Beat hard to mix and then add eight cups of flour, and work to a smooth dough; grease the bowl and place the dough in it.  Turn the dough over to thoroughly coat with the shortening.  Cover and let rise overnight and then early in the morning punch down well and turn over for one hour.  Place on a moulding board and divide into loaves.  Form into the loaf and then place in well-greased pans and let rise for one hour.  Bake in a moderate oven for forty minutes.

It is important that the temperature of the scalded and cooled buttermilk should be about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  When setting the bread overnight, be sure that it is in a place where the average temperature will be 65 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and 70 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, and which is free from drafts.

BUTTERMILK DOUGHNUTS

Place in a mixing bowl

  One cup of buttermilk,
  Two tablespoons of shortening,
  One egg,
  One cup of sugar,
  One teaspoon of baking soda,
  One teaspoon of nutmeg,
  One-half teaspoon of ginger.

Beat to mix.  Now add

  Five cups of sifted flour,
  Two teaspoons of baking powder,

and work to a smooth dough.  Roll out one-half inch thick on well-floured pastry board and cut and fry until golden brown in hot fat.

BUTTERMILK CHEESE PIE

Place one quart of buttermilk in a pan and heat gently to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit.  Let cool and then turn into a piece of cheese-cloth and let drain for two hours.  Now measure one and one-half cups of whey and place in a saucepan and add six tablespoons of cornstarch.  Stir to dissolve and then bring to a boil and cook for five minutes.  Now add

  One cup of sugar,
  Yolks of two eggs,
  Grated rind of one-half lemon,
  One teaspoon of nutmeg,
  One-half teaspoon of vanilla.

And the prepared cheese that has been draining in the cheesecloth.  Beat very hard with the egg-beater to thoroughly blend.  Pour into pans which have been lined with plain pastry and bake for forty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

Dust the top of the pie before placing in the oven with either nutmeg or cinnamon, and one-half cup of seeded raisins or finely chopped nuts may be added for variety, if desired.

Use left-over whites of egg

  One for fruit whip;
  One for dipping croquettes, oysters and the like to be fried in
          deep fat.

SAUCES

CIDER SAUCE (CHAMPAGNE SAUCE)

Melt three tablespoons of ham fat in the frying pan and add four tablespoons of flour, and cook until nice and brown, then add two cups of cider.  Stir until well blended and then bring to a boil.  Cook slowly for five minutes and then season with salt and white pepper and a little nutmeg.