Evening star., 1935-04-15
Foolproof
Cookery Is
Artist Goal
How Cakes Are Made
Light, Sauce Smooth,
Pastry Tender.
BY EDITH M. BARBER.

this applies as much to the trade,
or art, of cookery as to anything else.
Most experienced cooks, probably, |
hardly realize just what it is that |
makes their cakes always light, their |
sauces smooth, their pastry tender. |
Our grandmothers used to attribute |
this to light hand"
Recipes today are as accurate as it
Is possible to make them, but we all
know what different results may be
obtained by two persons following, ap-
parently, the same directions, or even
by the same person at different times. |
In the testing of thousands of
recipes, have been anlyzing just what
extra twist of the wrist" it is that
gets consistent results. time after time |
What is 1t that makes a recipe fool
proof?" OF course, when we become
experienced by long practice, most of
Us are able tc judge by appearance or
feel" as we stir, just the right mo-
ment for taking a sauce from the fire,
or the right thickness of cake bat
ter 1t is different matter, however,
when We try to tell some one else how
to judge the psychological moment.
In attempting to answer some of the
many questions that women ask me.
I have gathered together here a few
of the answers. New cooks. I am
sure. will be interested because the
answers will help them to use their
own recipes more intelligently Ex-
perienced homemakers will perhaps |
be interested, also, in analyZing their
methods to ascertain If they use the
same or better tests.
Cake is an unfailing source of in
terest in the field of cookery. If
good recipe is followed carefully, there
is but one point wherein it is not prac-
tically foolproof. AS accurate as ones
measuring may be, no two persons fill
a cup with exactly the same amount
of -four. F1ours may differ from each
other, although the standard f1ours
now on the market are quite consist
ent. They may be tested at the fac
tory, but no method has yet been de-
vised to persuade hens to lay eggs of
equal size. For this reason cake bat
ter is quite likely to vary in thickness.
My test for this-and IL also applies to
mufins-is to lift the batter with the
spoon and hold it at arms length. If
1t runs from the spoon to the bowl and
breaks about half way between the
spoon and the bowl, 1t is just right.
If it runs all the way down, it is too
thin; If it breaks at the spoon, it is.
Of course, too thick. Drop-cooky bat
ter. by the way, should break at the
spoon, and waffle and griddle cake bat
ter must, of course, run all the way to
the bowl.
AS you undoubtedly know, cake made /,
with pastry flour needs more -four to |
make the batter thick enough. This |
difference is about two tablespoonfuls |
to each cup, which you should note in
making your original measurements |
If, however, you absent nt-mindedly use
the flour without noting from which
container you take it, this drop test
will save the day-and the cake.
Pastry is one Of the things which |
seems to battle some persons. Any one |
who has really learned the trick of !
making good pastry feels that it is
one of the easiest things to make. In |
trying to understand why so many |
women "just can't make good pastry"
find two possible reasons for failure.
Because Mother made delicious pas
uy Will IleI udIlOS, some persons
think it is foolish to bother rubbing
shortening in with knife. So they
try to make pastry in mothers fashion.
II the hands are naturally cold, this
is perfectly satisfactory, but if the
hands are warm. results are different.
personally cannot make good pastry
when rub the fat in with my fingers.
To cut down time I use a small
wooden chopping bowl and a double
bladed chopping knife You'll be sur
prised what quick method this is!
The pastry blenders consisting of a
series Of parallel wires that are curved
to mt the hand and the bowl are also
good providing you get one in which
the wires are firmly confined.
Another reason for trouble with
pastry is getting it too wet. I add
water in small installments at three
or four different places in the bowl,
stirring the blended fat and -four as I
add 1t. When I have three or four
balls of dough and there still remains
some dry flour in the bowl, I abandon
my knife and press the dough and
flour together into a smooth mass.
Chilling the dough before rolling
makes it easier to roll, but I can make
excellent pie without this last pre-
caution.