our ounces each of butter and sugar,
(cost twelve cents,) stir in two eggs, (cost two cents,) one gill of
milk, (cost one cent,) one pound of sifted flour, (cost four cents,) and
five cents' worth of caraway seed; bake the cake for two hours in a deep
earthen dish, testing it with a clean broom splint to be sure it is done
before you take it from the oven. It will cost about twenty-four cents.

=Soft Gingerbread.=--Melt one ounce of butter, (cost two cents,) add it to
half a pint of molasses, (cost five cents,) with one level teaspoonful
each of ground cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, (cost one cent;) dissolve
one level teaspoonful of soda in half a pint of boiling water, mix this
with the molasses, and lightly stir in half a pound of sifted flour
(cost two cents;) line a cake-pan with buttered paper, pour in the
batter, which will be very thin, and bake it about half an hour, or
until you can run a broom-splint into it, and withdraw it clean. The
cake, which will be a good size, will cost about ten cents.

=Sweet Biscuits.=--Rub four ounces of butter, (cost eight cents,) into one
pound of flour, (cost four cents;) dissolve four ounces of sugar, (cost
three cents,) in half a pint of warm milk, (cost two cents.) Pour this
into the flour, mixing it smoothly; then dissolve half a level
teaspoonful of cream of tartar in one gill of cold water, and stir it
into the above ingredients. When they are thoroughly mixed, roll out the
paste about quarter of an inch thick, cut it out in small round cakes,
and bake them golden brown, at once, in a quick oven. A good supply will
cost about seventeen cents.

CHAPTER X.

DESSERT DISHES.

The previous chapter was devoted to cheap and good sweet dishes of the
kind usually called dessert in this country; the dessert proper,
however, consists of fruit, creams, ices, small and delicate cakes,
fancy crackers, and confectionery. We give here directions for making
some of these enjoyable delicacies at a very moderate rate.

It must always be borne in mind that the prices quoted are those which
prevail when the articles specified are in season, and consequently
abundant and cheap. As apples are very plentiful, and generally cheap,
we shall begin with dishes made from them.

=Apple Black Caps.=--Pare a quart of nice apples, core them without
breaking, set them side by side in a baking dish that will just hold
them, fill the centres with sugar, place two cloves in the top of each
one, g