Billy in Bunbury

Billy in Bunbury

COCOA RAISIN MUFFINS

Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Add raisins, then milk slowly to make a smooth batter. Add shortening and mix thoroughly. Put 1 tablespoon batter in each greased muffin tin and bake in moderate oven (400°) for about 20 minutes.

Makes 16 muffins.

MUFFIN SURPRISES

Mix together dry ingredients. Add milk, beaten egg, molasses, if used, and shortening. Stir until smooth. Half fill each greased gem pan. Drop in center a stoned date, a teaspoon currant jelly, candied cherry or other fruit. Add teaspoon of batter and bake in moderate oven (375°) about 25 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

FLAP JACKS

Sift dry ingredients together; add beaten eggs, milk and melted shortening; mix well. Bake on hot, slightly greased griddle until bubbles appear; turn over quickly and brown other side. Serve immediately on hot plate with plenty of butter and syrup or butter and cinnamon mixed with sugar.

Makes 24 flap jacks.

FLAP JACKS WITH RICE

Mix rice, milk, shortening, salt and well-beaten egg; stir in flour and baking powder which have been sifted together; mix well, adding more milk if necessary to make a soft batter. Bake on hot, slightly greased griddle until bubbles appear; turn over quickly and brown other side. Serve immediately on hot plate with plenty of butter and syrup or butter and cinnamon mixed with sugar.

Makes 24 flap jacks.

DOUGHNUTS

These doughnuts are very wholesome and excellent for children. They do not contain any shortening and should be fried very carefully in fat at just the right temperature so that no grease will be absorbed. They can be served plain or sprinkled with powdered sugar after they have thoroughly drained and cooled.

Save ⅓ cup of measured flour for board. Beat eggs until light; add milk, then add this liquid to the dry ingredients which have been sifted well together. Roll out ¼ inch thick on slightly floured board and fry in deep fat (365°-375°). Drain well on unglazed paper. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes 30 doughnuts.

SUGAR COOKIES

Cream shortening and sugar together; add milk to beaten eggs and beat again; add slowly to creamed shortening and sugar; add flavoring; add 2 cups of measured flour sifted with salt, baking powder and nutmeg; add enough more flour to roll easily. Roll out thin on floured board; cut with any fancy-shaped cooky cutter; sprinkle with granulated sugar or put a raisin or nut in the center of each. Bake about 10 minutes in moderate oven (380°).

For Chocolate Cookies put aside portion of the dough before adding all the flour and add 2 tablespoons cocoa to each cup of cooky dough.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

BUTTERSCOTCH CURLS

Sift dry ingredients; add shortening, mixing it in with a fork (if liquid shortening is used, add with milk). Add milk to make a fairly soft dough. Knead slightly and roll out ¼ inch thick. Spread well with creamed butter and brown sugar. Roll up as for jelly roll; cut in 1-inch pieces. Stand these on end in well-buttered gem pans or in small greased muffin rings and bake in a hot oven (425°) about 15 minutes. Makes 12 rolls or 22 if baked in small rings.

PEANUT COOKIES

Sift dry ingredients together. Add melted shortening to beaten egg. Add milk and lemon juice, and mix well with the dry ingredients to make soft dough. Add peanuts; mix well and drop with teaspoon on greased pan. Bake in moderate oven (400°) about 20 minutes. This recipe makes about four dozen small cookies and requires 1 quart of peanuts.

BISCUIT TARTS

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; add well-beaten egg and melted shortening to milk and add to dry ingredients to make soft dough. Roll out on floured board, ⅛ inch thick. Cut out with medium-size biscuit cutter which has been dipped in flour. Then taking a smaller cutter, cut ½ of these rounds again. Brush the large rounds lightly with melted butter. Then take the outer rings and lay on top of the large buttered rounds. Put on greased baking tin. Put a teaspoon of jam in each tart and bake in hot oven (475°) for about 10 minutes. The small centers can be brushed with butter and baked in the same manner and served as little tea biscuits.

Makes 10 tarts with 10 tiny biscuits.

PARTY CAKES

Cream butter, add sugar slowly; add beaten eggs. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together; add a little at a time alternately with the milk to the first mixture; beat thoroughly; add flavoring and bake in greased small gem pans in a hot oven (425°) about 20 minutes. Cover with plain white frosting.

Makes 18 cakes.

For chocolate cakes, add ½ cup cocoa, mixed with ½ cup cold water to the above recipe.

Makes 24 cakes.

Cover with the following meringue:

JELLY MERINGUE

Put egg white and jelly together into bowl and beat with egg beater or wire whip until stiff. Spread on tops of cakes.

BIRTHDAY CAKE

Cream butter thoroughly; beat in sugar, a little at a time. Add flavoring and yolks of eggs beaten until pale yellow. Add milk, beating in a little at a time. Beat egg whites until light. Sift flour with baking powder three times. Add alternately small portions of egg whites and flour and stir mixture until light and fluffy. Bake in greased loaf pan in moderate oven (350°) about one hour. Cover with following ornamental frosting:

Boil sugar and water, without stirring until syrup spins a thread (238°); add slowly to beaten egg whites; add salt and flavoring; beat until smooth and stiff enough to spread. Put over boiling water, stirring continually until icing grates slightly on bowl. Spread on top and sides of cake.