Chapter 13

Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt and sugar, then cut in the Crisco with a knife, add egg well beaten, and milk. The dough should be a soft one. Roll in two layers, spread in two Criscoed pans and bake in a hot oven until a light brown color. Mash and sweeten one cupful of the strawberries, put on one layer, then place second layer on top. Sweeten remainder of strawberries, spread on top layer, and cover with the whipped cream. Decorate with whole ripe strawberries.

Fig Cake

1 cupful sugar 3 eggs 1 cupful milk 2 teaspoonfuls powdered cinnamon 3 cupfuls flour 1/2 cupful Crisco 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful salt 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoonful grated nutmeg 1 cupful shredded figs

Wash and dry figs then shred them. Cream Crisco and sugar together, add eggs well beaten, and beat five minutes. Sift dry ingredients, and add to first mixture alternately with milk. Add figs and flavorings and turn into Criscoed and floured cake tin. Bake one hour in moderate oven.

Sufficient for one small cake.

Gennoise Cake

3/4 cupful flour 6 tablespoonfuls sugar 6 tablespoonfuls melted Crisco 4 eggs 1 teaspoonful baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful almond extract Boiled frosting Preserved cherries or cocoanut 1/4 teaspoonful salt

Break eggs into bowl, add sugar and beat for ten minutes over a pan of boiling water. Remove from water and beat till mixture is thick and cold; remove beater, sift in flour, salt, and baking powder; mix carefully, add melted Crisco and almond extract. Turn at once into small square greased and papered tin and bake in a moderate oven twenty minutes. Turn out and remove paper. Cool and cut in eight square pieces. Cover with boiled frosting and decorate with cherries or cocoanut.

Sufficient for eight small cakes.

Gingerbread

1/2 cupful sugar 1 egg 1/2 cupful molasses 1/2 cupful milk 1-1/3 cupfuls flour 1/4 cupful Crisco 1 teaspoonful salt 2 teaspoonfuls powdered ginger 1 teaspoonful powdered cinnamon 1/2 teaspoonful powdered cloves 1/2 teaspoonful baking soda or 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder

Sauce

1 teaspoonful Crisco 1 cupful (1/2 lb.) maple sugar 1 tablespoonful flour 1 egg 1 cupful boiling water

_For cake_. Cream Crisco and sugar together, add egg well beaten, molasses, milk, soda, flour, salt, and spices. Mix and turn into Criscoed tin and bake in moderate oven forty minutes.

_For sauce_. Dissolve maple sugar in boiling water. Rub together Crisco and flour. Add gradually boiling syrup; and lastly the beaten egg. Then return to fire and stir briskly until thickened.

Sufficient for one small gingerbread.

Golden Orange Cake

2 cupfuls sugar 1 teaspoonful salt 1 teaspoonful orange extract 1 cupful milk 5 eggs or yolks of 10 eggs 4 cupfuls flour 1 cupful Crisco 4 teaspoonfuls baking powder Orange icing

_For cake_. Cream Crisco and sugar together, add salt, eggs well beaten, orange extract, and flour and baking powder alternately with milk. Mix carefully and turn into Criscoed and floured cake tin and bake in moderate oven about one hour. This mixture may be baked in layers.

_For icing_. Boil 1 cupful water with 2 cupfuls sugar till it forms soft ball when tried in cold water, or 240° F., then pour over well beaten yolks of four eggs, beat until smooth and thick, add 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls orange extract and spread at once on cake.

Sufficient for one large cake.

Gold Cake

_(Kate B. Vaughn)_

3/4 cupful sugar 5 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1/2 cupful milk 4 yolks of eggs 1-1/2 cupfuls flour 1/2 teaspoonful salt 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful lemon extract

Cream Crisco and sugar together. Beat egg yolks very light and add to creamed mixture. Add dry ingredients, milk, and lemon extract and mix well. Turn into a small Criscoed and floured cake tin and bake in moderate oven forty-five minutes.

Sufficient for one small cake.

