PUTTING THE JOINT INTO THE BAG.This sketch shows how joints must be placed in the paper bag. The bag should rest on the table; lift the uppermost edge, and your food or joint can be slipped in.
PUTTING THE JOINT INTO THE BAG.
This sketch shows how joints must be placed in the paper bag. The bag should rest on the table; lift the uppermost edge, and your food or joint can be slipped in.
Paper-bagcookery should appeal especially to the caterer for a small family. The difficulty of providing suitable joints for households of three or four persons is very great. A small piece of sirloin or half leg of mutton dries up to nothing when cooked in the ordinary way, and loud are the complaints that the flavour and juiciness of a large joint is not to be had under ten to twelve pounds of meat. Yet, if the housewife invests in the large, juicy joint desired, she finds it a very expensive business. One day's dinner hot and one cold is all that is really relished. Thenfollow the monotonous hash, the grill, the fried-up pieces, till everybody is tired of the eternal warmed-up dinners. If it is summer, probably a third of the expensive joint goes bad before it can be eaten up.
TAKING THE BAG OUT OF THE OVEN.The nose of the dish should be held about two inches under the grid. This allows the bag to be pulled out on to the dish.
TAKING THE BAG OUT OF THE OVEN.
The nose of the dish should be held about two inches under the grid. This allows the bag to be pulled out on to the dish.
Cooked in a paper bag, however, the small joint is full as juicy and savoury as the eighteen-pound sirloin can be, while a dainty piece of loin of lamb is a delicacy which must be tasted to be realised.
LOIN OF LAMB.
Two pounds and a half or three pounds of loin of lamb will make a sufficient dinner for a small family of three or four persons, and leave enough cold to serve for supper. Wipe the meat over with a cloth dipped in hot water, and then with a clean dry cloth. Loin of lamb or mutton, being a fat joint, it is better not to grease the bag. Prepare a nice veal stuffing and lay it along the inside of the loin, drawing the flap over and skewering it to keep it in position. Put the meat in a good-sized bag; have the oven well heated; place the bag on the grid. Ten minuteslater turn the gas about half-way down, and let it cook forty minutes longer, when it will be done to a turn, and be a rich golden brown.
SIRLOIN.
A piece of sirloin weighing between three and four pounds would not be worth eating if cooked in the ordinary way, but cooked in a paper bag it is a morsel for the gods. The bag must be greased and the joint lightly rubbed over with a little dripping. Forty-five minutes, ten with the gas fully turned on, should be sufficient for a joint weighing four pounds and under, unless liked very well done, when an extra ten minutes will not be found too much. If liked really underdone, it will be just right in forty minutes.
SHOULDER OF LAMB.
A small shoulder weighing three pounds or very little over is remarkably delicate, just the right size for a small household, and, cooked in a paper bag, is delicious. The butcher should be directed to bone it, and the cavity should be filled with a good forcemeat. Grease the joint over, but not the bag, and roast for fifty minutes, the gas being full on for the first fifteen.
ROAST VEAL
is peculiarly adapted for paper-bag cooking, and a small fillet of veal makes a capital dish. The centre bone is taken out and the hole left slightly enlarged. The stuffing to fill this must be rather rich—a breakfastcupful of fine bread-crumbs, one ounce of grated suet, two rashers of fat, streaky bacon, finely minced, two or three oysters chopped coarsely, a tablespoonful of minced parsley, salt and pepper to taste, the zest of a lemon, and a well beaten egg. This must be firmly pushed into the cavity, and the joint then rubbed over with plenty of bacon dripping. Grease the bag thickly both inside and out. If the fillet weighs three pounds it will take an hour to cook, the gas fully on for ten minutes, then reduced one-half to finish.
ROAST PORK.
For a small family, a part of the loin should be purchased, a little stuffing of sage and finely minced onion introduced, and the joint cooked in a slightly greased bag, allowing twenty-five minutes to each pound. A roast leg of pork is also particularly well flavoured cooked in a paper bag. Stuffing may be introduced under the knuckle skin, or a savoury pudding (see chapter V.) may be cooked along with it. Both joints should be rubbed over with pure salad oil before being put into the bag.
ROAST CHICKEN
is a dainty morsel cooked in a paper bag. Nicely stuffed, it is rubbed over with butter and put into a well greased bag. Forty minutes is sufficient for a chicken. A large fowl will be tender and beautifully cooked in an hour.
GRAVY AND DRIPPING.
This is a very serious question. Many people are so devoted to gravy that, to quote Mrs. Todgers, inMartin Chuzzlewit, “a whole animal wouldn't supply them,” and they will undoubtedly be disappointed in the amount of gravy got from a paper-bagged joint. In this method of cooking, the gravy stays in the meat, and that is what renders it so delicious, so juicy, so full of flavour. The meat which is dry and flavourless in proportion as its rich juices have been extracted, is the meat which yields most gravy. Therefore, paper-bagged joints yield very little gravy, and to add any water to the few spoonfuls of rich, strong gravy they do yield would be to spoil the flavour utterly. When the bag is opened, the small quantity of gravy and dripping within must be poured into a basin, the fat skimmed off, and the remaining gravy added to some gravy made from stock, and kept hot in readiness, poured into the gravy-boat and sent to table.
There will be very little dripping, for the same reasonas there is very little gravy, but the mellowness of fat cooked in a paper bag is quite indescribable, therefore the scanty supply can be no very great drawback.
TINNED FOODS.
Tinned foods fill a very important part in housekeeping. It is a great convenience to have some tins of various preserved foods in the store-room for use in emergencies. The butcher may fail to call, a downpour of rain prevent a shopping expedition, or guests may unexpectedly arrive on a “finish-up” day, that institution so dear to the heart of the thrifty housewife, who so contrives the fragments of the larder that they form a sufficient meal for the household without leaving a crumb over. In all such emergencies it is very comforting to know that the larder is well furnished with tinned foods of reliable brands.
Then, again, tinned foods are the great stand-by of people living in apartments. There is little accommodation for storing food, and it is not pleasant to keep meat, even for a few hours only, in the room where one sits; in summer it becomes an impossibility. The landlady may be obliging enough to offer the use of her safe, but there are obvious drawbacks to this arrangement. Therefore, tinned foods are frequently brought into use, and prove very handy to the lonely woman in lodgings, or the small family living in apartments. Still tinned foods are not very appetising. Served cold, they neither look tempting nor taste savoury, especially on a winter's day; heated in the tin they acquire an unpleasant “tinny” flavour, re-cooked as stews, or put into a hot oven, they lose all flavour and nutritive value. So utterly do they lose their distinctive taste that it is impossible to tell beef from mutton, rabbit from chicken. It is in such cases that paper-bag cookery proves itself invaluable. A dish specially to be recommended is
MINCED STEAKS.
