or mixture of fats preferred may be used.

13. PROCEDURE IN MAKING COOKIES.--The combining of the ingredients in cooky mixtures need give the housewife very little concern, for it is accomplished in much the same way as for cup and drop cakes. When all of them have been combined, a dough that is stiff enough to handle and still not so stiff that it is tough should be formed. The chief precaution to be taken in the making of all kinds of cookies is to avoid getting too much flour into the mixture. To produce the best results, the mixture should be so soft that it is difficult to handle. A good plan is to allow it to become very cold, for then it will be much stiffer and may be handled more easily. Therefore, after the dough has been mixed, it is well to set it in a refrigerator or some other cool place and let it stand for several hours before attempting to roll it. In fact, a cooky mixture may be made in the evening and allowed to stand until the next morning before being rolled out and baked. As can readily be understood, such procedure is possible with a stiff mixture like that for cookies, while it would not be practicable with a thin mixture, such as cake batter, because the gas that is formed by the leavening agent would escape from a mixture that is not thick and the cake, after being baked, would have no lightness.

14. With the dough ready to be rolled, divide it into amounts of a size that can be handled conveniently at one time. Take one of these from the mixing bowl and place it on a well-floured board. Work it with the fingers into a flat, round piece, using a little flour on the fingers during this process. Dust the top lightly with flour and, by means of a rolling pin, roll the dough into a flat piece that is as nearly round as possible. Continue rolling with a short, light stroke until the dough is as thin as desired. Remember that light, careful handling is always necessary when any kind of dough mixture is rolled on the board, and that as little handling as possible is advisable. Skill in this respect will come with practice, so the housewife need not be discouraged if she has difficulty at first. For cookies, 1/4 inch is the usual thickness of the dough after it is rolled; but for snaps or wafers the dough should be rolled as thin as possible. If the dough is as moist as it should be, it may be necessary, from time to time, to dust the top with flour as the rolling continues. However, no more flour should be used than is needed to keep the rolling pin from sticking; otherwise, the dough will become too thick and the cookies will be tough and dry.

15. When the dough has been rolled until it is of the right thickness, cut it in the manner shown in Fig. 9, using cooky cutters of any desired size and shape. The four cutters shown, which are heart, round, diamond, and star shapes, are the ones that are most commonly used. They are merely strips of tin bent into a particular shape and attached to a handle for convenience in using. In cutting the dough, try to cut it to the best possible advantage, leaving as little space between the cookies as possible. Very often, as, for instance, when diamond-shaped cookies are being cut, the line of one may be the exact line of the one next to it and thus no dough need be left between the cookies.

16. However, as Fig. 9 shows, a certain amount of dough necessarily remains after all the cookies that can be made out of a piece of rolled dough have been cut. Put these scraps together and set them aside until all the fresh dough has been rolled. Then put them together carefully, roll them out again, and cut the piece thus formed into cookies just as the others were cut. Some persons are in the habit of working these scraps in with the next piece of dough that is rolled out, but this is not good practice, for by the time they are rolled on the board a second time, more flour will be worked into them than into the dough with which they were put and the texture will not be the same.

17. BAKING COOKIES.--Have a cooky sheet or other large shallow pan greased and floured, and as soon as all the cookies are cut from a piece of dough, pick them up with the aid of a spatula, as in Fig. 9, and arrange them on the pan. Do not place them too close together, or upon baking they will stick to one another and lose their shape. As soon as a pan is filled, set it in the oven, either directly on the bottom or on a low rack. If the temperature of the oven is correct, the cookies should begin to rise within 2 or 3 minutes after they are put into the oven. After they have baked on the bottom and have risen as much as they will, they will appear as shown in Fig. 10. At this point, set them on a higher rack to brown on top. In this browning, they will shrink to some extent, so that the finished cookies will not have so smooth an appearance as when they are placed on the top rack. When done, they should be slightly brown, and if it is found that they are too brown on top, it may be known that the oven temperature was a little too high or perhaps that they should have had a little less time on this rack. Molasses cookies require special care to prevent them from burning, for, as is explained in _Hot Breads_, any food containing molasses burns readily. A comparatively short time is necessary for the baking of cookies, but they should be left in the oven long enough to be thoroughly baked when removed. When ready to serve, properly baked cookies should appear as in Fig. 11.

