624 Reading-Course for Farmers' Wives. 



The shortening power of different fats varies somewhat; butter con- 

 tains water and curd and is proportionately less efficient than an equal 

 weight of lard. The harder a fat is at ordinary temperatures, the less 

 apparent it is in a dough. 



Sour cream must be neutralized with soda, like sour milk, and other 

 fat in the dough decreased in proportion to the thickness of the cream. 

 The colder the fat is kept in any mixture containing a large quantity, the 

 more readily the dough may be rolled. Warm fat sticks to anything 

 with which it comes in contact. 



Sweetening has already been referred to ; it tends to make a dough 

 dense, and retards the action of yeast. Many cakes are made " heavy " by 

 an excess of sugar. 



Mainly by changes in " seasoning " do we secure the many variations 

 of the fundamental processes already described. Under this head may 

 come all the spices, extracts, dried fruits and nuts. 



Fig. i6i. Fancy moulds. 



Every housekeeper sometimes has occasion to modify recipes to adapt 

 ihem to the size of her family and depth of her purse. Too often this 

 is done by guess with poor results ; but it is another matter to use " judg- 

 ment," a favorite word with our grandmothers, meaning the ability to 

 apply the skill acquired by experience. 



6. kneading and shaping the loaves. 



A most important part of the making of batters and doughs is the 

 shaping and handling necessary to secure the familiar forms in which 

 they appear on our tables. Proper manipulation is just as essential as 

 t'he right proportion of ingredients, and this cannot be learned from a 

 printed formula, however full it may be. Such skill is acquired only 