Hurry Up Cake

3/4 cupful sugar 1-1/2 cupfuls flour 4 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1/2 teaspoonful almond extract 1/2 teaspoonful lemon extract 2 whites of eggs 1/4 teaspoonful salt 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder Milk

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into bowl. Put whites of eggs into measuring cup, add Crisco, and fill cup with milk. Add to dry mixture with extracts and beat vigorously six minutes. Pour into small Criscoed and floured cake tin and bake in moderate oven forty-five minutes. Cake may be frosted if liked.

Sufficient for one small cake.

Crisco Sponge Cake

3 eggs 1 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful Crisco 1/2 teaspoonful salt 1-1/4 cupfuls flour 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful orange extract 1/2 cupful cold water

Cream Crisco; add salt, yolks of eggs well beaten, and sugar, and beat for five minutes, add orange extract and cold water. Beat up whites of eggs to a stiff froth and add alternately with the flour sifted with the baking powder. Divide into Criscoed and floured gem pans and bake in a moderate oven for fifteen minutes.

Sufficient for twelve cakes.

Sand Cake

1 cupful Crisco 1 cupful sugar 1 teaspoonful salt 5 eggs 1/2 lb. cornstarch 1 teaspoonful lemon extract

Cream the Crisco and salt, add sugar by tablespoonfuls, beating all the time, then add the yolks of the eggs each one separately, then add the cornstarch by tablespoonfuls, lemon extract and lastly whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Turn into a papered cake tin and bake in moderate oven for three-quarters of an hour. Sufficient for one cake.

Lady Baltimore Cake

(White Cake)

1 cupful sugar 3/4 cupful Crisco 1/2 cupful cold water 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract 2-1/2 cupfuls flour 2-1/2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful salt 6 whites of eggs

For the Filling

1 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful boiling water 2 whites of eggs 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract Pinch cream of tartar 1/2 cupful chopped candied cherries 1/2 cupful chopped candied pineapple

_For cake._ Cream Crisco and sugar together. Sift together three times dry ingredients and add alternately with water. Add vanilla, beat mixture well, then fold in stiffly beaten whites of eggs. Divide into two Criscoed and floured layer cake tins and bake in moderate oven twenty-five minutes.

_For filling._ Put sugar and water into saucepan, stir till boiling, add cream of tartar, then boil until it forms a soft ball when tried in cold water, or 240° F.; pour on to the stiffly beaten whites of eggs, pouring in a steady stream and very slowly, adding while beating vanilla, cherries and pineapple, beat till thick and divide between and on top of cake.

Sufficient for one large layer cake.

Lemon layer Cake

6 tablespoonfuls sugar 3 tablespoonfuls Crisco 3 eggs 1/4 teaspoonful salt 1 teaspoonful baking powder 12 tablespoonfuls flour Grated rind 1 lemon

For Lemon Filling

4 tablespoonfuls Crisco 2 lemons 3/4 cupful sugar 4 yolks of eggs 1 white of egg 1/4 teaspoonful salt

_For cake._ Put the eggs, sugar, and lemon rind into basin, stand it over pan of boiling water, and beat until warm; then remove from hot water, and continue beating until mixture is stiff and cold; then add flour mixed with baking powder and salt, and pass through sieve, add Crisco melted but cool, taking care to stir very gently, but on no account beat it. Divide mixture into two small Criscoed and floured layer cake tins, and bake ten minutes in moderately hot oven. Turn out and cool, then put together with lemon filling.

_For filling._ Beat up eggs in saucepan, add Crisco, salt, grated rinds and strained lemon juice. Stir with wooden spoon over gentle heat until mixture just comes to boiling point. When cold use.

Sufficient for one layer cake.

