COOKIES, etc.
Reading edition
Mrs. B.’s Cookies. ✠
6 eggs, whites and yolks separately.
1 cup butter.
3 cups sugar.
Flour to make batter just stiff enough to be moulded with well-floured hands.
Flavor with lemon.
Make into round cakes and bake in a quick oven.
Small Sugar Cakes.
1 heaping teacup of sugar.
¾ teacup of butter.
¼ teacup sweet milk.
2 eggs, well beaten.
2 teaspoonfuls cream-tartar.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
Flour sufficient to enable you to roll out the dough.
1 saltspoonful salt.
Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste.
Cut in round cakes and bake quickly.
New Year’s Cakes. (Very nice.) ✠
1¼ lb. sugar.
1 lb. butter.
½ pint cold water.
3 eggs.
3 lbs. flour.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
4 tablespoonfuls caraway seed sprinkled through the flour.
Rub the butter, or, what is better, chop it up in the flour; dissolve the sugar in the water; mix all well with the beaten eggs, cut in square cakes, or with oval mould, and bake quickly.
“Mother’s” Cookies.
1 cup butter.
2 cups sugar.
3 eggs, well beaten.
¼ teaspoonful soda dissolved in boiling water.
1 teaspoonful nutmeg.
1 teaspoonful cloves.
Flour to make soft dough, just stiff enough to roll out. Try two cups to begin with, working it in gradually. Cut in round cakes, stick a raisin or currant in the top of each, and bake quickly.
Coriander Cookies. ✠
1 cup butter.
3 cups sugar.
1 cup “loppered” milk or cream.
4 eggs.
6 cups flour, or just enough to stiffen into a rollable paste.
2 tablespoonfuls coriander seed (ground or beaten).
1 tablespoonful soda, dissolved in boiling water.
If you use sweet milk, add two teaspoonfuls cream-tartar. You may substitute caraway for the coriander-seed.
Rice-Flour Cookies.
½ lb. ground rice.
1 lb. rice-flour, dried and sifted.
1 lb. powdered sugar.
½ lb. butter.
4 eggs.
Juice and half the grated rind of a lemon.
1 tablespoonful orange-flower water.
Beat yolks and whites very light; then put the sugar with the yolks. Beat ten minutes, add the orange-flower water and lemon; lastly, the flour and whites alternately. Beat the mixture half an hour. Bake immediately in patty-pans. Eat while fresh.
Molasses Cookies (Good.)
1 cup butter.
2 cups molasses.
1 teaspoonful cloves.
1 tablespoonful ginger.
Sufficient flour to make soft dough. Mould with the hands into small cakes, and bake in a steady rather than quick oven, as they are apt to burn.
Ginger-Snaps. (No. 1.)
1 cup butter.
1 cup molasses.
1 cup sugar.
¾ cup sweet milk.
1 teaspoonful saleratus.
2 teaspoonfuls ginger.
Flour for tolerably stiff dough.
Ginger-Snaps (No. 2.)
1 large cup butter and lard mixed.
1 coffee-cup sugar.
1 cup molasses.
½ cup water.
1 tablespoonful ginger.
1 tablespoonful cinnamon.
1 teaspoonful cloves.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
Flour for pretty stiff dough.
Roll out rather thinner than sugar cakes, and bake quickly. These ginger-snaps will keep for weeks, if locked up.
Ginger-Snaps (No. 3.)
1 pint molasses.
1 teacup sugar.
1 teaspoonful ginger.
1 teaspoonful allspice.
1 cup butter.
5 cups flour.
Roll thin and cut into small cakes. Bake in quick oven.
Aunt Margaret’s Jumbles.
1 cup butter.
2 cups sugar.
1 teacup milk.
5 eggs.
½ teaspoonful soda dissolved in boiling water.
1 teaspoonful nutmeg.
Sufficient flour to make soft dough. Roll out, cut into shapes and sift sugar over them before they go into the oven.
Lemon Jumbles.
1 egg.
1 teacupful sugar.
½ teacupful butter.
3 teaspoonfuls milk.
1 teaspoonful cream-tartar.
½ teaspoonful soda.
2 small lemons, juice of two and grated rind of one.
