The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-06-15
berry shortcakes.

comparative dearth of early spring,
what o welcome we give the straw
berry. And from that time on, if We
do ourselves justice in our gardening.
the different berries, as they follow
one another, form very important
item in the family bill Of fare. Al
though the ripe berry in its natural
state is SO good that it seems half
pity to mar il by cooking, yet the
prejudices Of civilized man in favor
of taking his food cooked have driven.
us to devise a great number of prac-
tical examples of its value in the
daily round of regular demand and
supply. SsS
The shortcake may be considered
% kind OF compromise between the
primitive excellence Of the natural
berry and the more sophisticated
flavors of pies, puddlngs and pre-
serves. Combining. as 1t does, a
delicate form of the chief staple
bread, with the fresh favor of ripe
fiuit, it makes a welcome addition
TO the break fast, dinner or tea table,
or provides, by itself, a compete and
sufficient lunch. Who could ask tor
more when offered a perfect cup OF
coffee and an ample strawberry
shortcake?
allow do you make strawberry
shortcake?', is question often asked
with an air of perplexity that be-
tokens point at which domestic
wisdom is prone TO stumble. AT
hotels and eating.houses, almost
every variety of lightcakeian and warm
bread is served with strawberries,
under the general name Of strawberry
shortcake, The housekeeper is at
liberty to choose for herself what her
own private standard shall be, in
accordance with the taste of her fam
| lily. Four receipts, that represent
different types Of the shortcake and
include quite wide range, will be
given here, and experiment will de
vclop still further variation.
A mixture which produces the
ligntest, shortest, fullest soda bis
cult possible, made so rich with sour
cream or fresh butter, that the
crumbs when cold are more like
pastry than bread makes q generally
acceptable shortcake. Whoever has
tie knack of sure perfection in this
line-and it is chiefly a matter oil
swift and skillfnl touch, no more to
he communicated by receipt than a
fine touch upon the piano-need not
look farther for rule for strawberry
shortcake. Though we cannot give
the secret of manipulation, it IS easy
TO give the formula:
PLAIN SODA SHoRTCAKE.-Half a
cup of thick cream, or little less OF
fresh, soft butter; quart of -four twice
sifted, with pinch ofsalt, teaspoon,
full of soda and tive Of cream tartar,
two teaspoonfuls of powdered sugar
Gf one chooses), and milk to make a
very soft dough. so lightly mixed
that it will barely hold together to
handle. Make into animated biscuit
as large as tea plate, bake on a
round tin ina Quick oven; pull apart
and cover with fully ripe berries,
which may be sprinkled with sugar
and set in the oven to become hot.
Cold berries will sometimes make a
light shortcake "fall" Put together,
cover again with berries and powder
ed sugar. and serve quickly with an
abundance of pure, sweet cream. It
would be hard to find anything more
delicious in its way.
COTTAGE SHoRTcAKE.-One egg, a
heaping tablespoonful of butter, one
of sugar, a cup of milk. two cups of
-four, and two teaspoonfuls of baking
powder. Bake in two round pans,
and serve as before.
SALLY LUNN SHoRTcAKE.-Set a
sponge with a cake of compressed
yeast dissolved in a cup of warm
milk. two eggs. small cup of bstter,
half a cup OF sugar, and additional
milk to make a quart of -four into a
very soft dough. Beat the whole
very thoroughly; it shonld be as stiff
as can conveniently be. stirred with a
wooden spoon. Let it rise till very
light, then stir it down and let it rise
again. Put in round tins with up.
right sides-a kind of exaggerated
muffin ring is a good form-and
when it has risen once more, bake,
and when pulled open, butter freely
before filing with the berries.
Raspberries. blackberries and
stewed gooseberries are all good
-, s~:.1 g.. ~ Ha aononSo1lx. Gov