New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14
,SUORTCAKE
SOMETHING DELICATE AND DELICIOUS.

SOMETHING DELICATE AND DELICIOUS
Nothing is more easily compounded, Il ordinary
care be exercised, than a delicate iakey, creamy
white shortcake; yet nothing Is more likely 10 De
failure in the hands of careless cook Three Things
are absolutely necessary to success, proVlueu the
best ingredients are used. First. the most thorough
and careful mixing of the baking powder or the SODA
ard cream tartar with the -four and then OF the bl-
fer with these; second the most rapid stirring IN OF
the milk and moulding OF the cake; third' the
hottest oven the ordinary stove or range Is capable
of producing
The best pastry flour makes the best shortcake
Excellent shortcake however. may be made OF the
host new process or bread -four, and where this Is
more easily obtained than prime quaNy Oh Pastry
-four It is best to be content with 1t. II Is es-
pecially difficult to get any pastry hour III New
York City, except at wholesale establishments
where bakers deal. The vast majority OF faIniles
in New-York buy their cake and pastry, or use
bread -four for all purposes, and the average re.a
grocer does not find it to his advantage to trouble
himself with two brands of flour. In all smaller
cities and throughout the villages or the country
the grOcers and general storekeeperS are coi'Peeu
IA handle the two varieties OF flour. The best max
ers OF pastry -four the product or the starchy VIII
ter wheat however, seem content with the all
sufficient trade they receive from bakers and other
roakors of breadstuffs and make comparatively
little effort to catch the retail trade So 1t happens
that it Is difficult to obtain as excellent grace OK
winter wheat or pastry flour as we universally ihu
of spring wheat bread flour.
Shortcake made from new process' or Dreao
-four is trife dryer but still delicious and almost
as good as that made from perfect pastry hour
Soda and cream tartar shortcake requires htte
mora in,elligeuce than that made with baking
nov,der but the shOrtcake made with them Is rather
more moist and Is preferred by some persons. me
shortcake made from sour milk or sour cream ana
soda Is the tenderest and in some ways most de-
uciOus of all bread. This shortcake, however,
can only be prepared by experienced cook. NO
r,,le can be given that can be relied upon, because
there is no way except at the first stage. OF measr-
ING me aciaity OF the milk used and regu-
lafing the amount OF soda necessary TO neutrallZe
them and leave no yellow sediment Of Itself behind
The rule generally given which calls for a tea
spoonful OF soda for every PINT OF sour in:'h VI
cream used is rot correct. unless the mix mas
reached an extreme stage OF ac!dlty. ordinary
'loppered milk cream that has reachsl the ~. 81
or 'ieilv- like stage may be sweetened with nan
teasuo0nful OF soda to the pint.
Tn,. soda should be the best and purchaser lroi
Trustworthy chemist. Tho chemical enervescence
set No in this would not be 5uncleIt 70 raise
the amount Of flour necessary y make shorcaNc'
Il would DO for light pancake patter An eA,
r..ri,uced Southern or \eW-England COOK can yell
fv Inc taste and by that mysterious instinct she
dtsignatcs varOusy as Judgment or IdcuIly
nIst now mucn soda To at the various stages OF
aciiity at which milk arrives, 1t woud hardiy De
fe an inexperienced cook to DO TINS.
\ delicious shOrtcake can he made W, por-
ZION OF sour cream at the first stat Wnen II mas
turned 10 je.ly-llke curd without separating from
the whey. Measure out one quart OF the pest Hour
fu,stry or bread) IF, il twice with two t1Despoon-
H,Is - baking powder. Two liberal tablesp0onfuls
~ bntter are then rubbed thoroughly in the Hour
4 scaut cup Of sweet milk ana cup o. the sour