s well, add to them one ounce of sifted sugar, two ounces
of warmed butter, two tablespoonfuls of yeast, a teacupful of
luke-warm milk and a little salt. Whip all well together, then stir in
by degrees one pound of flour, and, if requisite, more milk, making
thin dough. Beat it until it falls from the spoon, then set it to
rise. When it has risen make butter or lard hot in a frying pan, cut
from the light dough little pieces the size of a walnut, and, without
molding or kneading, fry them pale brown. As they are done lay them on
a napkin to absorb any of the fat.

TRIFLES.

Work one egg and a tablespoonful of sugar to as much flour as will
make a stiff paste; roll it as thin as a dollar piece and cut it into
small round or square cakes; drop two or three at a time into the
boiling lard; when they rise to the surface and turn over they are
done; take them out with a skimmer and lay them on an inverted sieve
to drain. When served for dessert or supper put a spoonful of jelly on
each.

PUFF-BALL DOUGHNUTS.

These doughnuts, eaten fresh and warm, are a delicious breakfast dish
and are quickly made. Three eggs, one cupful of sugar, a pint of sweet
milk, salt, nutmeg and flour enough to permit the spoon to stand
upright in the mixture; add two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder
to the flour; beat all until very light. Drop by the dessertspoonful
into boiling lard. These will not absorb a bit of fat and are not at
all rich and consequently are the least injurious of this kind of
cakes.

PASTRY, PIES AND TARTS.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Use the very best materials in making pastry; the shortening should be
fresh, sweet and hard; the water cold (ice-water is best), the paste
rolled on a cold board and all handled as little as possible. When the
crust is made, it makes it much more flaky and puff much more to put
it in a dish covered with a cloth and set in a very cold place for
half an hour, or even an hour; in summer, it could be placed in the
ice box.

A great improvement is made in pie crust by the addition of about a
heaping teaspoonful of baking powder to a quart of flour, also
brushing the paste as often as rolled out, and the pieces of butter
placed thereon, with the white of an egg, assists it to rise in
_leaves_ or _flakes_. As this is the great beauty of puff paste, it is
as well to try this method.

If currants are to be used in pies, they should be carefully picked
over and washed in several wat