MUFFINS AND BISCUITS

BAKING-POWDER

Put eight ounces of bicarbonate of soda, one ounce of tartaric acid and one package of high-grade cornstarch together and sift them thoroughly five times.  Keep closely covered in glass jars or tin boxes.

BAKING-POWDER BATTERS

Batter is a mixture of flour with sufficient liquid to make it thin enough to be beaten.

Pour-batter requires one measure of liquid to one measure of flour.

Drop-batter requires one measure of liquid to two measures of flour.

To make a batter.  Sift flour before measuring.  Put flour by spoonfuls into the cup; do not press or shake down.  Mix and sift dry ingredients.  Measure dry, then liquid ingredients, shortening may be rubbed or chopped in while cold, or creamed; or it may be melted and then added to dry ingredients, or added after the liquid.  Use two teaspoons of baking-powder to one cup of flour.  If eggs are used, less baking-powder will be required.

When sour milk is used, take one level teaspoon of soda to a pint of milk; when molasses is used, take one teaspoon of soda or baking-powder to each cup of molasses.

Mix dry materials in one bowl and liquids in another, combine them quickly, handle as little as possible and put at once into the oven.

The oven for baking biscuits should be hot enough to brown a teaspoon of flour in one minute.

BROWN BREAD

Mix and sift together one cup each of rye, graham flour, corn-meal and one teaspoon of salt.  Dissolve one teaspoon of soda in one cup of molasses.  Add alternately to flour with two cups of sour milk.  Grease one-pound baking-powder cans, put in the dough and boil two and one-half hours, keeping the water always three-fourths up around the tins.  Turn out on baking-tins and place in the oven fifteen minutes to brown.

To be eaten warm, whatever is left over can be steamed again or toasted.

CORN BREAD

Mix and sift one cup of corn-meal, one cup of flour, two tablespoons of sugar, one-half teaspoon of salt, three teaspoons of baking-powder.  Melt one tablespoon of butter and add to one egg; mix milk and egg and beat this into the dry ingredients, pour this mixture into well-greased tins and bake in a hot oven one-half hour.  Cut in squares and serve hot.  Bake in gem tins if preferred.

BRAN BREAD

Sift four teaspoons of soda, two teaspoons of salt with four cups of white flour, add four cups of bran flour and mix well.  Add one cup of molasses and four cups of sweet milk.  Use chopped nuts or raisins or both as desired.  This will make three or four flat loaves.  Place in greased pans (four and a half by nine inches), and bake one hour in a moderate oven.