Lord Baltimore Cake

1 cupful sugar 3/4 cupful Crisco 1/2 cupful cold water 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract 2 1/2 cupfuls flour 2 1/2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful salt 6 yolks of eggs

Filling or Frosting

1 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful boiling water 2 whites of eggs Pinch cream of tartar 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract 1/2 cupful chopped raisins 1/2 cupful chopped nut meats 5 chopped figs

_For cake._ Cream Crisco and sugar together. Sift together three times dry ingredients and add alternately with water. Add vanilla, beat mixture well, then fold in beaten yolks of eggs. Divide into two Criscoed and floured layer cake tins and bake in moderate oven twenty-five minutes.

_For filling._ Put sugar and water into saucepan, stir till boiling, add cream of tartar, then boil until it forms soft ball when tried in cold water, or 240° F.; pour on to stiffly beaten whites of eggs, pouring in steady stream and very slowly, adding while beating vanilla, raisins, nuts, and figs, beat until thick and divide between and on top of cake.

Sufficient for one large layer cake.

Lunch Cakes

1 scant cupful sugar 6 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1 cupful milk 2 eggs 2 cupfuls flour 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1 teaspoonful salt 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract

Cream Crisco and sugar together, then add well beaten eggs. Sift dry ingredients, and add to first mixture alternately with milk. Divide into Criscoed and floured gem pans and bake in moderately hot oven fifteen minutes.

Sufficient for fifteen cakes.

Jelly Roll

4 eggs 1 cupful sugar 2 tablespoonfuls melted Crisco 2 cupfuls flour 1 teaspoonful baking powder 1/4 teaspoonful salt 4 tablespoonfuls milk Jelly or preserves 1 teaspoonful lemon extract

Beat eggs and sugar together twenty minutes, remove beater, sift in flour, salt, and baking powder, add milk, extract, and melted Crisco. Grease large flat tin with Crisco, dust over with flour, pour in mixture and spread out evenly. Bake twelve minutes in moderately hot oven. Turn out on sugared paper, spread quickly with jelly or preserve and roll up at once. The cake will crack if spreading and rolling are not quickly done. Sliced jelly roll is delicious with custard.

Sufficient for one jelly roll.

Marble Cake

2 cupfuls sugar 1 cupful Crisco 3-1/2 cupfuls flour 4 eggs 1 cupful milk 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder 2 tablespoonfuls molasses 2 tablespoonfuls melted chocolate 1 teaspoonful powdered cinnamon 1/2 teaspoonful grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoonful powdered allspice 1 teaspoonful salt

Cream Crisco, add gradually the sugar, yolks of eggs beaten until thick, flour, salt, baking powder, milk, and egg whites beaten to stiff froth. Mix carefully and to one-third the mixture add spices, molasses, and melted chocolate. Drop in Criscoed cake pan alternately a spoonful of each mixture, and draw spoon through once or twice to make colors lie in lines. Bake in moderately hot oven one hour.

Sufficient for one medium-sized cake.

Marmalade Cake

1/2 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful Crisco 1 cupful marmalade 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful salt 1 egg 2 cupfuls flour 1/2 teaspoonful powdered ginger

Sift salt, flour, and baking powder into basin, rub in Crisco with finger tips, add ginger and egg well beaten. Knead lightly to smooth paste and divide into two pieces. Roll out pieces and line Criscoed dinner plate with one of them. Spread over with marmalade, cover with remaining piece of paste, pinch neatly round the edges and bake in moderate oven half an hour. Cut like pie and serve hot or cold.

Sufficient for eight pieces.

Old Fashioned Seed Cake

2 cupfuls sugar 1-1/2 cupfuls Crisco 4 cupfuls flour 1 teaspoonful salt 2 tablespoonfuls carraway seeds 12 eggs

Cream Crisco and sugar thoroughly together, then drop in eggs one by one, beating each one in well before next is added, sift in flour and salt, add carraway seeds. Turn into Criscoed and papered loaf tin and bake in moderately hot oven one and a half hours.

Sufficient for one large cake.

