Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information Part 40

RASPBERRY VINEGAR.--Fill a jar with red raspberries picked from the stalks. Pour in as much vinegar as it will hold. Let it stand ten days, then strain it through a sieve. Don't press the berries, just let the juice run through. To every pint add one pound loaf sugar.

Boil it like other syrup; skim, and bottle when cold.

SUMMER DRINK.--Boil together for five minutes two ounces of tartaric acid, two pounds white sugar, three lemons sliced, two quarts of water; when nearly cold add the whites of four eggs beaten to a froth, one tablespoonful of flour and half an ounce of wintergreen. Two tablespoonfuls in a gla.s.s of water make a pleasant drink; for those who like effervescence add as much soda as a ten-cent piece will hold, stirring it briskly before drinking.

BLACKBERRY SYRUP.--To one pint of juice put one pound of white sugar, one-half ounce of powdered cinnamon, one-fourth ounce mace, and two teaspoons cloves; boil all together for a quarter of an hour, then strain the syrup, and add to each pint a gla.s.s of French brandy.

TEA.--When the water in the teakettle begins to boil, have ready a tin tea-steeper; pour into the tea-steeper just a very little of the boiling water, and then put in tea, allowing one teaspoon of tea to each person.

Pour over this boiling water until the steeper is a little more than half full; cover tightly and let it stand where it will keep hot, but not to boil. Let the tea infuse for ten or fifteen minutes, and then pour into the tea-urn, adding more boiling water, in the proportion of one cup of water for every teaspoon of dry tea which has been infused.

Have boiling water in a water-pot, and weaken each cup of tea as desired. Do not use water for tea that has been boiled long. Spring water is best for tea, and filtered water next best.

ICED TEA A LA RUSSE.--To each gla.s.s of tea add the juice of half a lemon, fill up the gla.s.s with pounded ice, and sweeten.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BREAD.--In the composition of good bread, there are three important requisites: Good flour, good yeast, [and here let us recommend Gillett's Magic Yeast Cakes. They keep good for one year in any climate, and once used you will not do without it.

All grocers keep it] and strength to knead it well. Flour should be white and dry, crumbling easily again after it is pressed in the hand.

A very good method of ascertaining the quality of yeast will be to add a little flour to a very small quant.i.ty, setting it in a warm place.

If in the course of ten or fifteen minutes it raises, it will do to use.

When you make bread, first set the sponge with warm milk or water, keeping it in a warm place until quite light. Then mold this sponge, by adding flour, into one large loaf, kneading it well. Set this to rise again, and then when sufficiently light mold it into smaller loaves, let it rise again, then bake. Care should be taken not to get the dough too stiff with flour; it should be as soft as it can be to knead well. To make bread or biscuits a nice color, wet the dough over top with water just before putting it into the oven. Flour should always be sifted.

BROWN BREAD, for those who can eat corn-meal: Two cups Indian meal to one cup flour; one-half teacup syrup, 2-1/2 cups milk; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 teaspoons of Gillett's baking powder. Steam an hour and a half. To be eaten hot. It goes very nicely with a corn-beef dinner.

BROWN BREAD.--Stir together wheat meal and cold water (nothing else, not even salt) to the consistency of a thick batter. Bake in small circular pans, from three to three and a half inches in diameter, (ordinary tin pattypans do very well) in a quick, hot oven. It is quite essential that it be baked in this sized cake, as it is upon this that the raising depends. [In this article there are none of the injurious qualities of either fermented or superfine flour bread; and it is so palpably wholesome food, that it appeals at once to the common sense of all who are interested in the subject.]

BROWN BREAD--Take part of the sponge that has been prepared for your white bread, warm water can be added, mix it with graham flour (not too stiff).

BOSTON BROWN BREAD.--To make one loaf:--Rye meal unsifted, half a pint; Indian meal sifted, one pint; sour milk, one pint; mola.s.ses, half a gill. Add a teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little hot water; stir well, put in a greased pan, let it rise one hour, and steam four hours.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD.--One and one-half cups of graham flour, two cups of corn meal, one-half cup of mola.s.ses, one pint of sweet milk, and one-half a teaspoon of soda; steam three hours.

CORN BREAD.--One-half pint of b.u.t.termilk, one-half pint of sweet milk; sweeten the sour milk with one-half teaspoon of soda; beat two eggs, whites and yolks together; pour the milk into the eggs, then thicken with about nine tablespoons of sifted corn meal. Put the pan on the stove with a piece of lard the size of an egg; when melted pour it in the batter; this lard by stirring it will grease the pan to bake in; add a teaspoon of salt.

EXCELLENT BREAD.--Four potatoes mashed fine, four teaspoons of salt, two quarts of lukewarm milk, one-half cake Gillett's magic yeast dissolved in one-half cup of warm water, flour enough to make a pliable dough; mold with hands well greased with lard; place in pans, and when sufficiently light, it is ready for baking.

