PUDDINGS AND CAKES.
With the 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, cover with
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 be retained 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.
STRAWBERRY _GÂTEAU_.
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 in the 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, which can 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.