18. RECIPES FOR COOKIES.--With the principles of cooky making well understood, the housewife is fully qualified to try any of the recipes that follow. As will be noted, a number of recipes are here given and so a pleasing variety may be had. Some of them are suitable for certain occasions and some for others. For instance, barley-molasses cookies are very good with coffee for breakfast, while filled cookies make an excellent cake for picnic lunches. Cream cookies or vanilla wafers could be served at an afternoon tea, while sand tarts make a very good accompaniment for ice cream or some other dainty dessert. The nature of the cooky will enable the housewife to determine when it should be served.

GINGER SNAPS (Sufficient for 4 Dozen Snaps)

1 c. molasses 1/3 c. lard or other shortening 1/4 c. butter 3-1/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. soda 1 Tb. ginger 1 tsp. salt

Heat the molasses to boiling and pour over the shortening. Sift the dry ingredients together and add these. Cool the mixture until it is stiff and cold, roll as thin as possible, cut with a small round cutter, and bake in a quick oven, being careful not to burn.

CREAM COOKIES (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cookies)

1/3 c. butter 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 1/2 c. thin cream 1 tsp. vanilla 4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. mace 3 c. flour

Cream the butter, add the sugar, eggs, the cream, and vanilla. Sift the baking powder, salt, mace, and flour together and add these to the mixture. Roll about 1/4 inch thick and cut. Bake in a hot oven.

VANILLA WAFERS (Sufficient for 6 Dozen Wafers)

1/3 c. shortening 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1/4 c. milk 2 tsp. vanilla 2 c. flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream the shortening, add the sugar and egg, and continue beating. Pour in the milk and add the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the mixture. Roll out as thin as possible, cut with a small round cutter, and bake in a hot oven. These wafers should be crisp and thin when finished.

BARLEY-MOLASSES COOKIES (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cookies)

1 c. molasses 1/2 c. shortening 1/4 c. milk 2 c. wheat flour 1 c. barley flour 2 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. salt

Heat the molasses, pour it over the shortening, and add the milk. Sift the dry ingredients together, and add to the mixture. Cool, roll about 1/4 inch thick, cut, and bake in a quick oven, being careful not to burn.

OATMEAL COOKIES (Sufficient for 3-1/2 Dozen Cookies)

1 egg 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. thin cream 1/4 c. milk 1/2 c. oatmeal 2 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 4 Tb. melted butter

Beat the egg and add the sugar, cream, and milk. Run the oatmeal through a food chopper, and mix with the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir all into the mixture, add the melted butter, and mix thoroughly. Roll thin, cut, and bake in a quick oven.

SAND TARTS (Sufficient for 6 Dozen Tarts)

1/2 c. shortening 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1-3/4 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 egg white Blanched almonds

Cream the shortening and add the sugar and the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, and add these to the mixture. Fold in the beaten egg white. Roll as thin as possible and cut. Split blanched almonds, and after putting the cookies on the cooky sheet, place several halves of almonds in any desirable position on the cookies. Bake in a quick oven until light brown.

HIGHLAND DAINTIES (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cookies)

2 c. flour 1/2 c. brown sugar 3/4 c. butter 1 egg yolk

Mix and sift the flour and sugar and work in the butter with the fingers. Roll out about 1/3 inch thick and cut into any desirable shape with small cutters. Brush with the egg yolk to which has been added 1 teaspoonful of water. Bake in a slow oven until light brown.

FILLED COOKIES (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cookies)

1 c. shortening 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1/2 c. milk 3 c. flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the shortening and add the sugar gradually. Next add the beaten egg and the milk. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and add to the mixture. Add the vanilla. Roll very thin and cut into small round, square, or diamond shapes. Spread one cooky with the following filling, cover with a second, press the edges together, and bake in a quick oven.

FILLING FOR COOKIES

1 c. sugar 1 Tb. flour 1/2 c. boiling water 1-1/4 c. chopped raisins 3/4 c. nut meats

Mix the sugar and flour and stir them into the boiling water. Add the raisins and let cook until thick enough to spread on the cookies. Remove from the fire and add the nut meats. Cool slightly and spread. Figs or dates may be used in place of the raisins.

If it is not desired to prepare a filling for the cookies, jam makes a very good substitute.

SOUR-CREAM COOKIES (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cookies)

1/2 c. butter 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 1/2 pt. thick sour cream 1/2 tsp. soda 1 tsp. baking powder 3-1/2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, and beat thoroughly. Add the cream. Sift the soda, baking powder, and flour and add to the first mixture. Add the lemon extract, roll out thick, and sprinkle with sugar. Cut with a round cutter, place on greased and floured tins, and bake.