FRENCH BREAD.--With a quarter of a peck of fine flour mix the yolks of three and whites of two eggs, beaten and strained, a little salt, half a pint of good yeast that is not bitter, and as much milk, made a little warm, as will work into a thin light dough. Stir it about, but don't knead it. Have ready three quart wooden dishes, divide the dough among them, set to rise, then turn them out into the oven, which must be quick. Rasp when done.

GRAHAM BREAD.--For one loaf, take two cups of white bread sponge, to which add two tablespoons of brown sugar, and graham flour to make a stiff batter; let it rise, after which add graham flour sufficient to knead, but not very stiff; then put it in the pan to rise and bake.

ITALIAN BREAD.--Make a stiff dough, with two pounds of fine flour, six of white powdered sugar, three or four eggs, a lemon-peel grated, and two ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter. If the dough is not firm enough, add more flour and sugar. Then turn it out, and work it well with the hand, cut it into round long biscuits, and glaze them with white of egg.

RICE AND WHEAT BREAD.--Simmer a pound of rice in two quarts of water till soft; when it is of a proper warmth, mix it well with four pounds of flour, and yeast, and salt as for other bread; of yeast about four large spoonfuls; knead it well; then set to rise before the fire. Some of the flour should be reserved to make up the loaves. If the rice should require more water, it must be added, as some rice swells more than others.

SAGO BREAD.--Boil two lbs. of sago in three pints of water until reduced to a quart, then mix with it half a pint of yeast, and pour the mixture into fourteen lbs. of flour. Make into bread in the usual way.

STEAMED BREAD.--Two cups corn meal; 1 cup graham flour; 1/2 cup N. O.

mola.s.ses; salt and teaspoonful of soda. Mix soft with sour milk, or make with sweet milk and Gillett's baking powder. Put in tight mold in kettle of water; steam three hours or more. This is as nice as Boston brown bread.

Use this receipt with flour instead of graham; add a cup of beef suet, and it makes a nice pudding in the winter. Eat with syrup or cream.

BISCUITS.--Mix a quart of sweet milk with half a cup of melted b.u.t.ter; stir in a pinch of salt, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder and flour enough for a stiff batter. Have the oven at a brisk heat. Drop the batter, a spoonful in a place, on b.u.t.tered pans. They will bake in fifteen minutes.

CREAM BISCUITS.--Three heaping tablespoons of sour cream; put in a bowl or vessel containing a quart and fill two-thirds full of sweet milk, two teaspoons cream tartar, one teaspoon of soda, a little salt; pour the cream in the flour, mix soft and bake in a quick oven.

FRENCH BISCUITS.--Two cups of b.u.t.ter, two cups of sugar, one egg (or the whites of two), half a cup of sour milk, half a teaspoon of soda; flour to roll; sprinkle with sugar.

RYE BISCUITS.--Two cups of rye meal, one and a half cups flour, one-third cup mola.s.ses, one egg, a little salt, two cups sour milk, two even teaspoons saleratus.

SODA BISCUITS.--To each quart of flour add one tablespoon of shortening, one-half teaspoon of salt, and three and a half heaping teaspoons of Gillett's baking powder; mix baking powder thoroughly through the flour, then add other ingredients. Do not knead, and bake quickly. To use cream tartar and soda, take the same proportions without the baking powder, using instead two heaping teaspoons cream tartar and one of soda. If good they will bake in five minutes.

TEA BISCUITS.--One cup of hot water, two of milk, three tablespoons of yeast; mix thoroughly; after it is risen, take two-thirds of a cup of b.u.t.ter and a little sugar and mold it; then let it rise, and mold it into small cakes.

BANNOCKS.--One pint corn meal, pour on it boiling water to thoroughly wet it. Let it stand a few minutes; add salt and one egg and a little sweet cream, or a tablespoon melted b.u.t.ter. Make into b.a.l.l.s and fry in hot lard.

BREAKFAST CAKES.--One cup milk, one pint flour, three eggs, piece b.u.t.ter size of an egg, two teaspoons cream tartar, one teaspoon soda, one tablespoon b.u.t.ter.

BUCKWHEAT CAKES.--One quart buckwheat flour, four tablespoons yeast, one tablespoon salt, one handful Indian meal, two tablespoons mola.s.ses, not syrup. Warm water enough to make a thin batter; beat very well and set in a warm place. If the batter is the least sour in the morning, add a little soda.

QUICK BUCKWHEAT CAKES.--One quart of buckwheat flour, one-half a teacup of corn meal or wheat flour, a little salt, and two tablespoons of syrup. Wet these with cold or warm water to a thin batter, and add, lastly, four good-tablespoons of Gillett's baking powder.

