Batter is a mixture of flour with sufficient liquid to make it thin enough to be beaten.
Pour-batter requires one measure of liquid to one measure of flour.
Drop-batter requires one measure of liquid to two measures of flour.
To make a batter. Sift flour before measuring. Put flour by spoonfuls into the cup; do not press or shake down. Mix and sift dry ingredients. Measure dry, then liquid ingredients, shortening may be rubbed or chopped in while cold, or creamed; or it may be melted and then added to dry ingredients, or added after the liquid. Use two teaspoons of baking-powder to one cup of flour. If eggs are used, less baking-powder will be required.
When sour milk is used, take one level teaspoon of soda to a pint of milk; when molasses is used, take one teaspoon of soda or baking-powder to each cup of molasses.
Mix dry materials in one bowl and liquids in another, combine them quickly, handle as little as possible and put at once into the oven.
The oven for baking biscuits should be hot enough to brown a teaspoon of flour in one minute.
BROWN BREAD
Mix and sift together one cup each of rye, graham flour, corn-meal and one teaspoon of salt. Dissolve one teaspoon of soda in one cup of molasses. Add alternately to flour with two cups of sour milk. Grease one-pound baking-powder cans, put in the dough and boil two and one-half hours, keeping the water always three-fourths up around the tins. Turn out on baking-tins and place in the oven fifteen minutes to brown.
To be eaten warm, whatever is left over can be steamed again or toasted.