Part 7 (1/2)

1-1/2 cups of flour.

1/4 teaspoonful of soda.

1/4 teaspoonful of salt.

1 tablespoonful of hot water.

1/4 teaspoonful of cloves.

1/4 teaspoonful of cinnamon.

Melt the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar, and rub together. Beat the egg without separating, and put in next. Mix the soda and hot water, put the milk with this; put the salt in the flour; add part of the flour to the sugar and other things, and then part of the milk, and so on; then put in the spices and stir all together. Put the dough on the board, roll it out thin, and with a cutter mark it all over; then lift out the pieces with a cake turner, very carefully, and arrange them in your pans, but do not let them touch. Bake fifteen minutes; take them out of the pans while warm, and spread out on a platter to cool.

”Dear me, that sounds pretty hard!” said Mildred, as she finished.

”Cookies are not quite as easy to make as some other things, but they are so good, so nice for luncheon and suppers and other times, that I think you will be glad to know how to make them. And Father is so fond of cookies!”

”So he is. Well, Mother, I'll try them. And now what comes next?”

”Some cunning, easy little cakes, so easy that next time Brownie can make them herself. They are called:”

MARGUERITES

20 round, thin crackers.

20 marshmallows.

2 tablespoonfuls of chopped nuts.

2 teaspoonfuls of b.u.t.ter.

b.u.t.ter the crackers on one side, just a little; put a marshmallow on each, a tiny bit of b.u.t.ter on it, and a sprinkle of chopped nuts of any kind. Put them in a shallow pan, and bake till they are soft and brown; eat while fresh and warm.

”Oh, lovely! Mother, I must have some of the girls in and have those for myself!”

”So you shall, any day you want to. Now don't you think that is almost enough for the picnic?”

”I think we ought to have something to finish off with--to eat with the cookies and marguerites; don't you think so?”

”Yes, I do; something in the way of fruit. Suppose we give them this--it is much nicer than plain oranges or bananas; write it down, dear.”

ORANGE BASKETS

6 large oranges.

2 bananas.

2 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar.

Cut the oranges in halves; take out the pulp with a spoon, and put it in a bowl. Sc.r.a.pe out the inside, leaving nice, clean sh.e.l.ls, and then scallop or point the edges with the scissors. Peel the bananas, cut them in long, narrow strips, and these into small bits, and mix lightly with the orange, and add the sugar; heap in the baskets and set away to grow cold.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Making ”Orange Baskets”]

”If we happened to have any pineapple or white grapes in the house, I should put some of those in too; but these will be delicious just as they are. Now anything more?”

”Something to drink with the lunch. I think pink lemonade would be nice.”