Appendix B

Appendix B

Recipe for “gems”

From Health, or How to Live, no. 1, pp. 32-34. Gems: Into cold water stir graham flour sufficient to make a batter about the same consistency as that used for ordinary griddle cakes. Bake in a Hot oven, in the cast-iron bread [gem] pans. [Much like muffin pans, only of cast iron. They come with different shaped cups, some shallow and broad, up to three inches, and some deep.] The pans should be heated before putting in the batter.

Note: This makes delicious bread. No definite rule as to the proportions of flour and water can be given, owing to the difference in the absorbing properties of various kinds of flour. If too thin, the cakes will be hollow; if too thick, not so light. A little experience will enable any person to approximate the right proportions with sufficient exactness. The flour should be stirred into the water very slowly, in the same manner as in making mush. If hard water is used, they are apt to be slightly tough. A small quantity of sweet milk will remedy this defect.

Cornmeal gems: Stir slowly into one quart of new milk, cornmeal sufficient to make a thin batter. Bake in a hot oven in the bread [gem] pans.

Fine-flour gems: Gems made of fine flour in the same manner as of graham, the batter being rather stiffer, however, say about like ordinary bread sponge, and baked in the bread [gem] pans, are as light, and far sweeter, than any soda biscuit, and by all who have tasted them are pronounced excellent. [496]