Paper-bag Cookery

by Countess Vera Serkoff

Many people enjoy a little stewed fruit with breakfast, and all fruits gain in flavour cooked in a “Papakuk” bag. Prunes, a recipe for which has already been given, are particularly nice cooked in this way and so are other dried fruits.

Put the fruit into a large basin, and pour boiling water over them, covering them completely. This plumps them up nicely. Cover with a plate and leave till cold. Then pour off the water, drain the fruit quite dry, and just cover with fresh, cold water. Replace the plate and leave till the morning. Then place in a large and very thoroughly greased bag, add to each pound of fruit two ounces of sugar and any flavouring preferred, a teaspoonful of lemon juice, one of sherry or of essence of vanilla or almond. Cook for forty-five minutes.

BAKED APPLES

are unsurpassed cooked in a paper bag. Simply wash the apples, or pare them if preferred, put into a greased bag with a gill of water, and bake forty minutes. Add sugar to taste.

STEWED GOOSEBERRIES.

Put into a greased bag with sugar and a gill of water and cook thirty minutes. Or they may be first put into a dish and the dish enclosed in a bag. Currants and raspberries are best thus cooked. Fruit tarts and meat pies when cooked in a dish which is afterwards put into a bag, must have some holes pricked in the bag.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

for eating with meat can be cooked in a “Papakuk” bag, but must first be poured into a shallow round tin which has had a slice of roast-beef dripping or of butter melted in it. Make the pudding in the usual way; 4 to 6 ozs. of self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, two well beaten eggs, and enough milk or water mixed to make a batter about as thick as cream. Put the tin into a bag and cook twenty-five minutes.

WARMING UP “LEFTOVERS.”

Paper-bag cookery is invaluable as a means of warming up cold meats. Apart from the various ways of serving up cold meat in hashes, stews, and other dishes, recipes for which have already been given, it is an excellent means of warming food which is required dished up in the same form as before.