Use the best materials, and have everything ready before you begin mixing the materials. Always sift the flour, adding to it the baking-powder and mixing well. If it is summer weather, lay the eggs in cold water for a few minutes, and beat yolks and whites separately, very thoroughly. Mix butter and sugar to a cream, then add sugar, then the yolks of the eggs, then the milk and flour alternately in small quantities, then the whites.

If fruit is used flour it well, and add the last thing.

Bake slowly at first.

Cookies, jumbies, ginger-snaps, etc., require a quick oven; if they become moist or soft by keeping, put again into the oven a few minutes.

While the cake is baking no air must be permitted to get into the oven, unless when necessary to look at the cake, as it is apt to make it fall. The heat of the oven should be even and regular. When cake is done, it can be tested by sticking a clean straw into it. If nothing adheres to the straw, the cake is done.

Apple Cake

The grated rind and juice of one lemon, one sour apple, pared and grated, and one cup of sugar, boiled together for five minutes, make a jelly, which is to be spread between the layers of the following cake, to make which take: One cup of sugar, butter, the size of an egg, one cup flour, one teaspoonful baking powder; bake in four layers.

Almond Cookies

Two pounds of butter, three pounds of sugar, one pound of shelled almonds, one dozen eggs, one teaspoonful of ground cinnamon one-half teaspoonful of soda, a cup of boiling water, one lemon grated; mix butter, sugar, yolk of eggs, lemon, cinnamon, and hot water; beat the whites, take three parts, mix also one-half of the almonds, and as much flour as it will hold; roll them, and brush with the whites of eggs. Before putting in the almonds and sugar, almonds must be scalded, dried, and cut fine. Bake in a moderate oven.

Black Cake

1. One pound of flour, one and one-half pounds of brown sugar, one pound of butter, twelve eggs, or leave out part of the eggs; use the same quantity of molasses, One teaspoon of soda, three pounds of currants, four pounds of seeded raisins, one pound of citron, two nutmegs, one teaspoon of ground cloves and cinnamon each. Bake in a large loaf three or four hours.

2. One pound browned flour; one pound brown sugar, one pound citron; two pounds currants, three pounds stoned raisins, three-quarters pound of butter one teacup of molasses, two teaspoonfuls mace, two teaspoonfuls cinnamon, one teaspoonful cloves, one teaspoonful soda, twelve eggs.

3. One pound sugar, one pound butter, one pound flour, three pounds raisins, three pounds currants, one-half pound citron, ten eggs, two teaspoonfuls cinnamon, one teaspoonful cloves, two teaspoonfuls nutmeg; brown the flour to darken the cake.

Bread Cake

1. Four cups dough, two cups sugar, one cup butter, one cup cream; two eggs, one teaspoonful saleratus. Mix with the hands, and add a little flour, also fruit and spices to suit the taste, and let it rise well before baking.

2. Two cups of light dough, one and one-half cups of sugar, one of butter, half cup of milk, two eggs, soda or baking-powder, nutmeg. If too thin, stir in a little flour.