Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 301, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1910 — TO MAKE RICH BISCUIT [ARTICLE]

TO MAKE RICH BISCUIT

VARIOUB RECIPES FOR MIXINOI THE DOUGH. “ \ . A Measure of Flour, Add Balt, Baking Powder, Milk and Lard—Handle Mixture as Little as Possible —Mix With Knife. “America seems to be peculiar in its impromptu bakings of Parker house rolls!, biscuits, and ‘johnny ca ke,’ ” sayel.a recent writer, summarlzing the experience of a round-the-world traveler with breads, brod, etc. Just why the biscuit, and particularly the baking powder biscuit, should be considered such a dainty I could never understand. Perhaps it is because it really does require considerable skill to make it. Cream biscuits were my own first proud accomplishment, but their making was forced upon me, albeit my efforts were rewarded with a bouquet ■which I did not deserve, because so much had been done for me that they could not be a failure. It is easy to understand why beaten biscuit should be considered something fine, but as for the other, it is easy to see why the unsophisticated Englishman, accustomed to calling all forms of crackers biscuits, should not be altogether satisfied with some of the things he gets in America called biscuits. Hot Biscuit I.—To one pint of sifted flour add a half teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of baking powder, and sift again. Work in very lightly with the fingers a tablespoon of lard. When thoroughly mixed cut into it with a knife about one cup of ice cold milk. Roll out on a well floured board about three-fourths of an inch thick and cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in hot oven. The secret of good biscuit is to have the dough very soft, to handle it as little as possible, and to bake in a very quick oven.

Hot Biscuits II. —One quart of flour a pinch of salt, two tablespoons of lard, two teaspoons of baking powder. Wet up with cold water, roll out softly an inch thick, and bake in quick oven. Biscuits made with lard and water are much lighterand better than when butter is used. Quick Biscuit. —Two cups of flour, one-half teaspoon of salt, three tablespoons of lard, three teaspoons of baking powder, one cup of water. Sift all the dry Ingredients into a bowl and rub the lard lightly through them. Stir in the water, drop the dough into greased gem pans, and bake in a quick oven. Emergency Biscuit I. —Two cups of flour, four teaspoons of baking powder, one-half teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of snowdrift, one cup of milk. Mix shortening with flour to which salt and baking powder have been added. Add milk. Drop mixture from spoon, allowing about one tablespoon to each biscuit. Bake 20 minutes in moderate oven. This makes from 12 to 14 biscuits. Emergency Biscuit ll.—Two cups of flour, four teaspoons of baking powder, one-half teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of butter, one-half cup of milk, one-half cup of water. Sift dry ingredients, cut in butter, ad£ milk -and -water gradually,—Drop mixture in greased muffin tins and bake in a hot oven 18 minutes.