KISSES AND MACAROONS

19. NATURE OF KISSES AND MACAROONS.--The varieties of small cakes known as kisses and macaroons are undoubtedly the daintiest ones that are made. Composed almost entirely of sugar, egg whites, and flavoring, they are very delicate in texture and are practically confections. Kisses do not contain any flour, but macaroons need a small amount of this ingredient and some varieties of them contain the yolks, as well as the whites, of eggs. Chopped or ground nuts, coconut, and various kinds of dried or candied fruits are added to these cakes to give them variety.

20. The mixtures of which these cakes are made are either dropped by spoonfuls or forced through a pastry bag into little mounds or rosettes on an inverted pan or a cooky sheet and then baked in a very slow oven. An oven of this kind is necessary, for the mixtures must be practically dried out in the baking. _Meringues_, although made of a mixture similar to that used for kisses, are usually made in rather large, round, flat shapes, whereas kisses are smaller and are for the most part made in the shape of rosettes. Fig. 12 shows a plate of kisses ready to serve.

21. _Marguerites_, while not exactly the same as either kisses or macaroons, are given in this connection because the mixture used for them is similar to that for kisses. These, as shown in Fig. 13, are in reality saltines covered with a mixture of egg and sugar to which nuts, coconut, flavoring, etc. may be added for variety. After the sugar covering has been applied, the saltines are set in the oven and baked until slightly brown on top. This variety of small cakes, as well as kisses and meringues, is excellent for serving with afternoon tea, or with ice cream at a party that is to be very dainty.

22. RECIPES FOR KISSES AND MACAROONS.--One recipe for kisses, several recipes for macaroons, and directions for the preparation of marguerites follow. If meringues are desired, the recipe for kisses may be followed and the mixture then dropped by spoonfuls, instead of being forced through a pastry tube.

KISSES OR MERINGUES (Sufficient for 1 to 2 Dozen Cakes)

1/2 c. fine granulated sugar, or 1/2 c. and 2 Tb. powdered sugar 2 egg whites 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Fine granulated or powdered sugar may be used for these cakes. If powdered sugar is selected, a little more will be required than of granulated. Only fresh eggs should be employed. Separate them and beat the whites with an egg whip, beating slowly at first and more rapidly as the eggs grow stiff. When they have become very stiff, add a tablespoonful of the sugar and continue the beating. When this has been beaten thoroughly, add another tablespoonful, and continue to add sugar in small amounts and to beat until all has been worked in. Add the vanilla. Moisten with cold water a board that is about 1 inch thick, place over it some heavy white paper, and force the mixture through a pastry bag or drop by spoonfuls on the paper. Place the board containing the kisses in a very slow oven, one so slow that instead of baking the kisses it will really dry them. If the oven is too warm, open the oven door slightly to prevent the temperature from rising too high. Bake until the kisses are dry and then remove them from the oven.

If desired, the inside of the meringues, which is soft, may be removed and the shell filled with a filling of some kind. Plain whipped cream or whipped cream to which fresh strawberries and sugar are added makes an excellent filling for this purpose. In fact, meringues filled and garnished with whipped cream make a very delightful dessert.

PECAN MACAROONS (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

1 egg white 1 c. brown sugar 1 c. pecan meats 1/4 tsp. salt

Beat the egg white until stiff and add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Fold in the nut meats, add the salt, and then drop from the tip of a spoon 1 or 2 inches apart on a cooky sheet covered with buttered paper. Bake in a moderate oven until delicately browned.

ALMOND MACAROONS (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

1/2 lb. almonds 1 c. powdered sugar 2 egg whites

Blanch the almonds and force them through a food chopper. Mix the ground almonds and powdered sugar, and gradually add the beaten egg whites until a mixture of the consistency of a stiff dough is formed. Force through a pastry bag or drop with a spoon on a cooky sheet covered with buttered paper. The macaroon mixture spreads during the baking, so space will have to be left between the cakes. Bake in a very slow oven. After removing from the oven, cover for a few minutes with a moist cloth in order to loosen the macaroons.

COCONUT MACAROONS (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

1 c. powdered sugar 1 c. shredded coconut 2 egg whites

Mix the sugar and coconut. Beat the egg whites and fold into the coconut and sugar. Drop by spoonfuls on a cooky sheet covered with waxed paper and bake in a slow oven.

