War-Time Breads and Cakes

by Amy L. Handy

Put two tablespoonfuls of shortening, preferably bacon fat, in a bread loaf pan and set it in the oven to get hot. Beat one egg light, and add one half cup of milk or water and one cup of corn meal, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder and one half teaspoonful of salt. Beat well and pour in the melted shortening. Beat again and put into the pan in which the shortening was melted. Lay thin slices of bacon on top of the dough and bake in a moderate oven.

Corn Meal Muffins

Put one cup of milk and one of water in the double boiler, and when it is scalding stir in gradually one cup of corn meal. Stir till smooth and let it cook ten minutes. Add two teaspoonfuls of shortening and one of salt, and set it aside till cool. Then add the well-beaten yolks of two eggs, one teaspoonful of baking powder, and the beaten whites of the eggs. Bake in hot muffin pans.

New England Spider Corn Bread

Take one and one quarter cups of granulated corn meal, one teaspoonful of soda, and one teaspoonful of salt. Sift together and add two well-beaten eggs and two cups of sour milk or buttermilk. Put two tablespoonfuls of shortening in an iron frying-pan and set it on the top of the stove to melt. When hot pour in the corn mixture and set the pan back on the stove. Pour over it gently without mixing one cupful of cold sweet milk. Bake on the middle grate of the oven for about half an hour. It will be creamy when done. Run a knife round the edge of the frying-pan to loosen the cake and turn it over on to a cover. Put a large plate over it and reverse it and the cake is right side up and unbroken. Do not cut it till it is on the table. It must be eaten hot.

Cereal and Corn Bread

To one well-beaten egg add one and a quarter cups of buttermilk or sour milk. Sift together one cup of corn meal, one half cup of whole wheat flour, one teaspoonful of salt and one of baking powder, and one half teaspoonful of soda. Add this to the egg and milk and beat well; add one cup of cold cooked rice or any cooked cereal. Bake in two layer cake pans for half an hour. Take from the pans and pile one on the other, spreading butter between. Serve hot.

This can be made with sweet milk by substituting two teaspoonfuls of baking powder for the soda. It will make sixteen muffins if preferred that way.

Always use a little baking powder with the soda and sour milk; it makes the bread lighter.