Mix rather stiff. Roll and cut out with a cake-cutter.
Ring Jumbles.
1 lb. butter.
1 lb. sugar.
4 eggs.
1 lb. flour, or enough to make out a soft dough.
Wineglass (small) rose-water.
Cream the butter and sugar, add the beaten yolks, then the rose-water, next half the flour, lastly the whites, stirred in very lightly, alternately with the remaining flour. Have ready a pan, broad and shallow, lined on the bottom with buttered paper. With a tablespoon form regular rings of the dough upon this, leaving a hole in the centre of each. Bake quickly, and sift fine sugar over them as soon as they are done.
You may substitute lemon or vanilla for the rose-water.
Mrs. M.’s Jumbles.
1 cup sugar.
1 cup butter.
½ cup sour cream.
1 egg.
1 teaspoonful soda, dissolved in hot water.
Nutmeg to taste.
Flour for soft dough.
Bake in rings, as directed in previous receipt.
Almond Jumbles.
1 lb. sugar.
½ lb. flour.
¼ lb. butter.
1 teacup “loppered” milk.
5 eggs.
2 tablespoonfuls rose-water.
¾ lb. almonds, blanched and chopped small, but not pounded.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in boiling water.
Cream butter, and sugar; stir in the beaten yolks, the milk, the flour, and the rose-water, the almonds, lastly the beaten whites very lightly and quickly. Drop in rings or round cakes upon buttered paper, and bake immediately.
You may substitute grated cocoanut, or the chopped kernels of white walnuts, for the almonds, in which case add a little salt.
Currant Cakes.
1 lb. flour.
½ lb. butter.
¾ lb. sugar.
4 eggs.
½ lb. currants, well washed and dredged.
½ teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
½ lemon, grated rind and juice.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
Drop from a spoon upon well buttered paper, lining a baking-pan. Bake quickly.
Drop Sponge-cakes.
½ lb. powdered sugar.
¼ lb. flour.
4 eggs—yolks and whites separate, and beaten very stiff.
1 lemon—all the juice, and half the grated rind.
Drop upon buttered paper, not too near together. Try one, and if it runs, beat the mixture some minutes longer hard, adding a very little flour. Your oven should be very quick, and the cakes a delicate yellow brown.
Lady’s Fingers
Are mixed like drop sponge-cakes, but disposed upon the paper in long, narrow cakes. They are very nice dipped in chocolate icing, or caramel.
Aunt Margaret’s Crullers. ✠
1 lb. butter.
1½ lb. powdered sugar.
12 eggs.
Mace and nutmeg to taste.
Flour to roll out stiff.
This is for a large quantity of crullers. Roll out in a thin sheet, cut into shapes with a jagging-iron, and fry in plenty of boiling lard. Test the heat first by dropping in one. It should rise almost instantly to the surface. Crullers and doughnuts soak in fat at the bottom of the kettle. These should be a fine yellow.
The most delicious and the nicest-looking crullers I have ever seen were made by the dear old lady from whom I had this receipt. They were as pretty and perfect a picture of their kind as she was of hers.
Crullers are better the second day than the first. If the fat becomes so hot that the crullers brown before they puff out to their full dimensions, take the kettle from the fire for a few minutes. Have enough cut out before you begin to fry them, to keep a good supply all the while on the fire. If you undertake the task alone, cut out all before cooking one.
Katie’s Crullers.
1 lb. sugar.
¼ lb. butter.
6 eggs.
1 tablespoonful sweet milk.
1 small teaspoonful soda.
1 nutmeg.
Sufficient flour to roll out stiff.
“Mother’s” Crullers.
1½ teacup sugar.
½ teacup sour cream or milk.
⅓ teacup butter.
1 egg.
1 small teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
Flour to roll out a tolerably stiff paste.
Annie’s Crullers.
2 cups sugar.
1 cup butter.
2 eggs.
2 cups sour milk.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
Flour to roll out tolerably stiff.
Risen Doughnuts.
1 lb. butter.
1¾ lb. sugar.
1 quart sweet milk.
4 eggs.
1 large cup yeast.
1 tablespoonful mace or nutmeg.
2 teaspoonfuls cinnamon.
