Favorite Dishes Part 13

FAMOUS DOUGHNUTS

From MISS FRANCES E. WILLARD, of Illinois, Lady Manager.

_To tell you the truth, I never knew anything about cooking or had a particle of taste for it, but I will send you the recipe for her famous 'doughnuts,' written out by my beloved mother, and I think about the last communication she ever prepared for the press; it was in March of last year. There is nothing specially valuable about the recipe except that it is good and decidedly old-fas.h.i.+oned. I used to think there was nothing so toothsome as mother's 'fried cakes,' for so we called them on the old Wisconsin farm.

Believe me, yours, with all good wishes, Frances E. Willard_

Take a little over one pint of rich, sweet milk, into which put two- thirds of a teacup of sugar and a little salt. Sift as much flour as you think will be required, into which mix four heaping teaspoonfuls of best baking powder. Stir into the milk and sugar six tablespoonfuls of very hot fresh lard, pour the mixture into the flour and make a sponge. When cooled sufficiently to prevent cooking the egg add one egg slightly beaten. Mix to a proper consistency, roll and cut into rings. It is hard to give a recipe where so much depends upon the judgment and care of the cook. Much depends upon having the lard in which the doughnuts are fried very hot before they are put in, otherwise they "soak up the fat" and are heavy.

RAISED DOUGHNUTS.

From MRS. ELLEN M. CHANDLER, of Vermont, Lady Manager.

One pint warmed milk, one cup sugar, one-half cup yeast, one-half teaspoon salt; mix about 10 A.M., let rise four hours then add: One cup sugar, two eggs, one-fourth cup lard, one-fourth cup b.u.t.ter. Knead and let rise in warm place until night, then roll thin and cut out; let rise over night in warm place and fry in the morning.

DOUGHNUTS.

From MRS. LAURA E. HOWEY, of Montana, Secretary State Board and Lady Manager.

Beat well together one egg, one cup sweet milk, one cup sugar (small cup), large teaspoonful of baking powder, sprinkle in two cups flour, piece b.u.t.ter size of an egg, pinch of salt. Knead soft, cook in skillet well filled with lard just to the boiling point; place in dripping pan, so that they may not get soggy with the grease while cooling off.

DOUGHNUTS. From MISS ANNIE M. MAHAN, of West Virginia, Alternate Lady Manager.

One-half cup of b.u.t.ter, one cup of sour milk, one and one-half cup of sugar, four eggs, one teaspoon soda (in milk), nutmeg, flour to make it stiff enough to roll.

CALLAS. A CREOLE CAKE EATEN HOT WITH COFFEE.

From MRS. BELLE H. PERKINS, of Louisiana, President of State Board, Lady Manager.

One teacup of rice well boiled and mashed, one small coffee cup of sugar, two tablespoons yeast, three eggs and flour sufficient to make a thick batter; beat the whole well together and fry in hot lard. Be careful not to have the batter too thin, or it will not fry well.

APPLE FRITTERS.

From MRS. M. P. HART, of Ohio, President of State Board and Lady Manager.

Make a batter with one cup sweet milk, one teaspoonful sugar, two eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, two cups flour, one teaspoonful baking powder mixed with flour. Chop some good tart apples, mix them in the batter and fry in hot lard. Serve them with maple syrup.

CORN FRITTERS.

From MRS. E. V. McConnell, of North Dakota, Lady Manager

Two eggs, one tablespoon of cream or sweet milk, one cup oyster crackers rolled fine, one can or six ears of sweet corn sc.r.a.ped from the cob, pepper and salt to taste. Put tablespoon b.u.t.ter in frying pan, have it hot and drop in batter by spoonfuls. Fry brown and serve hot for breakfast.

CLAM FRITTERS.

From MRS. SALLIE S. COTTEN, of North Carolina, President State Board and Alternate Lady Manager.

Open as oysters and chop fine. Make a stiff batter of eggs and flour, with a little black pepper. Stir into this batter the chopped clams and a little of the clam liquor, if necessary to make the batter the proper consistency. Fry in hot b.u.t.ter or lard.

WHITE CORN MEAL CAKES FOR BREAKFAST. (A RHODE ISLAND DISH.)

From MRS. SARAH S.C. ANGELL, of Michigan, Lady Manager.

One pint white corn meal, Into which you stir two saltspoonfuls salt.

Gradually moisten this with boiling water until the mixture is somewhat thicker than hasty pudding. Stir constantly and after the right consistency is attained, beat thoroughly for two minutes. Drop from spoon into boiling lard and fry for five or six minutes. Serve immediately. It is of absolute importance that the water should be _boiling_ and _kept_ so, and therefore it is wise to bring the mixing dish very near the stove when the teakettle is heated. The same paste may be fried on a griddle like buckwheat cakes, but the first method makes the crispest, nuttiest flavor. This recipe makes bannocks enough for six people.

CORN GRIDDLE CAKES OR OLD VIRGINIA SLAP JACKS.

From MISS LILY IRENE JACKSON, of West Virginia, Lady Manager.

One or two eggs, whites beaten to a froth; one quart of sweet milk; pinch of salt; meal enough to make a thin batter. Bake very thin on hot griddle and serve at once. Meal must not be too finely ground or bolted.

FRIED MUSH.

From MRS. GEORGE HOXWORTH, of Arizona, Alternate Lady Manager.

Three pints boiling water; one cup wheat flour; enough corn meal to make stiff batter. Fry while hot in plenty of grease. Think it more convenient than the old way and much better. A tablespoonful of sugar added makes it brown better.

SUPERIOR WAFFLES.

From MRS. MARY B.P. BLACK, of West Virginia, Alternate Lady Manager.

One quart of b.u.t.termilk; one pint of sweet new milk; four eggs, beaten separately; little salt; teaspoonful soda, dissolved in half teacup sour cream or b.u.t.termilk, and enough flour to make the dough of proper consistency. Sift your flour; begin with three pints, you may need less or more. Add b.u.t.termilk (sour cream will do instead), then sweet milk; then yolks of eggs, well beaten; then soda, having dissolved it in half teacupful of b.u.t.termilk or sour cream; add more flour now, should it be needed; lastly, whites of eggs, beaten to a stiff froth and stirred gently into the thin dough. Let the cook be careful to fill the iron scantily half full, to bake, as these beautiful waffles to be crisp and tender must have ample s.p.a.ce to rise.

MEXICAN ENCHILADAS

From MRS. FRANC LUSE ALBRIGHT, of New Mexico, Lady Manager.

1. To make the tortillas for the enchiladas, take one quart of blue corn meal mixed with water and salt, making a batter stiff enough to flatten out into round cakes, and bake on the bare hot lid.

2. To make the chili sauce: One cup of tepid water; three tablespoonfuls of ground chili; let boil down to a batter.

3. Filling for tortillas: Grated cheese and chopped onions, very fine.

Dip into a pan of boiling hot lard one tortilla; then dip this tortilla into the chili batter; then sprinkle with the filling, first the cheese and then the onion. Then put on one spoonful of chili batter and lay like a layer cake as many cakes as desired, and then pour over the chili batter. Cut like cake and serve hot.