SPANISH BUNS.--Five eggs well beaten; cut up in a cup of warm new milk half a pound of good b.u.t.ter, one pound of sifted flour, and a winegla.s.sful of good yeast; stir these well together; set it to rise for an hour, in rather a warm place; when risen, sift in half a pound of white sugar, and half a grated nutmeg; add one winegla.s.s of wine and brandy, mixed, one winegla.s.s of rose-water, and one cupful of currants, which have been cleaned thoroughly. Mix these well, pour it into pans, and set it to rise again for half an hour. Then bake one hour. Icing is a great improvement to their appearance.

BATH BUNS.--- Take 1 lb. of flour, put it in a dish, and make a hole in the middle, and pour in a dessert spoonful of good yeast; pour upon the yeast half a cupful of warm milk, mix in one-third of the flour, and let it rise an hour. When it has risen, put in 6 ozs. of cold b.u.t.ter, 4 eggs, and a few caraway seeds; mix all together with the rest of the flour. Put it in a warm place to rise. Flatten it with the hand on a pasteboard. Sift 6 ozs. of loaf sugar, half the size of a pea; sprinkle the particles over the dough; roll together to mix the sugar; let it rise in a warm place about 20 minutes. Make into buns, and lay on b.u.t.tered tins; put sugar and 9 or 10 comfits on the tops, sprinkle them with water; bake in a pretty hot oven.

GRAHAM GEMS.--One quart of sweet milk, one cup syrup, one teaspoon soda, two teaspoons cream tartar, little salt; mix cream tartar in graham flour, soda in milk, and make it as stiff with the flour as will make it drop easily from the spoon into m.u.f.fin rings.

BROWN GRIDDLE CAKES.--Take stale bread, soak in water till soft, drain off water through colander, beat up fine with fork, to one quart of the crumb batter, add one quart each milk and flour, and four eggs well beaten. Mix, bake in a griddle.

WHEAT GEMS.--One pint milk, two eggs, flour enough to make a batter not very stiff, two large spoons melted b.u.t.ter, yeast to raise them, a little soda and salt. Bake in gem irons.

JOHNNIE CAKE.--- One pint of corn meal, one teacup of flour, two eggs, one pint of sweet milk, one tablespoon of mola.s.ses, one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter, a little salt, one teaspoon of soda, one teaspoon of cream of tartar; bake in square tins.

MUSH.--Indian or oatmeal mush is best made in the following manner: Put fresh water in a kettle over the fire to boil, and put in some salt; when the water boils, stir in handful by handful corn or oatmeal until thick enough for use. In order to have excellent mush, the meal should be allowed to cook well, and long as possible while thin, and before the final handful is added.

FRIED MUSH.--When desired to be fried for breakfast, turn into an earthen dish and set away to cool. Then cut in slices when you wish to fry; dip each piece in beaten eggs and fry on a hot griddle.

m.u.f.fINS.--One tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, two tablespoons sugar, two eggs--stir altogether; add one cup of sweet milk, three teaspoons of baking powder, flour to make a stiff batter. Bake twenty minutes in a quick oven.

ENGLISH PANCAKES.--Make a batter of two teacups of flour, four eggs, and one quart of milk. Add, as a great improvement, one tablespoonful of brandy with a little nutmeg sc.r.a.ped in. Make the [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'sixe'] size of frying pan. Sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the pancake, roll it up, and send to the table hot.

POP OVERS.--Three cups of milk and three cups flour, three eggs, a little salt, one tablespoon melted b.u.t.ter put in the last thing; two tablespoons to a puff.

ROLLS.--To the quant.i.ty of light bread-dough that you would take for twelve persons, add the white of one egg well beaten, two tablespoons of white sugar, and two tablespoons of b.u.t.ter; work these thoroughly together; roll out about half an inch thick; cut the size desired, and spread one with melted b.u.t.ter and lay another upon the top of it. Bake delicately when they have risen.

FRENCH ROLLS.--One quart flour, add two eggs, one half-pint milk, tablespoon of yeast, kneed it well; let rise till morning. Work in one ounce of b.u.t.ter, and mold in small rolls. Bake immediately.

RUSKS.--Milk enough with one-half cup of yeast to make a pint; make a sponge and rise, then add one and a half cups of white sugar, three eggs, one-half cup of b.u.t.ter; spice to your taste; mold, then put in pan to rise. When baked, cover the tops with sugar dissolved in milk.

WAFFLES.--One quart of sweet or sour milk, four eggs, two-thirds of a cup of b.u.t.ter, half a teaspoonful of salt, three teaspoonfuls of baking-powder; flour enough to make a nice batter. If you use sour milk leave out the baking-powder, and use two teaspoons soda.