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.

All measurements are level

Its fences are of pie crust

And its houses built of buns,

With frosted roofs and raisins

On the most important ones.

Bunbury has fine doughnut trees

Beside a chocolate fountain,

And just outside the town you’ll find

A giant layer cake mountain.

Its people are too cunning

And too sweet for any use;

There’s spry Pop Over, Johnny Cake

And dainty Charlotte Russe.

The moon’s a muffin, and the sun

A hot cake warm and mellow.

Its gentle rays make Bunbury folk

A tempting brownish yellow!

And when it snows, marshmallow

Covers everything with icing—

The houses, and the people, too,

Look even more enticing.

Bunbury’s folk oft gather round

Ye Coffee Ring, and tell

The news about young Johnny Cake—

Who’s courting Patty Shell!

Bunbury’s vaults are filled with gems

For Hun Bun, the bun boy king.

He has gems to burn (but doesn’t)

Burnt gems are not the thing.

The reason why this little town

So gay and sweet and nice is

Because each cake and cooky there

Was raised on Dr. Price’s!

Now one day as the cooky clock

In taffy tower tolled,

Flap Jack, the King’s own messenger

Into the castle rolled.

“Your Bunship!” puffed the little Jack,

“I bring surprising news!

There is a little lad near here

Too skinny for his shoes.

“He will not eat his breakfast

And he will not eat his lunch.

He’s lost his taste for baseball

And completely lost his punch!”