Meals for Young Cooks

By Petrea Kelly

Scottish Scones

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

4 tablespoons butter

currants or raisins

sugar (optional)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in butter; add fruit and a little sugar if desired. Add enough milk to form a soft dough. Place on floured board and roll or pat to 1″ thickness. Cut circles with small round cookie cutter. Put on greased cookie sheet, making sure edges do not touch. Brush tops and sides with beaten egg and bake at 425° for 7–10 minutes. Serve with butter and honey, jam, or marmalade.

Scotch Shortbread Biscuits (Cookies)

1 1/2 cups flour

pinch salt

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

raspberry jam

Sift dry ingredients. Rub in the butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add sugar and knead until dough binds well. Roll on lightly floured board and form into round cake about 1/2″ thick. Place on greased cookie sheet. Poke dough with fork to mark wedges (about 16 per circle). Make marks deep, but do not cut the circle apart. Bake at 325º for 1 hour or until lightly browned. Dust with sugar and cut on marked wedges. Bake about 10 minutes longer; then spread half shortbread wedges with raspberry jam and top with the other half. These wedges are sometimes called petticoat tails.

Oatcakes

2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons bacon drippings or shortening

boiling water

Place oats and salt in large bowl and add melted drippings. Slowly add boiling water, mixing until soft paste is formed. Knead and roll out quite thin. Cut into round 6″ in diameter, then cut each round into four pieces. Cook on a moderately hot griddle or grill until cakes become crisp and edges curl.

Porridge

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat water until it boils and slowly stir in oatmeal with wooden spoon. Boil and stir 5 minutes, then add salt. Serve very hot. For different flavor add 1/4 cup fruit such as raisins or grated apples and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; or sweeten with brown or white sugar or honey.

Illustrated by Julie F. Young