AUNT SARAH’S DELICIOUS CREAM BISCUITS

Place in a flour sifter 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt and 1/2 teaspoonful of sugar.  Sift twice; stir together 1/2 cup of sweet milk and 1/2 cup of thick, sweet cream.  Quickly mix all together, cutting through flour with a knife, until a soft dough is formed, mixing and handling as little as possible.  Drop spoonfuls into warmed muffin tins and bake at once in a hot oven.  Serve hot.

These are easily and quickly made, no shortening other than cream being used, and if directions are closely followed will be flakey biscuits when baked.

Aunt Sarah was always particular to use pastry flour when using baking powder, in preference to higher-priced “Hard Spring Wheat,” which she used only for the making of bread or raised cakes, in which yeast was used.

MARY’S MUFFINS

2 cups of flour. 3 even teaspoonfuls of baking powder. 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar. 1 cup of sweet milk. 2 eggs. 1 tablespoonful of butter.

Sift flour and baking powder in a bowl; add 1 tablespoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt; add the 2 yolks of eggs to the 1 cup of milk, and mix with the flour and baking powder; lastly, add the stiffly-beaten whites of eggs.  Place large spoonfuls of the batter in small Gem pans.  Bake in a hot oven 20 minutes.  These muffins are fine.

CORN MUFFINS (AS MADE BY “FRAU SCHMIDT”)

2 eggs. 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of sugar. 1 cup of granulated yellow cornmeal. 1-1/2 cups of sweet milk. 2 cups of white flour. 3 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. 1 tablespoonful melted butter.  A pinch of salt

Beat together eggs and sugar, add milk and cornmeal and the white flour, sifted, with baking powder and salt; add the 1 tablespoonful of melted butter.  Bake 20 minutes in warmed Gem pans, in a hot oven.  Mary’s Aunt taught her to utilize any left-over muffins by making a very appetizing pudding from them called “Indian Sponge” Pudding, the recipe for which may be found among pudding recipes.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (AS FRAU SCHMIDT MADE IT)

1 pint of flour. 3 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. 2-1/2 tablespoonfuls of butter or lard. 1 egg. 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Milk or water.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, and cut butter or lard through the flour.  Add 1 beaten egg to about 1 cup of sweet milk, and add gradually to the flour, cutting through it with a knife until a soft dough is formed, mixing and handling as little as possible.  Divide the dough into two portions, roll out one portion quickly and place on a large pie tin; spread the top of cake with softened (not melted) butter, lay the other cake on top and bake in a quick oven.  When baked and still hot, the cakes may be easily separated without cutting; when, place between layers, and, if liked, on top of the cake, crushed, sweetened strawberries.  “Frau” Schmidt thought a crushed banana added to the strawberries an improvement.  Serve the hot shortcake with sweet cream and sugar.