It is put up in tins costing elevenpence halfpenny each, and one tin will make an ample dinner for four or fivepersons, or provide several meals for one. The method of cooking is simplicity itself.
Well grease a good-sized bag, both inside and out, turn the mince out of the tin into the bag, with no additions of any kind. Put into a hot oven for fifteen minutes. Serve with a border of cooked rice (see chapter IV.), and any vegetable preferred. This is a delicious dish, the flavour and juice so well preserved by the method of cooking that it cannot be distinguished from mince made from rump steak.
ROAST BEEF
is rather insipid served cold from the tin, and is flavourless re-cooked in the tin. Turned out, however, thickly spread with roast-beef dripping, put into a thoroughly greased bag, laid in a very hot oven for fifteen minutes, and served on a hot dish with small paper-bagged tomatoes (see chapter IV.), it is exceedingly nice.
ROAST MUTTON
is prepared in the same manner, but small onions cooked in paper bags may be substituted for the tomatoes.
TINNED RABBIT
is best served as curry. Well grease a paper bag. Turn the rabbit out of the tin (it will probably be rather broken and the flesh be separated from the bones), and put into the bag in neat pieces. Add two finely minced onions, a cooking apple cut in dice, the juice of half a lemon, and a teacupful of stock, browned and thickened and with a dessertspoonful of curry powder stirred smoothly into it. Fifteen minutes in a hot oven will be sufficient for this.
TINNED CHICKEN
is very nice curried like the rabbit. Or it may be fricasseed. Turn it out of the tin, add a teacupful of white stock, thickened with arrowroot and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little ground mace or nutmeg, a finely minced onion,a few young carrots, and turnips cut into dice, and a few green peas. Put into a well-greased bag and lay in a hot oven for fifteen minutes.
BAKED MUTTON IN CRUST.
This is a particularly delightful way of cooking mutton, for it retains all the juice and flavour of the meat, and is exceedingly light and digestible.
Choose a nice solid piece of mutton, the fillet end of the leg is the best. Make a good suet crust, using beef suet and water; roll it out to about a quarter of an inch in thickness; it must not be too thin. Keep it a square shape, and make it large enough to contain the meat and completely cover it. Place the meat in the centre of the crust, which neatly fold over it, pinching the opening well together after damping, and sprinkle flour over it. Then thickly grease a paper bag large enough to hold it easily, and gently slide it in. If the meat weighs about four pounds it will take about an hour and a half to cook, the oven being very hot at first, and the heat reduced by half after ten minutes. This dish is extremely nice, the meat particularly juicy and tender, and the crust superior in flavour to that cooked in any other way.
THE HOMELY IRISH STEW
is admirable cooked in a paper bag. Buy two pounds of small neck of mutton chops, trim nicely and take away excess of bone and fat. Cut two or three small onions into rather thin slices, and two pounds of potatoes into thick slices, sprinkle meat, onions, and potatoes with herbs finely rubbed to powder, salt and pepper to taste, add a large breakfastcupful of water. Fasten the bag very securely, and cook in a hot oven for one hour. Turn into a very hot dish.
HARICOT STEAK.
Take a pound and a half of good steak, with no gristle or sinew in it. Cut into neat pieces about two inches square.Chop an onion finely, cut several tomatoes in slices and add these, also some green peas, and young carrots and turnips cut in dice. Rub a teaspoonful of “Bisto” smooth with a little water, and add it to a breakfastcupful of water. If any sour milk is at hand, a tablespoonful of this will be a great improvement. Tie together a bay leaf, a few sprigs of parsley and thyme, and put this in also. Put all the materials into a good-sized paper bag, which has been well greased, fasten very carefully, and cook in a hot oven for forty-five minutes.
STEAKS.
It has been said that a steak grilled over an open fire is the perfection of steak, but that is merely because steak cooked in a paper bag has not yet become known. Well grease a paper bag, put in a pound of rump steak cut in a thick slice, and put on the grid in a hot oven for about fifteen minutes.
CHOPS
are daintier and more savoury done in a paper bag than in any other way. Choose loin chops, trim them very nicely, and lay side by side in a well greased bag. Put in a hot oven and cook for about fifteen minutes.
BEEF OLIVES.
A pound of beefsteak cut into neat slices, longer than broad, makes a nice dish of beef olives. Mix a nice stuffing of two ounces of grated suet, two of bread-crumbs, a tablespoonful of minced parsley, a little ground mace, pepper and salt to taste, and a well beaten egg. Spread each olive with this, roll up, tie with string, lay tidily in a greased bag, put in a hot oven and cook for forty-five minutes. Serve on a very hot dish, with a pat ofMaître d'hôtelbutter placed on each olive.
BEEFSTEAK PUDDING.
Make a nice suet crust with finely chopped or shredded suet, self-raising flour, and water. Roll it out to a medium thickness, and cut it in two. Shape both pieces into aneat round. On the one round lay a pound of steak cut into small pieces rather larger than dice; add two sheep kidneys cut small, season with salt, pepper, a finely minced onion, a tablespoonful of flour; add a teaspoonful of vinegar or lemon juice, and a tablespoonful of water. Cover with the other piece of crust, pinching the edges well together. Put into a greased bag, and cook in a hot oven for about forty-five minutes.
IMITATION HARE.
Mince one pound of beefsteak with half a pound of raw fat bacon, add half the quantity of bread-crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce and a well beaten egg. Form into a neat shape, slide into a greased bag, and cook forty minutes.
A CARPET BAG.
This is an uncommon and very delicious dish. Choose a large thick steak in one piece and of equal thickness all over. Cover it thickly with small plump oysters, roll it up, secure each end, put it into a greased bag, and cook it in a very hot oven for forty-five minutes.
INDIAN CURRY.
Cut the meat, mutton, steak, or poultry into small pieces; peel and chop an onion very finely, mix with the juice of half a lemon, pepper and salt to taste; add a cup of sour milk, in which a dessertspoonful of curry powder and one of flour have been mixed smooth; put it into a large bag, and cook for forty-five minutes.
PAPER-BAGGED RABBIT.
Cut the rabbit into neat joints, add a bunch of sweet herbs, two finely chopped onions, three cloves, three whole allspice, half a teaspoonful of black pepper, a thinly cut piece of lemon rind, two tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, and two rashers of fat bacon cut in dice. Add a teacupful of stock, thickened and browned, and put intoa well greased bag. Cook in a hot oven for forty minutes, if the rabbit is young and tender. If not, an hour will not be too much.
