School and Home Cooking Part 29

Cocoa and chocolate contain protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These materials, in addition to the milk and sugar used in preparing the beverages, make the cocoa and chocolate beverages high in food value. But in addition to the materials mentioned above, there is present in cocoa and chocolate some tannin and stimulating materials. The large percentage of fat existing in chocolate may produce distressing effects when taken in addition to a full meal. If, however, the use of these beverages causes no ill effects, they may be cla.s.sed among the nutritious foods and are much preferable to tea and coffee especially for girls and boys.

Neither cocoa nor chocolate is soluble in water. Some cocoas are very finely ground and are termed soluble cocoas.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 41.--CACAO PODS.]

When mixed with water these cocoas do not separate as rapidly as others, but they are not soluble. Because of its insolubility, chocolate should be blended as thoroughly as possible with other materials. A satisfactory and practical method of accomplis.h.i.+ng this is to make a _smooth paste_ of chocolate and boiling water.

To develop flavor, it is well to cook both chocolate and cocoa at boiling temperature, especially when combining with liquids. The flavor of the cocoa beverage is improved by much cooking. Long cooking of the chocolate beverage causes the fat to separate and float.

COCOA

1/4 cupful cocoa 3 cupfuls milk 1 to 3 teaspoonfuls corn-starch 1/4 to 3/8 cupful sugar 1 cupful water 1/4 teaspoonful salt

Mix cocoa, corn-starch, and water and boil for 10 minutes. Add the milk and sugar to the mixture and cook over hot water for 1/2 hour. Add salt.

Beat well and serve. Vanilla may be added to cocoa if desired.

Varying quant.i.ties of corn-starch and sugar are given so that the beverage may be thickened and sweetened to suit one's taste. If desired, the corn- starch may be omitted entirely.

CHOCOLATE

2 squares chocolate 3 cupfuls milk 1 cupful boiling water 1/4 teaspoonful salt 1/3 cupful sugar 1/2 teaspoonful vanilla

Cut the chocolate into bits and put it in a pan; add the boiling water.

Stir and cook until it reaches the boiling point and is perfectly smooth.

Heat the milk in a double boiler. Then gradually add the hot milk to the chocolate mixture, add the sugar, and heat all in a double boiler. Add salt and vanilla, if desired. If there is a sc.u.m over the beverage, beat well. Serve hot.

Whipped cream or marshmallows are often served with chocolate. The use of whipped cream with chocolate, however, makes the beverage excessively rich in fat.

QUESTIONS

What is the difference in method between scalding milk and boiling it? How can one determine when milk is scalded?

If it is necessary to heat milk, give two reasons why it is usually better to scald it than to boil it. Under what conditions should it be boiled?

What is the present cost of milk per quart? When is the price highest and when lowest?

If sweetened chocolate is used, how should the recipe for chocolate beverage be changed? Give two reasons why cocoa and chocolate should not be boiled after adding the hot milk.

Why is vanilla not added until the beverages are ready to be served (see _Flavoring Extracts_)?

What is the weight of one square of chocolate? How many squares in an ordinary cake of chocolate? What is the price per cake?

How many cupfuls are there in a half pound box of cocoa? What is the price per box?

See Chocolate Corn-starch Pudding. How much cocoa may be used for 1 ounce of chocolate when one is subst.i.tuted for the other? What is the difference in cost of these quant.i.ties of chocolate and cocoa?

LESSON XLVIII

MILK AND CREAM

WHIPPING CREAM.--A popular way of preparing cream for serving is to whip it. This is done most successfully when the cream is cold and kept cold, _i.e._ surrounded with ice water during the beating process.

To show one of the points involved in chilling materials try the following:

EXPERIMENT 46: COMPARISON OF THE CONDUCTING POWER OF METAL AND EARTHENWARE.--Select a tin and an earthenware utensil of about the same size and shape. Put an equal quant.i.ty of water of the same temperature in each utensil. Surround each with ice water and cover. After 5 minutes, take the temperature of the water in the tin and in the earthenware utensil. Which is colder? Through which material,--tin or earthenware,--is heat transmitted more readily? When cream is to be surrounded by ice water for whipping, in which kind of utensil should it be placed? Explain your answer.