OATMEAL-FRUIT MACAROONS (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cakes)

2 eggs 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. corn sirup 1 Tb. melted shortening 1/2 c. raisins, cut in small pieces 2-1/2 c. rolled oats 1/2 tsp. salt

Beat the eggs, add the sugar, sirup, and shortening. Fold in the fruit, rolled oats, and salt. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased cooky sheet and bake in a moderate oven.

MARGUERITES (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cakes)

3/4 c. sugar 1/3 c. water 1 egg white 1/4 c. shredded coconut 1/4 c. chopped nuts

Cook the sugar and water until it forms a hard ball when tested in cold water or threads from a spoon. Beat the egg white until stiff, pour the hot sirup into it, and continue beating until the mixture is stiff enough not to run. Add the coconut and chopped nuts and spread a thick layer on saltines. Place in a moderate oven and bake until slightly browned.

LADYFINGERS AND SPONGE DROPS

23. The mixture used for ladyfingers is in reality a sponge-cake mixture, but it is baked in a certain oblong shape known as a ladyfinger shape. Shallow pans that will bake the mixture in the required shape can be purchased, but these need not be secured, for much more satisfactory results can be obtained with a pastry bag and tube after a little practice. The same mixture may be dropped by spoonfuls and baked in small round cakes known as sponge drops. Both ladyfingers and sponge drops, after being baked, are put together in twos by means of a simple sugar icing. Care should be exercised in their baking to prevent them from burning.

Small cakes of these varieties are very satisfactory to serve with a rich gelatine or cream dessert. Then, again, such cakes, especially ladyfingers, are sometimes molded into a frozen dessert or placed in a mold in which a gelatine dessert is solidified. Often they are served with sweetened and flavored whipped cream; in fact, no matter how stale or fresh they may be, they help to make very delicious desserts.

LADYFINGERS No. 1 (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

3 egg whites 1/3 c. powdered sugar 2 egg yolks 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1/3 c. flour 1/8 tsp. salt

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and dry. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating. Beat the two egg yolks until they are thick and lemon-colored and add them. Add the flavoring and fold in the flour mixed and sifted with the salt. Cover a cooky sheet with light wrapping paper that is perfectly smooth and marked into spaces 4-1/2 in. long by 1-1/2 in. wide, as shown in Fig. 14. With the aid of a spoon, as illustrated, fill the ladyfinger mixture into a pastry bag containing a plain pastry tube. Then, from the pastry tube, squeeze the cake mixture onto the marked spaces, as shown in Fig. 15, making the mass slightly narrower in the center than at the ends. When all the spaces have been filled, set the pan containing the sheet in a slow oven and bake until dry. Remove from the oven and take from the paper by slipping a sharp knife under each ladyfinger. If the ladyfingers are to be used for cake, they must be put together in pairs with the following simple filling, and they will then appear as in Fig. 16.

FILLING FOR LADYFINGERS

Juice of 1 orange Sufficient sugar to spread

Beat the orange juice and sugar together until smooth. Place a layer of the mixture between each two ladyfingers.

LADYFINGERS No. 2 (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cakes)

6 eggs 1-1/4 c. powdered sugar 1 c. flour Juice of half a lemon

Separate the eggs and beat the whites with an egg whip until stiff. Sift the sugar and flour together several times, add a little to the eggs, and continue beating. Continue to add the sugar and flour, a little at a time, until all has been added. Beat the egg yolks until they are light and lemon-colored and then beat them into the mixture. Add the lemon juice and force the mixture through a pastry tube in the same way as described in the preceding recipe. Bake in a slow oven. When cool, put together with the orange filling.

CAKES MADE WITH YEAST

24. A few varieties of cake are made light by means of yeast instead of being leavened with eggs or chemical leavening agents. These cakes are, of course, similar to bread in many respects, but they are sweeter and richer than bread and contain eggs. For this reason they are not economical mixtures and should not be made if economy must be practiced. Because of the sugar, butter, and eggs used in them, the action of the yeast is slow; consequently, the processes involved in making these mixtures are neither short nor simple. Often, after they have been baked in a mold, the center is removed and the shells are then filled with different mixtures to make a variety of desserts.

