Explicit directions for the making of these excellent raised cakes was given Mary by an old, experienced Pennsylvania German cook.  They were prepared from the following recipe:  Early in the morning 1 pint of milk was scalded.  When lukewarm, add 3-1/2 cups of flour and 1 cake of Fleischman’s compressed yeast (which had been dissolved in 1 tablespoonful of lukewarm water).  Beat the mixture well.  Cover and stand in a warm place to rise.  When well risen, which should be in about 2 hours, add the following mixture, composed of 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, creamed together; 1/2 teaspoonful of salt; 1 egg was beaten into the mixture, and about 2 cups of flour were added, enough to make a dough as stiff as can be stirred with a spoon.  Dough should not be as stiff as for bread.  Let stand about 1 hour.  When well risen and light, divide into four portions.  Roll out each piece of dough to thickness of one inch.  Place cakes in medium-sized pie tins and allow them to stand about one hour.  When well risen, doubled in bulk, make half dozen deep impressions on top of each cake with the forefinger.  Brush top of each cake with 1/2 tablespoonful of melted butter.  Sprinkle over 2 tablespoonfuls of soft A sugar and sift over a little pulverized cinnamon, if liked, just before placing cakes in oven.  Bake cakes from 20 to 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven.  From this dough may be made four cakes.

Excellent biscuits may also be made from this same dough, by simply moulding it into small biscuits and place in a pan some distance apart.  Let rise and brush tops of biscuits with a mixture composed of a part of an egg yolk, a tablespoonful of milk and 1/2 teaspoonful sugar.  This causes the biscuits to have a rich, brown color when baked.

The sponge from which these cakes or biscuits were made was mixed and set to rise at 6 o’clock in the morning, and the baking was finished at 11 o’clock.  Sponge should be set to rise in a warm room.  If these directions are carefully followed the housewife will invariably have good results.  Always use hard Spring wheat for bread or biscuits, raised with yeast; and Winter wheat, which costs less, will answer for making cake and pastry.  In cold weather always warm flour before baking, when yeast is used for baking raised cakes.  Soft A sugar or a very light brown is to be preferred to granulated.

MORAVIAN SUGAR CAKES

At 5 o’clock P.M. set a sponge or batter, consisting of 1 cup of mashed potatoes, 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of sweet milk, scalded and cooled, 1/2 cake of yeast, dissolved in 1 cup of lukewarm water, 2 eggs 3/4 cup of a mixture of lard and butter, add 3 cups of flour, beat well, stand in a warm place to raise; at 9 o’clock add about 6 cups of flour.  Stand until morning in a warm place, near the range.  The following morning turn out on a floured bake-board, roll out cakes one inch thick, place in pie tins, when ready for the oven; punch half a dozen small holes in the top of cakes, in which place small bits of butter.  Sprinkle sugar over liberally and cinnamon if liked.  Bake in a moderate oven.