To the inexperienced minds of the girls in the Fourth Form, to whom the study of flour mixtures is new, the number and variety of these seems very large. All cook books give an almost endless collection of recipes for cakes, cookies, muffins, etc., and to the pupils each of these seems an entirely new mixture. In reality, many of them are but slight variations of the same type. A certain mixture of materials is used for a foundation, and numerous varieties are made from this by addition, subtraction, or substitution of ingredients. The original mixture is called a _basic recipe_. Instead of teaching isolated mixtures, it will be found an excellent idea to give the class the basic ingredients for a recipe and encourage them to suggest variations, either original or from memory. Typical basic recipes for cake and biscuits are given below: BASIC RECIPE FOR CAKE 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 1/2 cup flour 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking-powder 1/2 tsp. vanilla. VARIATIONS OF BASIC RECIPE FOR CAKE 1. Spice cake: To the basic recipe add 1 tbsp. of spice. Sift in the spice with the flour. 2. Nut cake: Add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts. Increase the baking-powder by one third. Put a little of the flour on the nuts and beat them in at the last. 3. Fruit cake: Add 3/4 cup of currants, raisins, figs, or dates, or a mixture of all. Increase the baking-powder by one third. Flour the fruit and add it last. 4. Chocolate cake: Add 1/2 cup grated chocolate. Increase the milk by 2 tbsp. Heat the chocolate in the milk just enough to dissolve it. Cool the mixture and use in place of milk. BASIC RECIPE FOR BISCUITS, ETC. 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp. salt 4 tsp. baking-powder 2 tbsp. fat (butter, lard, or dripping) About 2/3 cup milk. VARIATIONS OF BASIC RECIPE FOR BISCUITS 1. Sweet biscuit: Add 2 tbsp. of sugar after the fat is added. 2. Fruit biscuit: Add 2 tbsp. of sugar and 1/2 cup of fruit, (currants, raisins, peel, or a mixture of all) after the fat is added. 3. Scones: Add 2 tbsp. of sugar, and use one egg and only 1/2 cup of milk. Beat the egg until light, add to milk, and use this for liquid. Form into round cakes about eight inches in diameter, and cut into quarters. 4. Fruit scones: Add 1/2 cup of fruit to the scone recipe. 5. Short cake for fruit: Same as scones, but double the amount of fat. 6. Dumplings for stews: Use the basic recipe, leaving out the fat. 7. Steamed fruit pudding: Use the basic recipe to make the dough that incases the fruit. BREAD MAKING