From cereals we have flour and meals which can be used in a number of ways to make wholesome and palatable dishes. Flour is used in batter and dough mixtures, and as mixtures of flours and batters alone when cooked would be hard and difficult of digestion, different leavens, such as baking-powder, soda and yeast, are used to make them light.

Mixtures of flour or meal and liquid are called batters or doughs according to the quantity of liquid used.

The dry ingredients include flour, meal, sugar, salt, spices, and baking-powder, soda, etc. Mixed flour mixtures furnish better body-building material than those made from one grain alone.

Fats called "shortening," added to make the mixture tender, include butter, oleomargarine, nut margarine, drippings, lard, chicken fat or vegetable oils. (See directions for rendering fat to be used for shortening, page 38.)

The liquids used in batters and doughs are water, milk, whey, molasses, syrups, coffee, eggs, etc. Sour milk may be used in recipes calling for sweet milk, when 1/2 teaspoon soda should be added for each cup of sour milk, and for each 1/2 teaspoon soda added, 2 teaspoons less baking-powder is required.

Batters are made "light" or "porous" by the introduction of a gas which is expanded by the heat during cooking.

General Directions For Making And Cooking Griddle Cakes

Sift flour before measuring. Put flour by spoonfuls into the measure and do not press or shake down.

Measure, mix and sift dry ingredients.

Measure the liquid ingredients and add to the dry ingredients.

Mix thoroughly and add the melted fat.

Use a frying-pan or griddle.

Heat the pan hot without burning the cake.

Grease the griddle if necessary. (A soap-stone or aluminum griddle must never be greased.)

Let the fat begin to smoke before cooking the cakes.

Pour the mixture from the tip of the spoon; cook on one side; when puffed full of bubbles and cooked on the edges, turn and cook on other side.

If large bubbles form at once on the top of the cakes, the griddle is too hot.

If the top of the cake stiffens before the under side is cooked, the griddle is not hot enough.

Never turn a cake twice.

Remove scraps and wipe pan after each set of cakes is cooked.

Grease pan and repeat.

Serve griddle cakes as soon as cooked.

Whole Wheat Griddle Cakes

½ cup whole wheat

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking-powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1¼ cups milk

1 tablespoon melted fat

Measure, mix and sift the first 5 ingredients, add the milk, egg and melted fat mix thoroughly and cook according to directions.

Buckwheat And Rye Griddle Cakes

1 cup buckwheat

1 cup rye

4 teaspoons baking-powder

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1 egg

1 tablespoon melted fat

Measure, mix and sift the first 4 ingredients; add the milk, egg and melted fat and corn syrup; mix thoroughly and cook according to directions.

Velvet Griddle Cakes

2½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking-powder

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

2 beaten egg yolks 2 cups milk

1 tablespoon melted fat

2 beaten egg whites

Measure, mix and sift the first 4 ingredients; add the milk, egg yolks and fat, and mix thoroughly. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites and cook according to general directions.

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes

1 cup cornmeal or

oatmeal mush

2 cups milk

1 or 2 beaten eggs

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons baking-powder 3 tablespoons melted fat

Mix the first 5 ingredients; add the flour sifted with the baking-powder, then the fat; mix thoroughly and cook according to directions. Boiled rice, mashed white or sweet potatoes may be used in place of the cornmeal mush.

Bread Griddle Cakes

1½ cups stale bread

crumbs 1½ cups scalded milk

2 tablespoons fat 1 ½ tablespoons baking-powder

2 eggs ½ cup flour ½ teaspoon salt

Add milk and fat to crumbs and soak until crumbs are soft. Add eggs, well beaten; then flour, salt and baking-powder, mixed and sifted. Beat. Cook according to general directions.

Raised Buckwheat Griddle Cakes

2 cups scalded milk ¼ yeast cake, mixed with ¼ cup lukewarm water

½ teaspoon salt 2 cups buckwheat 1 tablespoon molasses

¼ teaspoon soda dissolved with 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Scald milk. Cool. When lukewarm, add the yeast cake mixture and buckwheat flour and salt. Beat mixture thoroughly. Cover and let rise overnight. In the morning add remaining ingredients. Beat; drop by spoonfuls onto well-greased griddle; cook on one side, and when puffed full of bubbles and cooked on edges, turn and cook on the other side. Serve with butter and syrup.

Waffles

1½ cups flour 1 tablespoon baking-powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup milk

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons melted fat

2 egg whites

Measure, mix and sift the first 4 ingredients; add the milk, egg yolks and melted fat, and mix thoroughly. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Cook in a well-greased waffle iron.

To make rice waffles, add 1 cupful boiled rice to the above mixture.

To make rice and cornmeal waffles, use ½ cup flour, ½ cup cornmeal and 1 cup boiled rice in place of the 14 cups flour.