KIDNEYS
are delicious cooked in a paper bag. Take four sheep's kidneys, cut in two, take out the core. Wrap each kidney in a thin slice of fat bacon. Put into a well greased bag, and cook in a hot oven for twelve minutes.
KIDNEY STEW.
Skin and trim the kidneys, remove the core, cut into quarters. Roll each piece in flour, highly seasoned with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and a little dry mustard. Place in a greased bag with a tablespoonful of minced onion, half as much minced parsley, and a teacupful of stock, browned and thickened. Thirty minutes in a hot oven will cook this.
LIVER AND BACON.
Cut a pound of sheep's liver into small pieces, dip each in seasoned flour, wrap round with a very thin piece of fat bacon; put into a greased bag with two tablespoonfuls of water and a teaspoonful of lemon juice. Cook from fifteen to twenty minutes.
MINCE COLLOPS.
Mince one pound of beefsteak very finely, dust with a little flour and season with salt and pepper. If liked, a finely minced onion may be added. Put this in a greased paper bag with half a teacupful of water, and cook for twenty-five minutes.
SAUSAGES.
Put a pound of pork sausages into cold water for five minutes. Then take them out and strip off the skins. Put them in a lightly greased bag, and cook them for twelve minutes. As a pleasant variety, two or three tomatoes, skinned and cut in halves, may be cooked in the same bag, and are excellent. Other savoury breakfast dishes are:—
ANGELS ON HORSEBACK.
Take some very thin slices of bacon, lay an oyster on each, secure, and put in a well buttered bag. Six minutes will cook these nicely.
HAM AND EGGS.
The national breakfast dish is greatly improved by being cooked in a paper bag. The required number of rashers are put into a bag in a hot oven, and after six minutes a hole is cut in the paper and the eggs dropped carefully in. As soon as they are set, which will be in a few minutes, the dish is ready for serving.
EGGS.
Eggs put into a bag with a cup of water, and placed in a hot oven for four to five minutes, are superior to those cooked in a saucepan.
DRESDEN PATTIES.
Take some slices of stale bread and cut out rounds of about two inches in diameter. Scoop out the centre to form a deep cavity. Dip these in a thick batter. Have ready a mixture of minced cooked chicken and ham, stirred to a thick paste with white sauce. Fill the rounds with this, put into a buttered bag, and cook ten minutes.
SAVOURY EGGS.
Put into a paper bag as many eggs as may be required, add a cupful of water, and put into a hot oven for fifteen minutes. Take out and drop into cold water. When cold shell and cut them in halves lengthways; take out the yolks, and pound them with minced ham, minced parsley, salt, pepper, and butter. Return the mixture to the whites, press firmly together, brush over with oiled butter, put into a greased bag, and return to the oven for five minutes.
SCOTCH EGGS.
Proceed with the eggs as in the previous recipe, but cut the cooked eggs in halves across, not lengthways. Haveready sausage-meat mixed with a raw beaten egg. Lightly flour the halves of the eggs, and wrap each half in sausage-meat, rolling into the shape of a ball. Put into a buttered bag, and cook twelve minutes.
POTATO SURPRISE.
Take six raw potatoes, wash and peel them, and scoop out a good deal of the inside; fill with nicely minced meat (cooked or raw), chopped parsley, salt, pepper, a little butter, and a tablespoonful of tomato sauce. Put into a greased bag, and cook from thirty to forty-five minutes, according to size.
SCOTCH WOODCOCK.
Take a dessertspoonful of Yarmouth bloater-paste, a tablespoonful of cream, a piece of butter the size of an egg, the beaten yolks of two eggs, and a little cayenne pepper. Mix all very thoroughly, put into a buttered bag, and cook five minutes. Have ready hot buttered toast cut in strips. Spread each strip with the paste and serve very hot.
EPIGRAMS.
This is a very savoury breakfast dish and easily made. Cut neat slices from a cold leg of mutton. Spread them with Strasbourg meat or any nicely flavoured potted meat that may be at hand. Make a very thick batter with four ounces of flour, one tablespoonful of oil (or oiled butter), pepper, salt, a gill of milk, and an egg. Press two slices together, thus making a sandwich, dip into the batter, and place in a well buttered bag. Do this with all the pieces, arranging them side by side in the bag, but a little apart, that they may not run together in the cooking. Slide cautiously on to the hot grid, without disturbing them, and cook fifteen minutes. Serve on a very hot dish and immediately, for they lose their lightness very quickly.
PREPARING TO COOK CABBAGE.
PREPARING TO COOK CABBAGE.
Thosewho have tried the foregoing recipes are unanimous in their approval, but as regards the cooking of vegetables in paper bags, opinions are divided. Several noted vegetarians are enthusiastic on the subject, and declare that paper-cooking is the very best possible way of conserving the juices and flavour of all vegetables. Others, again, shake doubtful heads, though they admit that some vegetables are improved by this method of cooking, while others are quite decided against it, maintaining that a new and unpleasant flavour is imparted to vegetables so cooked. On investigation, however, it will be found that these last-mentioned critics have not given paper-bag cookery a fair trial. They have probably seized on the homely cabbage as an inexpensive subject on which to experiment, hastily washed it, thrust it into a paper bag, and placed it in the oven for an indefinite period. The result, naturally,is uneatable. Shredded very finely, and put into a well buttered bag with a cup of water, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, pepper, and salt, a palatable dish will emerge from the oven. At the same time, cabbage, plainly boiled or cooked in a conservative boilerette, is in many people's estimation a more superior dish. Potatoes, again, are a cause of division in the camp. They undoubtedly acquire a new flavour when cooked in a paper bag, and this flavour is not agreeable to every palate. Many people prefer new potatoes plainly boiled, for the young, immature vegetable is of so watery a nature that unless the moisture be dispersed by rapid boiling, the potato is too wet and waxy to be palatable. For this reason, new potatoes cooked by steam or in a conservative boilerette are seldom liked, and paper-bagged new potatoes are open to the same objection. It is a different matter, however, with old potatoes, which, when cooked in a paper bag, are very generally liked, and several excellent and proved recipes for cooking old potatoes in paper bags are given further on.
Asparagus is not always a success cooked in a paper bag. Some people complain that the flavour is by no means so delicate when so treated as when simply boiled or cooked by steam or in a conservative boilerette, therefore this vegetable is best put on the black list.
Other vegetables which have been tried and found wanting are celery, turnip-tops, and artichokes. These, however, when once boiled, can be utilised to make many delightful dishes in paper-bag cookery. It may, too, be worth the while of the ardent paper-bag cook to continue to experiment with them until success crowns her efforts. Speaking personally, these vegetables have not met with general approval when cooked in paper bags. But one cannot waste time in lamentations over the few vegetables which are failures cooked in this way, when one considers how many there are which gain so much in flavour as to be a revelation in delicacy and richness of taste to those who have only known them cooked in the ordinary way.