Almond and Citron Cake

1 cupful sugar 1 cupful Crisco 5 eggs 1/2 lb. blanched chopped almonds 1/4 lb. shredded candied citron peel 2 cupfuls flour 1 teaspoonful baking powder 1/2 wineglass brandy 1/4 teaspoonful powdered mace 1 teaspoonful salt

Cream Crisco and sugar thoroughly together, beat in yolks of eggs one by one, add almonds, citron, brandy, mace, flour, baking powder, salt, mix well and fold in whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Turn into a papered cake pan and bake in a moderate oven for one hour. Cover with boiled frosting if liked.

Sufficient for one large cake.

Walnut Cakes

For Cakes

1 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful Crisco 1 cupful milk or water 1/2 teaspoonful salt 2 cupfuls flour 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1 whole egg and 2 yolks of eggs 1 cupful chopped walnut meats 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract

For Frosting

1 cupful sugar 1 cupful water 2 whites of eggs Pinch Cream of tartar 1 teaspoonful lemon juice 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract

_For cakes._ Cream Crisco and sugar thoroughly together, add eggs well beaten, salt, vanilla, milk or water, baking powder, flour, and nuts. Mix well and divide into Criscoed and floured gem pans and bake ten minutes in moderate oven. When cold cover with boiled frosting.

_For frosting._ Dissolve sugar and water over fire in a saucepan, add cream of tartar and boil until it forms a soft ball when tried in cold water, or 240° F. Pour on to the beaten whites of eggs, pouring in a steady stream and very slowly, adding, while beating, lemon juice, and vanilla; beat until thick, and use.

Sufficient for fifteen cakes.

Rose Leaf Cakes

1 cupful rose leaves 3 cupfuls flour 1 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful Crisco 3 eggs 1 cupful milk 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1 lemon 1/2 teaspoonful salt

Cream Crisco and sugar thoroughly together, then add eggs well beaten, flour, baking powder, salt, milk, grated rind and 1 tablespoonful lemon juice, and fresh rose leaves. Divide into Criscoed and floured gem pans and bake in moderate oven from twelve to fifteen minutes.

Sufficient for thirty-five cakes.

Scotch Shortbread

4 cupfuls flour 3/4 cupful sugar 1 cupful Crisco 1 large egg 1 teaspoonful salt

Sift flour and salt on to baking board. Cream Crisco, sugar and egg in basin and when thoroughly beaten turn out on board and very gradually knead in flour. Make into two smooth rounds, pinch them round the edges, prick over top with fork, lay on papered tin and bake in moderate oven thirty-five minutes. Leave on tin until cold.

Sufficient for two round cakes.

Silver Nut Cake

1 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful Crisco 4 whites of eggs 1/2 teaspoonful vanilla extract 2 cupfuls flour 1/2 teaspoonful salt 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1 cupful chopped pecans or English walnut meats 1/2 cupful milk

Cream Crisco and sugar. Sift dry ingredients and add to Crisco mixture, alternating with the milk; add nuts and vanilla extract. Beat egg whites to stiff froth and fold in at last. Turn into Criscoed and floured cake tin and bake in moderate oven thirty-five minutes.

Sufficient for one small cake.

Simnel Cake

3/4 cupful sugar 3/4 cupful Crisco 4 eggs 2 cupfuls sultana raisins 1/4 cupful seeded raisins 1/2 cupful chopped candied citron peel 2 cupfuls flour 1 teaspoonful baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful almond extract 3/4 teaspoonful salt

For Filling and Icing

1/4 lb. ground almonds 2 cupfuls powdered sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoonful almond extract

_For cake_. Cream Crisco and sugar together, add eggs well beaten, flour, baking powder, salt, almond extract, raisins, and peel. Make filling by mixing almonds with powered sugar, eggs well beaten and almond extract. Line Criscoed cake tin with paper and place in half of cake mixture, then put in layer of filling, then remaining half of cake mixture. Bake in moderate oven. When cake is nearly baked, place remaining almond paste on top and finish baking. Cake takes from one hour to one and a quarter hours.

Sufficient for medium-sized cake.

