FAMOUS DOUGHNUTS
From MISS FRANCES E. WILLARD, of Illinois, Lady Manager.
_To tell you the truth, I never knew anything about cooking or had a particle of taste for it, but I will send you the recipe for her famous 'doughnuts,' written out by my beloved mother, and I think about the last communication she ever prepared for the press; it was in March of last year. There is nothing specially valuable about the recipe except that it is good and decidedly old-fashioned. I used to think there was nothing so toothsome as mother's 'fried cakes,' for so we called them on the old Wisconsin farm.
Believe me, yours, with all good wishes, Frances E. Willard_
Take a little over one pint of rich, sweet milk, into which put two- thirds of a teacup of sugar and a little salt. Sift as much flour as you think will be required, into which mix four heaping teaspoonfuls of best baking powder. Stir into the milk and sugar six tablespoonfuls of very hot fresh lard, pour the mixture into the flour and make a sponge. When cooled sufficiently to prevent cooking the egg add one egg slightly beaten. Mix to a proper consistency, roll and cut into rings. It is hard to give a recipe where so much depends upon the judgment and care of the cook. Much depends upon having the lard in which the doughnuts are fried very hot before they are put in, otherwise they "soak up the fat" and are heavy.