Green peas gain a perfectly exquisite flavour when cooked in a paper bag, but a certain amount of care is required. Too much water will ruin them, and if left too long in the oven they will be hard. One family declared with one voice against paper-bag cookery, because a dish of young, fresh peas emerged from the oven looking like tiny brown bullets, and crackling crisply between the teeth of those who tried to eat them. But this, of course, was the fault of a careless, incompetent cook, not of paper-bag cookery.
Broad beans are delicious cooked paper-bag fashion; but here, also, care and attention are required, as also with French beans and scarlet runners. Tomatoes cooked in this way are infinitely superior to those cooked in any other way, and there are a great variety of delicious tomato dishes to be cooked in paper bags. Young carrots and turnips gain in flavour so cooked, and cauliflower paper-bagged is unsurpassed. Brussels sprouts are not without merit, and mushrooms, onions, cucumber, and vegetable marrow gain so much in flavour as to almost fulfil the harassed housewife's aspiration for a new discovery in vegetables.
POTATOES.
Pare and wash the required number of potatoes and place in the greased bag wet from the washing. Put in a hot oven and cook for fifty minutes, reducing the heat after ten minutes.
STEWED POTATOES
are a very savoury dish. Wash and peel as many potatoes as are wanted, cut each into four thick slices, and put in a greased paper bag, with a finely chopped peeled onion, a tablespoonful of minced parsley, a good piece of roast-beef dripping, salt and pepper to taste, and half a cup of water. In forty minutes turn this savoury and delicious potato mixture into a very hot dish and serve at once.
DUCHESS POTATOES.
This is an excellent way of using up cold mashed potatoes. Melt a piece of butter or dripping in a little milk, the quantities being in proportion to the amount of potato; add pepper, salt, a pinch of dry mustard, and beat all very thoroughly up together. Butter a bag very thickly, put in the potato, and cook in a hot oven for ten minutes.
SLICED POTATOES.
Slice the potatoes thickly, wash well, and then dry in a cloth. Sprinkle with salt and a little flour. Butter a “Papakuk” bag very thickly, and cook for thirty minutes. The bag must be shaken now and then to make the potatoes crisp.
GREEN PEAS.
Shell the peas and to each half peck add a pinch of salt, one lump of sugar, and one leaf of mint; more than one leaf would give too strong a flavour to the peas. Add one glass of water, and cook for three-quarters of an hour. The gas should be reduced after five minutes. If the heat is too great, the peas will be hard.
BROAD BEANS.
Remove the pods and then shell the beans. This extra trouble is quite worth taking, for it makes all the difference in the delicacy of the flavour, and the skins are very easily removed. Put the beans when skinned into a thickly buttered bag, add a piece of butter the size of a walnut, into which has been worked a tablespoonful of flour, a little salt, and a teaspoonful of minced onion. Add also a cupful of water, and cook three-quarters of an hour, reducing the heat after the first five minutes.
DUCHESS GREEN PEAS.
Shell the peas and put into a thickly buttered bag with a lettuce cleaned and pulled into very small pieces, a fewspring onions, a leaf of mint, a pinch of salt, a little castor sugar, a good slice of butter, and a cupful of water. Cook for about three-quarters of an hour, the gas turned down after the first five minutes.
FRENCH BEANS AND SCARLET RUNNERS.
These are excellent cooked in a paper bag. Contrary to the opinion of many cooks, the beans should never be sliced, but cooked whole. If the scarlet runners are very large and coarse, they may be cut into two or three pieces, but otherwise, they should merely have the tops and stringy parts removed and be cooked entire. Put them into a well buttered bag, with a slice of butter, a tablespoonful of minced parsley, the same of minced onion, if the flavour is liked, the juice of half a lemon and half a teacupful of water. Cook for about thirty minutes.
CARROTS.
Wash and scrape a bunch of young carrots, and put them into a buttered bag, with half a teacupful of milk and water. Cook for twenty minutes. If the carrots are large and no longer young, they should be cut into thick slices.
TURNIPS.
New turnips are delicious when cooked in a well buttered paper bag. Wash and peel them, cut into thick slices, put into a greased bag, with half a cupful of milk and water, a pinch of salt, a pinch of castor sugar, and half a teaspoonful of white pepper. Cook for about thirty minutes.
MUSHROOMS.
These are particularly good cooked in a paper bag. They must be freshly gathered, if they are to be really nice. Cut off a portion of the stalk, peel the top, and wipe the mushrooms carefully with a piece of flannel and a little salt. Put them into a buttered bag, with a piece of butter on each mushroom. Cook for twenty minutes. This method preserves all the aroma and flavour of the mushroom.
CAULIFLOWER.
There is no more delicious way of cooking a cauliflower than by cooking it in a paper bag. Cut away all the green, carefully cleanse the cauliflower, cutting the stalk crosswise to secure equal cooking. Lightly butter the cauliflower all over, put very carefully into a bag with half a tumbler of water, and cook thirty minutes.
PARSNIPS.
Wash, pare, and cut into slices as many parsnips as may be required, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put them into a greased paper bag, with a cup of water and a little thickened milk. Cook for twenty minutes.
ONIONS.
The onion is rich in nitrogenous matter, induces sleep when taken at night, and is excellent as a remedy for colds. It has a soothing action on the nerves, and is beneficial to the kidneys. Take moderate-sized Spanish onions, remove the outer skin; cut off the tops to form lids, and hollow out a little of the onion. Fill this with sausage-meat, cored and skinned sheep's kidney, or a little minced and seasoned meat. Rub over with dripping, put into a well greased bag, and cook for an hour.
ONIONS AND TOMATOES.
These two vegetables go particularly well together. One excellent method of cooking them is to take as many tomatoes as there are onions, slice off the tops, scoop out some of the pulp, and carefully fix them in the hollow of onions, which have been steamed till tender and a hollow scooped in each. Put a piece of butter in the tomato centres, drop an egg into each, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a tiny bit more butter, replace the top of the tomato, cover with the piece of onion previously cut off, put into a well greased bag, and cook for fifteen minutes.
TOMATO STEW.
Take nice ripe tomatoes. Plunge into boiling water for a few seconds, then put into cold water for the same length of time. Take them out and pull off the skins, which will now come away readily. Cut them up roughly in a basin; add salt and pepper, the grated rind of half a lemon, a bouquet of herbs, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf, and half a teacupful of water, and a piece of butter. Mix together, and turn into a well buttered bag. Cook for twenty minutes. Empty into a hot dish, pick out the bouquet of herbs, and serve immediately.
