Oxford Democrat., 1921-06-28
The Delicious shortcake.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE IT TO SUIT
MANY TASTES.

Perfect strawberry sh0rtcake, made at
home In the simple old-fsshioned way,
is more tempting than the most elabo.
rate oonc0otions Of bakers or hotel chefs
Biscuit shortcake, by all means, is the
masculine verdict; . little "shorter'
than usual, perhaps, the housewife maJ
decide, but otherwise simply biscuit
dough, the lightest and best she knows
how to produce, topped of with luscious
whole berries, whipped cream, icing, OF
egg whites.
DOUBLE INSTEAD OF SPLIT BISCUITS
Individual shortcakes are attractive II
appearance and easy to serve. Th.
dough may be cut out with very lsrg,
biscuit cutter or made into squares. In
stead OF splitting one large cooked bis
cult, two thinner rounds of dough may
be baked together, II the lower one Il
first buttered to enable the cook to slil
them apart.
The strawberries, after washing and
hulling, may be cut In halves ant
sprinkled with sugar shortly before th'
biscuit dough is made. A few perfec
whole berries should be saved to deco
rate the top layer. The Others shoulc
be merely cut, not crushed nor mutt
lated.
Hull and trim q few at time, droI
for moment only into bowl OF clean
cold water, so that the sand sinks to th,
bottom while the fruit floats on top
then skim off into colander to draii
dry TIA whole quart of bulled berrie,
is turned into pan of water some o
the berries become soft and lose Their
fine favor before the entire quantity car
be rinsed and taken out. The sand frun
the upper ones often settles on those be-
meath. The same is true when any frui'
or vegetable is merely put In q colandel
and thrust under running water.
Putting the shortcake together at sety.
ing time is matter of individual pref
erence. The dessert will be excellent u
1t merely consists of the split, buttered
biscuit covered In the center and on tol
with berries from which the fragran,
juice is beginning to spread. Whipped
cream, sweetened and favored with
vanilla, is perhaps the most quickly pre-.
pared finish for the shortcake, If there ID
plenty of cream on hand. Beaten egg
whites, sweetened as for Q meringue
make sn admirable substitute for cream
and are preferred by many who think
tho whipped cream too rich. Another
method 10 to use white cake icing, put
ting on each half OF the cake first layer
of icing, then . layer Of strawberries
and last q generous coat of icing.
aHoRTcAKE NOT MERELY DrasrRT
Strawberry shortcake for breakfast
made with or without plain cream, maker
delicious variant OF the ordinary diet
With 1t should be served either a glass
of milk or dish Of cottage cheese tt
make It more complete meal. This !,
an ideal breakfast or lunch for children
as we'll as very satisfactory change
for Sunday night supper.
A shortcake OF any description is &C
hearty dessert that somewhat lighter
meal than usual should precede it
When there is scant portion Of potato
or rice, some recooked meat to use mp
or meatless meal to consider, straw
berry shortcake Is an appropriate des
ssrt. 1t should never be planned as the
end of long, heavy dinner, when th,
appetite has been fully satisfied before
the sweet course 10 reached.
Any good biscuit rule may be used
The recipes given below have been test
ed by food specialists OF the Unitet
States Department Of Agriculture.
BISCUIT DOUGH FOB sHoRTcAKE
pint -four
teaspoons baking powder
"a teaspoon salt
29to S-4 cup milk
4 to 8 tablespoons fat
Sift the dry Ingredients. Work In tb,
fat with the tips of the fingers. Us,
enough milk to ensure rather sof
dough that should be patted fiat rather
than rolled. Bake in fairly hot oven
WHITE CAKE ICING FOR sHoRTcAKE
Put into the upper part of Q double
boiler
cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cold water
egg white
When the water underneath 10 boiling
begin to beat with q Dover egg beate
until the frosting takes definite shape
when the bester is lifted. Take from
the fire and add 18 teaspoon salt ant
l Q teaspoon of vanilla or other flavor
Ing. Continue beating until firm enougl
to spread without running.