Southern Fruit Cake

1 cupful sugar 1 cupful Crisco 1 cupful molasses 1/2 cupful sour cream 3 cupfuls flour 1 teaspoonful salt 1/2 teaspoonful baking soda 3 eggs 1 teaspoonful powdered cinnamon 1 cupful seeded raisins 1/2 cupful currants 1/4 teaspoonful grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoonful powdered cloves 1/2 teaspoonful powdered allspice

Cream Crisco and sugar thoroughly together, then add molasses, cream, flour, soda, eggs well beaten, salt, spices, and fruit. Mix well and turn into Criscoed and papered cake tin and bake in slow oven one and a half hours.

Sufficient for one large cake.

The Wholesome Parkin

1 cupful flour 1/2 cupful melted Crisco 2 cupfuls fine oatmeal 3/4 cupful molasses 3 tablespoonfuls sugar 1/4 teaspoonful salt 1 egg 1 teaspoonful powdered ginger 1/4 teaspoonful powdered allspice 1/2 teaspoonful powdered cinnamon 1/2 teaspoonful baking soda

Melt Crisco and mix with molasses, then add sugar, egg well beaten, salt, soda, spices, flour, and oatmeal. Mix and pour into small square Criscoed tin and bake in moderate oven thirty-five minutes. This little cake is excellent when a week old.

Sufficient for one small cake.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread

4 tablespoonfuls sugar 1/2 cupful Crisco 2 eggs 1 teaspoonful baking soda 1/4 cupful milk 2 cupfuls flour 2 cupfuls whole wheat flour 1/2 cupful seeded raisins 1/2 teaspoonful salt 1-1/2 cupfuls molasses 1/2 cupful chopped nut meats 1 teaspoonful powdered ginger 1/2 teaspoonful powdered mace 1 teaspoonful powdered cinnamon 3 tablespoonfuls chopped candied lemon peel

Mix flours, then add peel, raisins, nuts, spices, and salt. Melt Crisco, molasses, and sugar, then cool, and add them with eggs well beaten, with soda mixed with milk. Mix well and turn into Criscoed and floured cake tin. Bake in moderate oven one hour.

Sufficient for one large cake of gingerbread.

VEGETARIAN DISHES

Even those who are by no means decided vegetarians may be glad to pass over a dinner occasionally without meat. It is perhaps not too much to say that every housekeeper ought to be able to provide a meal without the aid of meat. We do not mean by this simply the cooking of vegetables or the preparations of puddings, but the presentation of dishes intended to take the place of flesh, such as soups and broths made without meat, vegetable stews, lentil fritters and other healthful and nutritious dishes. A vegetarian menu is not so simple as it sounds. It requires knowledge and discrimination on the housekeeper's part to serve a solid meal without flesh or fowl.

Now that meat is so dear it is the favorable moment to try a vegetable diet for a time. One mistake to be avoided in this catering is the putting down of too many dishes of a pulpy character--food which is soft is excellent with other things, but alone it is neither satisfying nor very nourishing, at least to a person of strong digestion. All of them should not be white, for instance, and the same rule holds good in other things besides color. A nice dish for this kind of diet is a vegetable curry, in which all the vegetables are treated like meat and turned out crisp; all the vegetables, too, must be fresh and young for this method of serving, so that anything like stringiness is absolutely impossible.

Crisco is entirely vegetable.

Bean Cutlets

2 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1 tablespoonful flour 1/2 cupful bean liquor Salt and pepper to taste 2 eggs 1/4 lb. dried beans A few cooked mixed vegetables Breadcrumbs

Soak beans in water twenty-four hours, then boil for several hours till quite tender, drain them, preserving liquor, chop them very fine; blend Crisco with flour in saucepan over fire, add bean liquor, beans, salt and pepper, and yolks of eggs; turn out on to a dish and set aside till cold. Then cut out with cutlet-cutter or shape with knife; dip in beaten whites of the eggs, then in fine breadcrumbs, repeat a second time, and fry in hot Crisco. Serve on hot platter decorated with a few hot cooked mixed vegetables. Sufficient for eight cutlets.