TOMATO PIE.
Prepare the tomatoes as in the foregoing recipe, and put into a basin roughly cut up. Mix in a tablespoonful of chopped onion, salt, and pepper, a teaspoonful of grated lemon rind, half a cupful of weak stock or water, a tablespoonful of fine bread-crumbs, a small piece of butter. Have ready macaroni boiled and cut in inch-long pieces. Mix with the tomato. Thickly butter a “Papakuk” bag, put in the pie, and cook for twenty minutes.
STUFFED TOMATOES.
This is a very nice supper or breakfast dish. Choose ripe but firm tomatoes. Cut off the tops, and put them aside. Scoop out the seeds from the tomatoes, and fill with a little minced cooked meat, nicely seasoned; or cut a sheep's kidney in four and use it as stuffing; or a pork sausage skinned and made to fit the hollow. Put a tiny piece of butter on each, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a little minced parsley; fit on the lids, brush over with oiled butter, put into a greased “Papakuk” bag, and cook for twenty minutes.
VEGETABLE MARROWS.
These are particularly good cooked in “Papakuk” fashion. Plainly boiled and served with white sauce, it is an insipid vegetable, and even mashed with butter it is notvery savoury. Prepared, however, in the following method, it is both tasty and satisfying. It is best pared before being cooked, although many vegetarians maintain that by doing so a great deal of the flavour and juice is lost, an assertion made also of the cucumber. This is very true when either vegetable is cooked in the ordinary way, but not so in paper-bag cookery. Having peeled the marrow, it must be cut in two, lengthways, and all the seeds and fibres removed. The cavity must be filled with a tasty stuffing of minced onion, cooked meat, finely minced, and half as much bread-crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper, and also some minced parsley, chopped beef suet, and a well-beaten egg. Tie the two halves together with thin string, brush over with oiled butter, put carefully into a thickly greased bag, and cook forty-five minutes.
SLICED VEGETABLE MARROW.
Peel a rather small marrow, and slice it into rings, cutting out all seeds and fibres. Sprinkle each ring with salt and pepper. Have ready a very thick batter, dip each ring in this, and put it, with as much batter as it will take up, into a very thickly buttered bag, and cook thirty minutes.
SAVOURY VEGETABLE MARROW.
This is a very tasty vegetable dish. Peel, cut open right through the middle, not lengthways; take four or five ripe tomatoes, plunge first into boiling, then into cold water, to remove the skins, then cut up roughly in a basin, add two onions, finely minced, a teaspoonful of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, a slice of butter or some grated suet, any remnants of cold ham or bacon there may be in the house, finely minced, a teaspoonful of minced parsley, half a cupful of fine bread-crumbs. Bind the mixture with the yolk of an egg, well beaten, and fill in the two halves of the marrow. Carefully put each half in a separate well buttered bag, the mixture side uppermost, and cook for forty-five minutes.
CUCUMBER.
Simply peel one or more cucumbers, brush over with oiled butter, season with salt, pepper, sprinkle over with a little flour, put into a well buttered “Papakuk” bag, and cook twenty minutes.
CUCUMBER FRITTERS.
Peel a young cucumber, cut in slices of a medium thickness, season with salt, pepper, the juice of a lemon, and leave them to soak for an hour. Have ready a thick batter, dip in the slices, sprinkle with minced parsley and a little minced onion, put into a thickly greased bag and cook fifteen minutes.
CUCUMBER STUFFED.
Peel a large thick cucumber, cut off the top, scoop out the seeds, fill with a mixture of minced cold meat, a few bread-crumbs, seasoning, and a little stock to moisten. A very nice stuffing is made with some sausage-meat or some kidneys cut small, flavoured with minced onion and parsley. Fix on the top with white of egg, brush over with oiled butter, sprinkle with bread-crumbs, and cook twenty minutes in a thickly greased bag.
Cereals do not seem very adaptable for paper-bag cookery, but with a little care and attention they lend themselves very fairly to this method of cooking, and gain considerably in flavour thereby.
BUTTER BEANS
are extremely nice cooked in paper-bag fashion. They want a great deal of soaking to be really mellow. Wash the beans well, and put to soak early in the morning in abundance of water. Leave all day. By night the beans will have absorbed most of the water. Pour off any that may remain, leaving them quite dry. Cover the basin and leave till morning. This gives the beans a much nicer flavour than if they were cooked at once. Next day skin them. They are much superior when the outer skin isremoved, and the trouble is really trifling. Put them into a buttered bag with a cupful of water, a sprinkle of minced parsley, a tablespoonful of minced onion, two rashers of fat bacon, cut into dice, but no salt, which would render them hard. They will be ready in an hour and a half. If the skins are left on, they will take another half-hour. Have ready a little butter, just melted over the fire, season with salt and pepper, and pour over the dish of beans before sending to table. If the bacon is omitted, substitute a good slice of butter in the bag.
LENTILS.
Either Egyptian or German lentils are excellent in a paper bag. Wash them well, soak all night in abundance of fresh, cold water. Next day put them in a well greased “Papakuk” bag, with the water in which they have been soaking, a carrot, a turnip, a parsnip, and an onion, chopped up roughly. Add neither salt nor pepper. Cook two hours, and they will then be tender enough to press through a colander. Season the resultingpuréewith salt and pepper, re-heat, and serve as a vegetable. Or add enough boiling stock to make a thick cream, stir in carefully a well beaten egg, and serve as soup.
LENTIL CUTLETS.
Cook the lentils as in the recipe already given. When they have been pressed through a colander, add enough bread-crumbs and mashed potato to make a stiff paste, season rather highly with salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, and a tablespoonful of onion juice. Mix thoroughly, form into neat cutlets, place in a thickly buttered bag, and cook fifteen minutes.
RICE.
Well wash a cup of rice, and put to soak overnight. Next day put it with the water in which it has soaked and at least another cupful into a very thoroughly greased bag. If it is not sufficiently greased, the rice will stick to it. Cook thirty-five minutes.
SAVOURY RICE.
Soak a cup of well washed rice overnight. Next day put it into a well greased bag with a sliced onion, two skinned and cut-up tomatoes, pepper, salt, a piece of thinly cut lemon rind, a couple of rashers of streaky bacon cut in dice. Add a cupful of stock or water and cook thirty-five minutes.
VEGETABLE ROLL.
Mash a quarter of a pound each of cooked carrot, turnip, vegetable marrow, haricot beans, and potatoes. Season with pepper, salt, grated nutmeg, mixed herbs; mix all well, bind with a beaten egg, form into a shapely roll, put into a greased bag, and cook fifteen minutes.
SAVOURY MACARONI.