Flour to make all stiff as bread dough.
1 teaspoonful salt.
Cream the butter and sugar, add the milk, yeast, and one quart and a pint of flour. Set to rise over night. In the morning beat the eggs very light, and stir into the batter with the spice and rest of the flour. Set to rise three hours, or until light; roll into a pretty thick sheet, cut out, and fry in boiling lard. Sift powdered sugar over them while hot.
Quick Doughnuts.
1 cup butter.
2 cups sugar.
4 eggs.
1 cup sour milk or cream.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
1 teaspoonful nutmeg.
½ teaspoonful cinnamon.
Flour to roll out in pretty soft dough.
Cut into shapes and fry in hot lard.
Soft Gingerbread. ✠
1 cup butter.
1 cup molasses.
1 cup sugar.
1 cup sour or buttermilk.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in boiling water.
1 tablespoonful ginger.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
2 eggs.
About five cups of flour—enough to make it thick as cup-cake batter, perhaps a trifle thicker. Work in four cups first, and add very cautiously.
Stir butter, sugar, molasses, and spice together to a light cream, set them on the range until slightly warm; beat the eggs light; add the milk to the warmed mixture, then the eggs, the soda, and lastly the flour. Beat very hard ten minutes, and bake at once in a loaf, or in small tins. Half a pound raisins, seeded and cut in half, will improve this excellent gingerbread. Dredge them well before putting them in. Add them at the last.
Sponge Gingerbread (eggless.) ✠
5 cups flour.
1 heaping tablespoonful butter.
1 cup molasses.
1 cup sugar.
1 cup milk (sour is best).
2 teaspoonfuls saleratus, not soda, dissolved in hot water.
2 teaspoonfuls ginger.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
Mix the molasses, sugar, butter, and spice together; warm them slightly, and beat until they are lighter in color by many degrees than when you began. Add the milk, then the saleratus, and having mixed all well, put in the flour. Beat very hard five minutes, and bake in a broad, shallow pan, or in pâté-tins. Half a pound of seeded raisins cut in pieces will be a pleasant addition.
Try this gingerbread warm for tea or luncheon, with a cup of hot chocolate to accompany it, and you will soon repeat the experiment.
Plain Gingerbread.
2 cups molasses.
½ cup lard.
½ cup butter.
2 tablespoonfuls soda dissolved in hot water.
2 tablespoonfuls ginger.
1 cup sour milk.
Thicken with flour to a soft dough.
Warm the molasses, lard, butter, and ginger, and beat them ten minutes before adding the milk, soda, and flour. Roll out, cut into shapes, and bake in a quick, but not too hot oven. Keep in a tight tin box. Brush over with white of egg while hot.
Gingerbread Loaf (No. 1.)
1 cup butter.
1 cup molasses.
1 cup sugar.
½ cup cold water.
1 tablespoonful ginger.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
1 teaspoonful soda, dissolved in boiling water.
Flour to make stiff batter.
Melt the butter, slightly warm the molasses, spice, and sugar, and beat together ten minutes. Then put in the water, soda, and flour. Stir very hard, and bake in three small loaves. Brush them over with syrup while hot, and eat fresh.
Loaf Gingerbread (No. 2.)
1 cup butter.
2 cups molasses.
1 tablespoonful ginger.
2 eggs, very well beaten.
1 teaspoonful saleratus.
1 cup milk, sweet or sour. If sour, heap your spoon with saleratus.
Flour to the consistency of pound cake.
Spiced Gingerbread.
1 lb. flour.
1 lb. sugar.
⅛ lb. butter.
5 eggs.
½ teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
1 teaspoonful cream-tartar.
3 tablespoonfuls sweet milk.
1 large tablespoonful ginger.
1 teaspoonful cloves.
1 teaspoonful nutmeg.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
Cream the sugar and butter, stir in the beaten yolks, the milk and spice, the soda, and when these are well mixed, the flour. Bake in two square or round loaves.
Sugar Gingerbread.
1 cup of butter.
2 cups of sugar.
1 cup sour cream or milk.
3 eggs.
1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
2 teaspoonfuls ginger.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
5 cups of flour, or enough to roll out soft.