Devilled Bananas

2 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1/2 teaspoonful salt 8 bananas 1 teaspoonful chopped pickles Few grains red pepper, or 1 dessertspoonful chopped chillies

Slice bananas, mix with salt, chopped pickles and red pepper or chopped chillies and put them into hot Crisco. Cook for four minutes and serve. Sufficient for eight bananas.

Cauliflower Snow

2 tablespoonfuls melted Crisco 2 cauliflowers 4 poached eggs Salt and paprika to taste Toasted bread

Boil cauliflowers in salted water till tender, then drain and set near fire till quite dry. Remove all green parts and press flower through a potato ricer upon a hot dish, on which they are to be served. In no way crush the mass as it falls from the ricer. Sprinkle over with melted Crisco. Surround dish with poached eggs, each laid upon square of toasted buttered bread. Dust each egg with salt and a little paprika. Serve very hot.

Craigie Toast

3 tablespoonfuls Crisco 4 eggs 4 tomatoes Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cupful milk Toast 1 teaspoonful chopped gherkin or capers

Skin, seed and chop tomatoes, add eggs well beaten, gherkin, milk, salt and pepper. Melt Crisco, add other ingredients and stir over fire till thoroughly hot. Serve at once on toast. The mixture may also be baked in oven twenty minutes and then garnished with small pieces of toast. Sufficient for four pieces of toast.

Excellent Lemon Mincemeat

1/2 cupful Crisco 2 large lemons 4 apples 1/4 lb. chopped candied lemon peel 1 lb. currants 1-3/4 cupfuls sugar 1 teaspoonful powdered cinnamon 1 teaspoonful powdered ginger 1/2 teaspoonful grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoonful powdered allspice 1/4 teaspoonful powdered cloves 1 teaspoonful salt 1/2 cupful seeded raisins 1/2 cupful chopped nut meats

Extract juice from lemons and remove pips. Now put lemons into saucepan, cover with cold water, and boil until lemon feels quite tender. Change water at least twice, drain and pound peel to a paste, add apples, cored, peeled and chopped, lemon peel, Crisco, currants, raisins, salt, spices, lemon juice, nut meats, and sugar. Put into a jar and cover. This mincemeat is excellent for pies and tartlets.

Sufficient for four pies.

German Tart

For Pastry

6 tablespoonfuls Crisco 3/4 cupful flour 3/4 cupful potato flour 1 tablespoonful sugar 1/2 teaspoonful mixed spices 1/4 teaspoonful salt 1 teaspoonful lemon juice Cold water

For Mixture

3 apples 3/4 cupful prunes 4 tablespoonfuls sugar 1/2 lemon 1/2 cupful water 1 tablespoonful cakecrumbs

For mixture, peel, core and slice apples, and wash prunes in lukewarm water. Put these into a small saucepan with sugar, grated lemon rind and cold water. Stew slowly until apples are soft. Then remove prunes, and take out stones. Cut prunes in small pieces and return them to apples and cool. For pastry, sift flours, sugar, salt, and spices into basin. Add Crisco and cut it into flour with knife until finely divided. Then rub together lightly with finger tips until as fine as breadcrumbs. While rubbing, keep lifting flour well up in basin so that air may mix with it and Crisco is not made too soft. Add lemon juice and sufficient water to make stiff paste. Divide into two equal pieces. Wet a dinner plate with cold water and leave it wet. Roll out one of the pieces rather thinly, and line plate with it. Sprinkle cakecrumbs over it, then spread on mixture. Roll out the other piece of pastry for a cover. Wet round the edge of the pastry, lay other piece of pastry on, and press edges well together. Trim round with knife or scissors, and mark neatly round the edges. Brush over top with a little water or beaten white of egg. Dredge with sugar, and bake in moderate oven forty-five minutes. Serve hot or cold. The tart may be covered with boiled frosting.

Marchette Croquettes