Cut cold boiled macaroni into convenient lengths, and put into a basin. Skin and cut up roughly two or three ripe tomatoes; tinned may be used when fresh ones are expensive. Add these to the macaroni; add also a tablespoonful of strong gravy or some made from “Lemco” or any good meat extract; pepper, salt, a chopped onion, half a cup of fine bread-crumbs, and the zest of a lemon. Put all into a well buttered bag and cook fifteen minutes.
GROUND RICE FRITTERS.
Rub ground rice smooth in a little milk, and add enough to boiling milk to make a thick paste. Add to this a tablespoonful of onion juice, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, pepper and salt to taste, and a tablespoonful of grated cheese. Mix well and let it get cold. Form balls out of the paste, put into a well buttered bag, and cook fifteen minutes.
MUSHROOM PUDDING.
Roll out a nice short crust, cut it in two. On one half lay small button mushrooms, properly cleansed; sprinkle with a little salt and pepper; put bits of butter over them, cover with the other half of pastry; put into a buttered bag and cook fifteen minutes.
TURNIP CUPS.
Take nicely shaped round turnips, cut off the tops and scoop out some of the centres; fill with green peas, put little bits of butter on the tops; put the cups carefully into a well greased bag, so as not to upset them. Add cautiously about two tablespoonfuls of water and cook twenty minutes.
ONION DUMPLINGS.
Take as many onions as may be required, peel them, and make a deep incision across them; put into this cut a piece of butter or dripping, salt, and pepper. Make a good short crust, roll it out, and cut into as many pieces as there are onions. Put an onion on each, and work up the paste as if making an apple dumpling. Put into a well greased bag and cook about an hour.
Withthe exception of soup, an entire dinner can be cooked in “Papakukery” fashion, and, apart from other advantages, it will gain immensely in flavour and nutritive value from being thus cooked. Almost all puddings and sweet dishes can be cooked in paper bags, and are much improved in taste and goodness.
APPLE PUDDING.
Peel, core, and slice the apples. Make a good short paste crust, roll it out to a medium thickness; lay the apples neatly on one half, cover thickly with castor sugar, add the juice of half a lemon, squeezed over the apples; fold over the pastry, pinching the edges well together; put into a well greased bag and cook fifteen minutes.
APPLE PUFFS.
Make half a pound of the finest flour perfectly smooth by passing it through a sieve. Roll half a pound of fresh butter in a cloth to free from moisture; rub a piece into the flour with the finger-tips very thoroughly till it quite disappears; add a well beaten egg, and roll out the paste on a stone slab with a glass rolling-pin; a clean round bottle will answer if the only household roller is of wood. Put more butter in tiny bits over the paste; dredge lightly with flour; fold it up and roll it out; let it stand three or four minutes. Repeat this, leaving it a few minutes each time, for four or five times. Then roll it out and cut into square pieces. Lay a few slices of apple on each, coverwith castor sugar and a little ground cinnamon, fold half the paste over, point to point, forming a triangular puff. Put the puffs into a buttered “Papakuk” bag and cook fifteen minutes.
APPLE DUMPLINGS.
A plain, not too rich, paste crust is best for these. With a corer extract the core from the whole, unpared apple, which is less likely to break than one which has been peeled. Fill the hollow with powdered sugar and a little ground cinnamon, if the flavour is liked; a little ground ginger makes a nice flavour, with the zest of a lemon or a pinch of mixed spice according to taste. Divide the paste into as many neat rounds as there are apples, put one apple on each round, work the paste smoothly over, wetting the edges to make them adhere. Place them in a well buttered “Papakuk” bag and cook in a moderate oven for forty minutes.
STEWED APPLES
are best cooked in a shallow tin or pie-dish, though they can be cooked placed simply in a well buttered bag. The apples are sliced, add a little lemon juice, sugar to taste, and a small quantity of water. Place in a well buttered bag, or put first into a pie dish which is slid into a bag—the last is really the best way. With or without the dish, cook for half an hour. The oven, after the first five minutes, must not be very hot.
ECONOMICAL BREAD PUDDING.
Put about a pound of stale bread into a basin and just cover with cold water. Leave it for an hour or two; or overnight, if more convenient. Drain off the liquid, pressing the bread in a colander or a vegetable presser; or press with the hand until free from moisture. Put into a basin, add two ounces of moist sugar, a quarter of a pound of cleaned sultanas or raisins, a teaspoonful of mixed spice, and one well beaten egg. Beat very thoroughly, put into a thickly greased bag, and cook forty minutes.
BREAD PUDDING.
This is a richer pudding than the foregoing, but is very light and digestible. Put stale bread to soak in just enough cold milk to cover. When quite soft, beat it well up, without pouring off any of the milk which may not have been absorbed by the bread. Add a quarter of a pound of sugar. Put into a well buttered bag and cook forty minutes.
GOOSEBERRY PUDDING.
Three breakfastcupfuls of bread-crumbs are mixed with half a pint of gooseberries and quarter of a pound of brown sugar. A little spice may be added, if liked. Mix in two ounces of butter or grated suet; beat in one or two eggs. Put into a well buttered bag and cook forty-five minutes. Reduce the gas by one-half after the first five minutes.
LEMON DUMPLINGS
are made exactly in the same way as the foregoing, substituting the juice and the grated rind of one large or two small lemons for the gooseberries, and mixing with one egg only. Form into balls, adding a little flour if the mixture is not sufficiently firm. Place into a buttered bag and cook for about fifteen minutes.
JAM ROLY-POLY.
This favourite nursery pudding is never so dainty as when cooked in a paper bag. In this way there is no risk of the jam “boiling out,” to the disappointment of the little people to whom the jam is the chief part of the pudding. Make a nice, but not too rich, crust from vegetable lard and self-raising flour. Roll it out to an oblong shape, spread over with any kind of jam preferred, leaving a good two inches clear all round. Roll up the pudding very carefully, securing the edges by wetting and sifting flour over. Put in a thoroughly greased bag and cook thirty minutes. If any jam should chance to ooze out, it will beretained in the bag, and should be poured over the pudding when in the dish.
RAISIN BLANKET.
This is another nursery favourite. Roll out a light paste crust, as directed in the foregoing recipe. Sprinkle it over with large raisins, stoned and cut in halves; cover with a thick layer of brown sugar; squeeze the juice of a lemon over; roll up, secure the ends, put into a well buttered bag, and cook thirty minutes.
RICE PUDDING.
For this pudding use flaked rice. Bring a pint of milk to the boil, add an ounce of loaf sugar, stir in one and a half or two ounces of flaked rice and boil a few minutes whilst stirring; take from the fire and allow to cook. When nearly cold, add two well beaten eggs, put into a thickly buttered bag, and cook thirty minutes, the heat of the oven being reduced after five minutes to less than half. Have ready a dish in which a layer of stewed fruit or jam has been placed, and turn the pudding out on the top of this.
