Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-12-27
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
SUBSTITUTE FOR BUTTER.

A lady who is famous hOusekeeper
recommends an economical plan for max
ing cakes without butter, which may be
of use to our readers who have q dread
of margarine" Take a piece of fat
pork, melt it down and strain it through
q piece Of coarse, thin muslin. Set
it aside until it is cold. Tt is then white
and firm, and may be used like butter in
any kind OF cake. In pound cake, she
assures us it is delicious.
RABBITS.
Rabbits, which are IN the best con-
dltlon IN midwinter, NAV be fricasseed
like chicken, in white or brown sauce.
TO make pie, first stew till tender and
make like chicken pie. To roast, stuff
with dressing made Of bread crumbs,
chopped salt pork, thyme, onion, pepper
and salt; sew up; rub over with a little
butter, or pin on it q few slices Of salt
pork, add little water in the pan and
haste often. Serve with mashed pota-
toes and currant jelly.
MOLAsSES POUND-CAKE
Take one cup of sugar and beat to q
cream; add three~quarters cup of molas-
ses; two eggs we'll beaten; one cup of
sweet milk; one teaspoonful of best soda,
dissolved III the milk; into four cIlps Of
flour, well sifted, mix two teaspoonfuls
OF cream tartar. Stir altogether. then
add teacupful of raisins, well dredged
with flour; teacuOful of currants; two
teaspoOnfuls of cinnamon; one Of cloves,
and a wineglass of ole brandy if you
choose. This will make two round
lOaves.
THE BREAD SPONGE,
Brisk hOuse-keepers like to get their
bread baked early in the day. To ac-
complish this they set the sponge over
night. In cold weather there is Danger
that it will not rise properly duri0g the
night, especially if dry yeast is used,
There is no trouble about it if you can
keep the sponge warm enough. A pail
or jar is more easily wrapped up than a
Touring pan Of any kind. [ use o five
quart pail in which to start the half
dozen rather small lOaves of my family
baking. Some suppose that care must
be taken not to have the water too warm
with which the flour is mixed, lest the
bread be coarse In texture. I think that
matter depends entirely upon the knead-
ing, and that the warmth of the water
has nothing to do with it. You must,
however, be careful that the mixture is
not so hot as to scalt Ne yeast when
this IS added, as thai likes it of no
more use than SO much dry meal. [
usually pour little boiling water into
the middle of the -four, scalding a por-
ton of it purpOsely. This makes the
bread more moist and sweet than it
would be If mixed only with simple
warm water. [ continue the mixing with
luke-warm water, adding the yeast when
the batter is Of such temperature that it
will not scald theyeast, but rather warm
to my finger. Sirin the yeast thorough
ly, that the whole may be equally
leaVened. Now cover the pail and wrap
it up warm Gin cool weather. and leave
1t until morning, when you will probably
find the mass light enough to knead. If
for any reason the sponge does not keep
warm enough, and has not risen during
the night, 1t must be brought i'm
| mediately to the proper temperature.
The best way to accomplish this is to
have a kettle Of very hot water, and set
the pail into it. Let the kettle stand
where it will keep hot while you stir the
sponge rapidly, until it is all brought to
the proper heat. Then set it in warm
place, and it will rise as though it had
just been started. The sponge is more
sure to rise we'll in the night, if soft
yeast is used, and this you can make
each time from your cake of dry yeast.
About four o'clock III the afternoon put
a cake of yeast at soak in pint Of warm
water. In ten or fifteen minutes stir in
flour enough to make batter, and let
this rise in a warm place until near bed
time, when you wish to set the sponge.
Then stir it into the batter. The sponge
will rise in less time when so treated. F.
E. B., IN american Agr5cu1turi8t.