Cut in shapes, brush over with white of egg while hot, and bake.
Bread Cake.
On baking-day, take from your dough, after its second rising—2 cups risen dough. Have ready, also—
2 cups white sugar.
1 cup butter, creamed with the sugar.
3 eggs.
1 even teaspoonful soda, dissolved in hot water.
2 tablespoonfuls sweet milk—cream is better.
½ lb. currants, well washed and dredged.
1 teaspoonful nutmeg.
1 teaspoonful cloves.
Beat the yolks very light, add the creamed butter and sugar, the spice, milk, soda, and dough. Stir until all are well mixed; put in the beaten whites, lastly the fruit. Beat hard five minutes, let it rise twenty minutes in two well-buttered pans, and bake half an hour or until done.
Fruit Gingerbread.
2 lbs. flour.
¾ lb. butter.
1 lb. sugar.
1 lb. raisins, seeded and chopped.
1 lb. currants, well washed.
2 cups molasses.
½ cup sour cream.
6 eggs.
1 heaping teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water.
2 tablespoonfuls ginger.
1 teaspoonful cinnamon.
1 teaspoonful cloves.
Cream the butter and sugar, warm the molasses slightly, and beat these together; then the beaten yolks, next the milk and spice, the soda, the flour and whites well whipped; lastly, the fruit, which must be thickly dredged. Beat well before baking.
A little citron, shred fine, is an improvement. Bake in two broad pans, in a moderate oven. This cake will keep a long time.
Sweet Wafers.
6 eggs.
1 pint flour.
2 oz. melted butter.
1½ cup powdered sugar.
1 cup milk.
1 teaspoonful nutmeg.
Beat whites and yolks separately and very stiff, rub the sugar and butter together, and work in first the yolks, then the milk, then the flour and whites. Bake in well-buttered wafer or waffle-irons, very quickly, browning as little as possible. Roll them while hot upon a smooth, round stick, not larger than your little finger, slipping it out carefully when the cake takes the right shape.
These little cakes are an acceptable addition to any tea or supper table, and look well among fancy cakes in a basket.
Boston Cream Cakes. ✠
½ lb. butter.
¾ lb. flour.
8 eggs.
1 pint water.
Stir the butter into the water, which should be warm, set it on the fire in a saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring it often. When it boils, put in the flour, boil one minute, stirring all the while; take from the fire, turn into a deep dish, and let it cool. Beat the eggs very light, and whip into this cooled paste, first the yolks, then the whites.
Drop, in great spoonfuls, upon buttered paper, taking care not to let them touch or run into each other, and bake ten minutes.
Cream for filling.
1 quart milk.
4 tablespoonfuls corn-starch.
2 eggs.
2 cups sugar.
Wet the corn-starch with enough milk to work it into a smooth paste. Boil the rest of the milk. Beat the eggs, add the sugar and corn-starch to these, and so soon as the milk boils pour in the mixture gradually, stirring all the time until smooth and thick. Drop in a teaspoonful of butter, and when this is mixed in, set the custard aside to cool. Then add vanilla or lemon seasoning; pass a sharp knife lightly around the puffs, split them, and fill with the mixture.
The best cream cakes I have ever tasted were made by this somewhat odd receipt. Try it.
Nougat.
1 lb. sweet almonds.
¾ lb. fine white sugar.
1 tablespoonful rose-water.
Blanch the almonds in boiling water. When stripped of their skins, throw them into ice-water for five minutes. Take them out and dry between two cloths. Shave with a small knife into thin slips. Put them into a slow oven until they are very slightly colored. Meanwhile, melt the sugar—without adding water—in a farina kettle over the fire, stirring it all the while. When it bubbles up and is quite melted take off the kettle and instantly stir in the hot almonds. Have ready a tin pan or mould, well buttered and slightly warmed. Pour in the nougat; press it thin and flat to the bottom of the pan if you mean to cut into strips; to all sides of the mould if you intend to fill it with syllabub or macaroons. Let it cool in the mould, for the latter purpose, withdrawing it carefully when you want it. If you cut it up, do it while it is still warm—not hot.
The syrup should be a bright yellow before putting in the almonds.