Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-12-20

fully, and II you are quite up to
date will no doubt have an oven
thermometer so that you will know
the right temperature at which to
bake properly. In using gas range
be sure to light up ten minutes be-
fore you are ready, and lower tho
gas before putting in the cakes.
But there is no set rule for bak-
ing; each one must study her own
particular oven to get the best re-
suits. However. the heat should be
steady and as good above as below.
Avoid a sudden decrease in heat. and
do not open the oven door frequent
ly. There, again, no doubt you are
modern and have glass doors to
your range and do not need to open
it until your cake is done. Test the
cake by running clean straw into
the thickest part; the straw should
come up clean. II the crust forms
too quickly and it is not baking
through, put a piece of brown paper
on top. For fruit cake, which burns
easily and must always be cooked
in slow oven, it is we'll to put
waxed paper In the bottom and side
of the pan.
The icing is not difficult to make it
the simple rule is followed of allow
ing quarter of pound OF con-
fectione-'s four X sugar to each egg
white used, and beating gradually
as you put in the sugar, not whipping
the eggs stiff1y first and then put
ting in the sugar, as many persona
do. After all the sugar is used up
continue beating until of the right
consistency and add whatever favor
ing i, preferred. A boiled icing is
more difficult TO make unless one
possesses candy thermometer, as it
is likely to boil to long and get
sugary.
1t must not be stirred while cook
ing, should boil until it reaches go
degrees Fahrenheit and then be
poured into the siffly-beaten white OF
egg and whipped until creamy. 1t
may be spread on with broad
bladed knife dipped in. cold water,
Using the yolks, too, will make
rich yellow icing. Coloring can be
bought in various tints to give va
riety to your small cakes.
Patience and Perseverance.
Nor is pastry difficult to make, al
though, like cake, it requires always
the best of materials. It is neces
sary that everything to be used
should be ice cold, and, though
marble slab and a glass rolling pin
holding cracked ice are not essen
tials, they are decided aid to good
pastry making.
One quart of -four requires one
third of a pound of lard and one
half pound of butter, using half
cupful of iced water. The lard
should be chopped with 4 broad
bladed knife into the -four unit! It
is as fine as dust. Moisten with ice
water into stiff dough, using the
hands as little as possible. Roll into
ball and lay on well-houred
kneading board or marble slab and
roll out into a thin sheet with quick,
light action.
The old theory of rolling only one
way seems to be exploded. When
thin enough stick bits of butter in
close rows all over the sheet, using
knife. ., Roll up the paste like
sheet of music, fatten with the roll
ing pin and roll out as before. Re
peat this basting with butter until
it is all used up, and it is a good idea
to sprinkle -four on the sheet each
time you butter it. If possible leave
the paste on ice for half an hour be-
fore the final rolling out, as that will
make it more faky and light.
Your own ingenuity will suggest
various ways of using this crust for
tarts, cheese straws and IN many
fancy ways, as well as for pies of
all kinds. Many of the French pas
tries we enjoy in tea rooms can be
successfully roDied at home