and to stiffen into shape.

Fourth quarter--mixture should finish browning
and stiffening and shrink slightly from the
sides of the pan.

(4) Mixture is cooked when a slight pressure
leaves no dent, or when a small skewer or fine
knitting-needle put into the centre comes out
clean and dry.

To the inexperienced minds of the girls in the Fourth Form, to whom the
study of flour mixtures is new, the number and variety of these seems
very large. All cook books give an almost endless collection of recipes
for cakes, cookies, muffins, etc., and to the pupils each of these seems
an entirely new mixture. In reality, many of them are but slight
variations of the same type. A certain mixture of materials is used for
a foundation, and numerous varieties are made from this by addition,
subtraction, or substitution of ingredients. The original mixture is
called a _basic recipe_. Instead of teaching isolated mixtures, it will
be found an excellent idea to give the class the basic ingredients for a
recipe and encourage them to suggest variations, either original or from
memory.

Typical basic recipes for cake and biscuits are given below:

BASIC RECIPE FOR CAKE

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking-powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla.

VARIATIONS OF BASIC RECIPE FOR CAKE

1. Spice cake:

To the basic recipe add 1 tbsp. of spice. Sift
in the spice with the flour.

2. Nut cake:

Add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts. Increase the
baking-powder by one third. Put a little of the
flour on the nuts and beat them in at the last.

3. Fruit cake:

Add 3/4 cup of currants, raisins, figs, or
dates, or a mixture of all. Increase the
baking-powder by one third. Flour the fruit and
add it last.

4. Chocolate cake:

Add 1/2 cup grated chocolate. Increase the milk
by 2 tbsp. Heat the chocolate in the milk just
enough to dissolve it. Cool the mixture and use
in place of milk.

BASIC RECIPE FOR BISCUITS, ETC.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking-powder
2 tbsp. fat (butter, lard, or dripping)
About 2/3 cup milk.

VARIATIONS OF BASIC RECIPE FOR BISCUITS

1. Swee