BRIOCHE

1 c. milk 1-1/2 yeast cakes 1/2 c. sugar 2/3 c. butter 4-1/2 c. flour 3 egg yolks 3 whole eggs 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Scald the milk, cool until lukewarm, and then add the yeast cakes. When they are thoroughly dissolved, add the sugar, the butter, which has been softened but not melted, and half of the flour. Add the egg yolks and beat with the hands. Add the eggs one at a time and when all have been beaten in thoroughly, continue to add more flour. After all of the flour and also the lemon extract have been added and the mixture is of a consistency to knead, allow it to rise for 6 hours. Punch down and place in the ice box or some other cool place overnight. In the morning, the mixture will be ready to bake in whatever shape is desirable.

The four recipes that follow show various ways in which the brioche may be used to make attractive as well as appetizing desserts.

COFFEE CAKES

Roll the brioche mixture into a long rectangular piece about 1/4 inch thick. Spread with softened butter, fold one-third of the side over the center and the opposite side on top of that, making three layers. Cut this into strips about 3/4 inch wide, cover, and let rise. When light, twist the ends of each piece in the opposite direction, coil, and bring the ends together on the top of the cake. Let rise in pans for 20 minutes, and bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes. Upon removing from the oven, brush with confectioner's sugar moistened with enough water to allow it to spread.

BRIOCHE BUNS

Work 1/2 cupful of raisins and 1/2 cupful of chopped nut meats into half of the brioche mixture. Shape into balls about the size of a walnut, and then place close together in a buttered pan. Brush over the top with 1 tablespoonful of sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoonfuls of milk. Bake in a moderate oven for about 25 minutes. Brush a second time with the sugar-and-milk mixture and allow the buns to remain in the oven until they are well browned.

BRIOCHE DESSERT

Fill muffin pans about 1/2 full with the brioche mixture. Allow it to rise nearly to the top, bake in a slow oven, remove when sufficiently baked, and cool. Remove the center from each mold, leaving a shell. The centers may be toasted and served separately. Put a teaspoonful or two of any desirable preserves or marmalade into the shells, fill with sweetened and flavored whipped cream, and over the top sprinkle chopped nuts. This dessert should be prepared just before serving.

BRIOCHE PUDDING

Take enough of the brioche sponge to fill a good-sized mold two-thirds full. Work into this 1/2 cupful of raisins cut into small pieces, 1/4 cupful of candied cherries, 1/2 cupful of chopped nuts, and 1/4 cupful of coconut. Place in a mold and allow it to rise until the mold is nearly full. Bake from 45 minutes to 1 hour, turn out of the mold, and allow to become cold. Cut into thick slices with a knife that has been heated in the flame, and serve with apricot or pineapple sauce.

APPLE CAKE (Sufficient for Three Good-Sized Cakes)

2 c. milk 1 yeast cake 1 tsp. salt 1/2 c. sugar 3/4 c. butter 8-1/2 c. flour 3 eggs Apples

Scald the milk and cool it to lukewarm. Add the yeast, salt, sugar, and butter, which has been softened but not melted. Add half of the flour and beat in the eggs. When all has been mixed thoroughly, add sufficient flour to make a stiff dough. Knead for a short time and place in a bowl to rise. When risen until double in bulk, roll a piece of the dough 1/2 inch thick to fit a rectangular pan. Allow this to rise until it is light. Peel apples, cut into halves and then into thick slices, and rub them with lemon so they will not discolor. When the bread mixture is light, place the apples on the top in rows. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake in a quick oven. Serve with butter or sugar and cream.

SWEDISH TEA RING

Roll a large piece of the mixture used for apple cake into a rectangular shape from 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, brush with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and, if desired, with raisins or chopped nuts. Roll like a jelly roll, and place the two ends together on a cooky sheet so as to form a ring. Try, if possible, to conceal the joining by fastening the ends together carefully. The best way to do this is to cut a slice from each end before joining. Then, with a scissors, cut through the edge of the ring nearly to the center and slightly at a slant, as in Fig. 17. Make the cuts about 1 inch apart and turn the cut slices over so as to show the layers of dough. Brush with milk, dredge with sugar, and bake for about 1/2 hour. When baked, this cake should appear as shown in Fig. 18.

CREAM PUFFS AND ÉCLAIRS

25. A delicious form of dessert that is usually classed with small cakes includes cream puffs and éclairs. They are made of a special kind of paste that, when baked, becomes hollow in the center, very much as popovers do. The inside is then filled with a mixture similar to a custard mixture or with sweetened and flavored whipped cream. Many persons have an idea that these mixtures are very difficult to make, but the fact is that they may be easily made if the directions for preparing them are carefully followed.