The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-06-01
STRAWBERRY sHORTCAKE.
How a WellKnown Society Lady Prepares
1t for Her Table.

1t for Her Table.
''There are many ways of making this
toothsome dainty as there varieties of
womankind," )" said lady recognized as leader
in official circles to a HERALD reporter. ~
rather pride myself on my strawberry shortcake
a superior article. The sweetened cake in
two layers so often seen here on private tables
with its even layer OF uncrushed berries spread
between and powdered sugar sifted on top has
no resemblance to the real article l do not
mind telling you how | make shortcake myself.
1 have not placed it before my family but a few
times this season. l consider it too rich for
daily use; besides the plain strawberry is good
enough for ordinary uses and occasions. But
now for my receipt. 1t has history learned
it when girl from the Oneida Shaker commu-
nifty in New York State They made and still
make speciality of raising and preparing small
fruits for the market, and during the season
when | was girl they treated visitors to this
most delicious of shortcakes, afterward selling
the receipt, with characteristic thrift, for enough
to pay for the treat, Well, my mother bought
one and was duly instructed in the theory of
first-class strawberry cake. | have never seen
anything to equal it in my opinion since, so
continue to use it. The first thing do is to in
struct my cook to have good fire and a hot
oven. Shortcake cannot be made good by any
possible process in slow oven Then / tell
her to make biscuit dough only trae richer
than usual. | use tablespoonful of lard. with
one of sweet butter we'll mixed in by
hand, and | always prefer the best quality
of baking powder, for it is less liable to acct
dents in the hands of a cook than cream of tar
tar and soda. The dough prepared, have it
rolled about a third of an inch thick and put in
enough to cover the bottom of large turkey
pan. 1t must be baked, as / said before in
a quick oven. When done let it cool few mo-
ments before spreading with the berries. The
berries must not be too large, too ripe, or too
firm, but Just right. You see it requires some
judgment, even if one has a receipt, as all good
housekeeping does. | have my berries gently
crushed with wooden spoon in an earthen bowl.
/ use two quarts of the prepared berries. l
sweeten with acoffee-cupful of powdered sugar.
Ny cake is cut into four square pieces, is care
fully split, and placed ON a salver large enough
to leave generous margin aroundit. The split
halves are lightly buttered, not too heavily, else
you will taste butter instead of thedelicate flavor
of the berries. l spread the berries clear to the
edges of the cake and allow them to overflow
into the dish On topI sprinkle powdered sugar
lightly. 1t must not be put into the oven, even
for minute, else the strawberries lose their
freshness and delicacy. 1t must be prepared
while dinner is being served, in order to be per-
fectly fresh and warm when brought to the table
ON ones prettiest china or clearest of cut-glass
berry plates with small silver fork and gold
lined spoon. Then when eaten with pure Alder
ney cream, my word for it, nothing is better in
all the world of cookery than that kind of a
strawberry shortcake, unless it be the berry as