TAPIOCA PUDDING.
Flaked tapioca should be used for this, and it should be made in exactly the same manner as rice pudding. Both these puddings, and also semolina and ground rice, can be poured first into a buttered dish, and the dish put into a “Papakuk” bag. This secures a good appearance for the pudding, without losing the advantages of paper-bag cookery.
FRUIT TARTS
can be made in the ordinary fashion, and the dish containing the tart can be put into a bag to get the full advantages of the method. Or they can be made without dishes. Either a short crust or puff paste may be used, as may be preferred. The paste is rolled out to a medium thickness and cut into two ovals or rounds. On one is laid the fruit—gooseberries, rhubarb, apples, black currants, red currants,and raspberries, or any suitable fruit in season—sweeten the layer of fruit with castor sugar. A little lemon juice, a pinch of ground ginger, or cinnamon, are considered by many people to improve the flavour of rhubarb and apples, and a very little sherry is thought to bring out the flavour of red currants and raspberries, but much less flavouring of any kind is required in paper-bag cookery, for the bag retains the flavour so perfectly that it is easy to overdo any strong flavour.
The fruit is then covered with the other piece of paste, pinch the edges of paste together, and ornament to taste; put into a well buttered bag, bake for about twenty to twenty-five minutes, and serve with castor sugar sifted over.
STRAWBERRYGÂTEAU.
A sixpenny sponge or Madeira cake is the foundation of this summer sweet. Cut the top neatly off, scoop out a deep hole, saving the cake to be used in making a Cabinet pudding. Fill the cavity with ripe strawberries, cover with sifted sugar put on the top; pour over the whole a glass of sherry, mixed with a tablespoonful of strawberry syrup, and one of lemon juice. Let it stand to soak for a few minutes, then put it into a well buttered “Papakuk” bag, and place in a hot oven for ten minutes. Take out and serve at once, handing custard or whipped cream with it.
CABINET PUDDING.
Bring one pint of milk to the boil, stir in a cupful of cake-crumbs. The pieces cut out of the cake used for the Strawberry Gâteau will be sufficient, finely crumbled. Stir for a few minutes, then lift off the fire, and when slightly cooled, add the well beaten yolks of three eggs, a quarter of a pound of raisins, cleaned and stoned, a quarter of a pound of candied peel, two ounces crystallised ginger, and two ounces of butter. Beat all together very thoroughly, put into a well buttered bag, and cook forty-five minutes, reducing the heat by half a few minutes after putting inthe pudding. Beat up the whites of the eggs with a little sifted sugar and a few drops of essence of vanilla. When very stiff, pile it on the top of the pudding and serve at once.
PLAIN SUET PUDDING.
This pudding, whether intended to be eaten with meat or with jam or treacle, is infinitely superior cooked in a paper bag to the same pudding boiled or steamed. Mix one pound of self-raising flour with four ounces of chopped suet, preferably vegetable, and a pinch of salt. Mix to a stiff dough with water, put into a buttered bag and cook for forty-five minutes. This has quite a different flavour from a boiled suet pudding.
SIMPLE PLUM PUDDING.
Two heaped breakfastcupfuls of self-raising flour, one cupful of chopped suet, one cupful of raisins, stoned and cleaned, one of prunes, chopped and stoned, a little finely cut candied peel, one beaten egg, and enough milk to mix to a very stiff dough. Put into a well buttered bag and cook for about fifty minutes.
ROBIN TARTLETS.
Make a short crust paste, roll out, line some little patty pans, and fill with this mixture: one ounce of butter, melted, two ounces of ground rice, three ounces of castor sugar, one well beaten egg, a few drops of almond essence, or a spoonful of minced almonds. Put these into a “Papakuk” bag and cook fifteen minutes.
GERMAN GOOSEBERRY PUDDING.
Two cupfuls of flour, two of bread-crumbs, four ounces of chopped suet, one teaspoonful of ground ginger, one pint gooseberries, washed, topped, and tailed, and two tablespoonfuls of golden syrup; mix all well together, and make into a very stiff dough with a little milk; put into a thoroughly greased bag and cook for an hour.
PALESTINE PUDDING.
Mix six ounces of self-raising flour, four of sultanas, four of chopped suet, four of brown sugar, one dessertspoonful of ground cinnamon. Beat up one egg with two tablespoonfuls of milk, mix to a stiff dough. Put into a well buttered “Papakuk” bag and cook forty-five minutes.
DATE PUDDING.
Mix six ounces of bread-crumbs, four of self-raising flour, three of grated suet, half a pound of dates, stoned and chopped, but no sugar. Moisten with a beaten egg, and, if necessary, a little milk, but do not make the mixture liquid. Put into a greased bag and cook for an hour.
LANCASHIRE ROLY-POLY.
This is a nice variety of a favourite children's pudding. Make a good short crust and roll it out into an oblong shape. Cut two apples into small pieces, and mix thoroughly with two ounces of sultana raisins, two tablespoonfuls of golden syrup, a teaspoonful of mixed spice, a little grated lemon rind. Spread this mixture on the crust to within an inch of the edge; roll up, pinching the sides well together in the process. Put into a greased bag and cook for an hour.
PINEAPPLE PUDDING.
Bring one pint of milk to the boil, sprinkle in enough flaked sago to make a thick batter. Cook for a few seconds. When cool, add the beaten yolks of three eggs, an ounce of castor sugar, and a teaspoonful of vanilla essence. Butter a “Papakuk” bag very thickly, pour in the pudding, and cook gently for thirty minutes. Meanwhile, open a tin of pineapple rings and lay them in a dish. Empty the pudding on the top of this; have the whites of the eggs whisked very stiff with a little icing sugar and a drop or two of vanilla essence; pile this on the top of the pudding and serve at once.
SAGO PLUM PUDDING.
Soak four tablespoonfuls of fine sago all night in a breakfastcupful of milk. Next day add a teacupful of bread-crumbs, two of self-raising flour, one of best raisins, cleaned and stoned, the grated rind of quarter of a lemon, one ounce of butter (melted), and a well-beaten egg. Put into a thickly buttered bag and cook one hour.
RAISINS.
This simple dish is much liked by children, and is very wholesome and nutritious. Choose large, fine raisins, put them in a buttered “Papakuk” bag with a cupful of water, and let them cook for about forty minutes. They are excellent for children, eaten with bread and butter, and act as a gentle laxative.
PRUNES.
