Paper-bag Cookery

by Countess Vera Serkoff

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.