Use a Dover egg beater or a cream whip for whipping cream. Since cream "spatters" when being beaten, a cream whip arranged with a cover is very satisfactory. To prevent spattering, the bowl of cream may be covered with paper while the cream is being whipped. Cut a slit in a piece of paper, insert the Dover egg beater in the slit, put the beater in the cream and push the paper down to cover.

Since cream contains considerable fat, under certain conditions, it is possible to ma.s.s the fat together, that is, separate it from the other const.i.tuents, and form _b.u.t.ter_. For making b.u.t.ter the cream should be "ripened," i.e. it should contain certain bacteria. It should then be churned.

On the other hand, if it is desired to beat or whip the cream, but not to form b.u.t.ter, it is necessary to prevent the fat from ma.s.sing together. To accomplish this, use thick cream (containing 20 per cent or more of fat) from 12 to 24 hours old [Footnote 50: Such cream contains a small amount of lactic acid.] and have it very cold; it will then whip quickly. Cream may be chilled by placing it on ice for some time before whipping or by surrounding it with ice water while whipping. In warm weather, it is safer not only to chill the cream but also to surround it with ice water while whipping.

A harmless substance called _viscogen_ may be added to thinner cream (_i.e._ the so-called coffee or 16 per cent cream) to make the latter whip. Viscogen is prepared by mixing the following ingredients:

1/2 cupful sugar 1 cupful water 1 tablespoonful milk of lime [Footnote 51: Milk of lime may be prepared by mixing 1 part of slaked lime with 3 parts of water.]

Mix the sugar and water and heat the mixture until it boils. Cool and add the milk of lime. Let the mixture stand at least 24 hours before using.

Add 1 teaspoonful to each pint of cream, then whip the mixture as directed above.

COMPARISON OF MILK AND CREAM.--Cream is richer in fat than milk, average cream containing 16 per cent of fat and whole milk about 4 per cent. But cream contains less protein and ash than whole milk.

Since cream is always more expensive than milk, it is interesting to compare the food value of quant.i.ties of each which may be purchased for the same price. Although the prices of cream and milk vary in different places, usually 1/2 pint of cream costs about as much as 1 quart of milk.

The following shows the approximate quant.i.ty of nutrients shown in the two quant.i.ties:

_In 1 quart of milk_ [Footnote 52: By permission Journal of Home Economics, Vol. X (August, 1918, p. 379).]

As much protein as in 5 eggs 2 1/2 tablespoonfuls of fat 3 tablespoonfuls of sugar

_In 1/2 pint of cream_

As much protein as in 1 egg 3 tablespoonfuls of fat 1/2 tablespoonful of sugar

Although 1/2 pint of cream contains 1/2 tablespoonful more of fat than does 1 quart of milk, the latter contains 2 1/2 tablespoonfuls more of sugar and as much more protein as is contained in 4 eggs. This comparison makes us question the advisability of buying much cream.

If whole milk is purchased, its top milk may often be used in place of cream. The skim milk that remains is a valuable food. Although whole milk contains more fat and vitamines than does skim milk, the latter has as much protein, lime, and sugar as whole milk. The use of both whole and skim milk is advised.

CARE OF MILK.--Milk is one of the foods that require the greatest care, and should be well cared for not only in the home but also on the dairy farm. It is one of the foods that afford ideal conditions for the growth of microscopic vegetable organisms, called _bacteria_ (see _Why Foods Spoil_). Many varieties of these bacteria or tiny plants produce changes in the milk which cause it to sour. A few varieties of disease- producing bacteria also sometimes exist in milk.

Milk can be kept reasonably free from bacteria by:

(_a_) Perfect cleanliness on the dairy farm.

(_b_) Cooling it immediately after being drawn from the cow, and by keeping it cool.

(_c_) Placing it in sterilized utensils.