These are also excellent for children. Wash the prunes carefully, then let them soak all night in enough water to cover them and the juice of a lemon. Next day add two ounces of sugar to a pound of prunes, put them into a greased bag, with the water and lemon juice, and cook forty-five minutes. This is also a pleasant and gentle laxative, and is generally much liked by children.
LEMON PUFFS.
Grate the rind of two fresh lemons, mix with ten ounces of castor sugar. Beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, and whisk all together to a very thick paste. Form into dainty balls, and place some distance apart in a thickly buttered “Papakuk” bag, and cook fifteen minutes.
CASTLE PUDDING.
Beat one ounce of butter and half a cupful of castor sugar to a cream; add three well beaten eggs, and beat all well together. Then sift in gradually one breakfastcupful of self-raising flour and mix thoroughly. Put into a thickly buttered bag and cook for about thirty minutes.
QUINCES.
Core and cut into slices six quinces, put them into a greased “Papakuk” bag with two teacupfuls of sugar and one of water. Cook for three hours in a slow oven. They will then be tender and of a beautiful rich colour. They are not often met with, but cooked thus are a delicious fruit.
CAKES
are very dainty, and gain in flavour and richness when cooked in a paper bag. Many are cooked simply in the bag, but others must be put into a greased tin and then enclosed in the bag.
LADIES' FINGERS
are nice little cakes for afternoon tea. Beat two eggs very lightly, add one teacupful of sugar and a little essence of lemon. Add enough self-raising flour to make a firm dough. Roll out, cut into strips, put into a buttered bag, and cook fifteen minutes.
GOLDEN CAKES.
Beat half a pound of butter to a cream, add six ounces of sugar and the yolks of three eggs, and beat well; then put in three ounces of chopped orange peel and one pound of self-raising flour. Mix well, divide into buns, put into a well greased bag, and cook twenty minutes.
SHORTBREAD
is delicious cooked in a paper bag. The following is the recipe of an old Ayrshire cook whose shortbread is always considered unsurpassed. It is very rich, however, and the amount of butter may be reduced by one-half if considered extravagant or indigestible; but if the recipe be followed exactly, a very delicious cake will be the result.
Rub one pound of butter into one pound of flour. Rub it until it is like bread-crumbs. Then add a quarter of a pound of sugar and gradually work into a dough, whichcan be rolled out thickly, cut into fancy shapes, put into a buttered bag, and cook for twenty minutes. If half a pound of butter to one pound of flour be used, the dough must be moistened with one beaten egg and two tablespoonfuls of cream. The first recipe, however, is for genuine Scotch shortbread.
DOUGH CAKE.
Get the baker to bring half a quartern of bread dough. Beat into it quarter of a pound of butter, half a pound of sugar, a quarter of a pound of sultana raisins, two ounces candied peel. Let it stand for half an hour, put it into a buttered “Papakuk” bag, and cook one hour.
TEA-CAKE.
Mix three-quarters of a pound of self-raising flour, half an ounce of butter, and a cup of milk into a light dough; roll out, cut into round cakes, slip into buttered bags, and cook fifteen minutes.
YORKSHIRE TEA-CAKES.
Cream the white of one egg in as much butter and sugar together; beat into the white of the egg as much ground rice and self-raising flour; mix to a light dough with one tablespoonful of milk. Butter two plates, spread over the mixtures, put each plate into a “Papakuk” bag, cook fifteen minutes, spread one cake with warmed jam, put the other on the top, and serve hot.
COCOANUT BUNS.
Beat a quarter of a pound of butter and a quarter of a pound of sugar to a cream, then beat in two eggs, quarter of a pound of desiccated cocoanut, and one gill of milk; stir in a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground ginger and three-quarters of a pound of flour; butter some patty pans, half fill with the mixture, put into “Papakuk” bags, and cook twenty minutes.
SPONGE ROLL.
Beat four eggs and one cup of sugar together for five minutes, stir in one cup of self-raising flour, put into an oblong greased tin, enclose this in a “Papakuk” bag, and cook ten minutes. Turn out and spread with heated jam, and roll up at once.
AMERICAN COOKIES.
Put four tablespoonfuls of sugar into a basin, pour over it three tablespoonfuls of melted butter, mix well together; beat two eggs with two tablespoonfuls of milk and stir in; add as much self-raising flour as will make a very stiff dough. Roll out a quarter of an inch thick, cut with a pastry-cutter into nice rounds, brush each over with milk, sprinkle thickly with sugar, slip into well buttered bags, and cook twenty minutes.
LUNCH BUNS.
Beat well together one egg, half a cup of sugar, and one teaspoonful of butter, add one cup of self-raising flour, and mix very thoroughly. Form into buns, put into a well greased bag, and cook fifteen minutes.
CHERRY CAKES.
Beat a quarter of a pound of butter and two ounces of sugar together till very light, add one egg, very thoroughly beaten, stir in by degrees half a pound of self-raising flour. Turn the dough out on a board; chop two ounces of dried cherries finely, blanch and chop one ounce of sweet almonds. Roll out the dough, sprinkle over the cherries and almonds, and fold the dough together; roll it out again and fold it again; roll it out once more to half an inch in thickness; cut into rounds; put into a thickly buttered bag and cook ten minutes.
NURSERY TEA-CAKES.
Mix well together half a cup of butter, one of sugar, half a cup of milk, two of self-raising flour, two teaspoonfuls of vanilla essence, two well beaten eggs. Shape into buns, put into buttered bags, and cook twenty minutes.
CROPPER CAKES.
Beat three ounces of butter to a cream with three ounces of sugar; put half a pound of self-raising flour into a basin, and add it by slow degrees to the butter and sugar. Add a well beaten egg and a few drops of essence of vanilla. Make into a smooth dough, form into small cakes, place into a well buttered “Papakuk” bag, and cook fifteen minutes.
FEATHER CAKE.
Beat half a cup of butter to a cream, add two cups of sugar, and beat well; add one cup of milk with one tablespoonful of baking soda dissolved in it; three eggs, the yolks and whites beaten separately, one cup of flour with two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar mixed in it; then add two more cups of flour without the cream of tartar. Beat very thoroughly. Put into a well buttered tin; enclose the tin in a “Papakuk” bag and cook forty-five minutes.
GINGER CAKE.
These are particularly wholesome for children, and are an agreeable laxative.
Take one pound of self-raising flour, and rub it well together with a quarter of a pound of sugar and half an ounce of ground ginger; then add half a pound of golden syrup and a tablespoonful of honey. Melt three ounces of butter in a quarter of a pint of hot milk; dissolve a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda in the milk and add it to the other ingredients. It must be a very stiff dough. Form into flat cakes, slide into very thickly buttered “Papakuk” bags, and cook forty-five minutes.