Page 196 - The Lost Ways

Cut in 1/3 c. shortening. Then add ¼ c. milk. Mix only until everything is wet.

Spoon drop the biscuits into the Dutch oven, making sure they are evenly spaced, and put
on the lid.

Now remove three-quarters of the coals from under the oven, taking care to even out the
remaining coals. Put the coals you took out from under on top. Bake for 8–10 minutes or
until golden on top. Remove and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Put the coals back under the oven, and add your meat. I like pork sausage, but my
grandma sometimes used pork chops or just plain lard when there was no meat. Cook
thoroughly. If you are using just a fat to make this gravy, and maybe even if you aren’t,
you’ll want to season it with sage, thyme, and onion as well as salt and pepper.

Add ¼ c. of flour to the pot, and stir until well-cooked but not burnt. Then add 2 ½ c. milk
and stir until thickened. Serve immediately by pouring over the biscuits on individual
plates.

Easter Cake

Using this method, you can bake any and all of your favorite cake recipes in the Dutch
oven. This Easter cake is an adaptation of a recipe found in the 1903 Boston Cooking
School magazine. During times of crisis, there is little that says, “Everything is going to be
okay,” like a bit of cake. It seems cake just brightens the dreariest of days.

Preheat your Dutch oven using half and half for the coals. Use a trivet in your oven. If you
don’t have a trivet, similar-sized pebbles, marbles, or beads work well too.

Sift together 1 c. flour with 1 tsp. baking powder. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat 4 egg

whites until stiff. In yet another bowl, beat ½ c. soft butter with ½ c. sugar. Add 1 tsp.
vanilla extract. Combine all ingredients, and mix well.

You need a cake pan that is smaller than your Dutch oven. A 9-inch cake pan and a 10-
inch Dutch oven are ideal. Pour your batter into a greased cake pan. Pour an inch of water
into the bottom of your Dutch oven, and place the pan on the trivet. Leave the coals half
and half for this recipe. It takes 45 minutes to 1 hour for the cake to bake.

Porridge

There is not much that is more versatile than porridge. It can be made using oats, rice,
buckwheat, or any other grain. It can even be made using peas.

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