These biscuits introduce one of the book's most useful contrasts: quick chemical leavening instead of a yeast rise. The milk is a range, so the source asks you to judge the dough rather than pour blindly.
Ingredients from the selected recipe
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons fat
- ¾ to 1 cup milk
Method
- Sift the dry ingredients together and work in the fat with your fingertips.
- Add milk gradually, mixing with a knife. Keep the dough as soft as can be handled without sticking.
- Turn onto a lightly floured board, roll lightly about ½ inch thick, and cut with a floured cutter.
- Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Modern reading and kitchen notes
Do not taste raw dough; flour is a raw food. The sample preserves the stated baking powder and fat quantities rather than replacing them with a modern formula. Handle the dough lightly, check your oven, and record what actually happens before making several changes.
Before you begin
Read the complete method and prepare suitable equipment before mixing. Keep any adaptation separate from the source instructions. Missing yields, pan sizes, or times are not silently filled with invented values. Use current food-safety guidance rather than assuming every historical kitchen habit is appropriate today.
Source and safety references
The edition names Nell B. Nichols’s The Farm Cook and Rule Book (1923). Its source and restoration notes are included in the complete book. This preview does not provide the paid PDF or any additional book recipes.
FDA: Handling Flour Safely · FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures · USDA: Leftovers and Food Safety