COOKING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 10 December 1936, Page 20

COOKING

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? WITHOUT HOME-MADE COOKIES. Christmas is perhaps responsible for the invention of cookies. Over in the Scandinavian countries cookies, cut in fancy shapes and gaily decorated, are .still being hung on the Christmas tree. This custom has existed for hundreds of years. Perhaps some good Scandinavian housewife discovered that cookies would serve a double purpose if she added more flour and more shortening to her cake mixture so that sho could roll it out and cut it into fancy shapes. In Scandinavia and Germany there are all sorts of special recipes which are used only at Christmas time. Some of these are the guarded property of a family. There will be an exchange of Christmas cakes, but never of recipes. Actually there are not so many types of cookies, although there may be many variations of each type. At holiday time when we are willing to devote time to the preparation, rolled cookies which can be cut in fancy shapes arc perhaps the most popular. One of the newest kitchen gadgets will cut a large number of cookies of a variety of shapes all at the same time. Then there are those German rolling pins with which a design may he pressed into the rolled dough. If you wish the dougn to roll easily chill it between the, mixing and the rolling. Cookies of this sort may be brushed with white of an egg and decorated with nut meats, raisins, candied cherries, powdered sugar, or candies before they are baked. They may be frosted, dipped in nuts, or decorated after they are baked instead of before if you like. Frosted cookies, however, will not keep indefinitely, as will the plainer cookies.

Because most cookies arc the better for ageing, you may make your Christmas cookies as far ahead of time as you like. AUSTRIAN CRESCENTS. i cup shortening, 1 cup floijr, i

cup rolled almonds, salt, 1 cup sugar, 4 egg yolks, white of egg. Mix the shortening with the sugar, add the egg yolks, boat well and stir in the flour and salt. Add the almonds, rolled very fine. Chill the dough and roll to quarter-inch thickness. Add more flour if necessary. Cut with small crescent-shaped cutters. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with chopped almonds, and bake in a moderate oven until golden brown. CHOCOLATE WALNUT COOKIES. 1 cupful butter, 1 cup sugar, ] egg, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2£ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, \ teaspoon cinnamon, i cup chopped nuts, 2 squares clioco- | late. Cream the butter nnd sugar. Add the eggs slightly beaten. Add the milk, vanilla, sifted dry ingredients, and walnuts. Add the chocolate melted and form into a roll 2 inches in diameter. Chill. Cut in 1-8 inch slices. Bake in a moderate oven eight to ten minutes, NUT WAFERS. 2 tablespoons butter, 1-j cups brown sugar, 1 egg, 4 tablespoons flour, lj cups chopped nuts, 2 tablespoons water. Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually, the egg slightly beaten, tho nuts mixed with the flour and the water. Drop by teaspoons two inches apart on a baking sheet, greased with unsalted fat or oil. Bake in a slow oven seven to ten mintues. Remove from the oven, cool one minute before taking from the pan.

THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING. HAVE YOU MADE ALL YOUR PLANS? (Copyright.) Plum pudding has been a food tradition for so long that it is seldom that any ono thinks about how it got its name. The fruit which gives the pudding its title has boon used probably for centuries; at least in England with which it is associated so closely. The first plum puddings, which are supposed to have originated in Germany, were made from plum juice mixed with barley, which were then boiled together. Old English plum pudding is full of currants, raisins, and citron. Sometimes dates, figs, candied cherries, and nuts are also added. In this country we are more likely to steam it in moulds which must he tightly covered. Moisture proof paper may he tied firmly over the howl if you lack a covered mould. As soon as the puddings have steamed the required number of hours the covers may he removed so that they will have the opportunity to drv. They may be left in the bowls, recovered, and then steamed until thoroughly limited when you are ready to serve them.

To be traditionally right the pudding must he covered with brandy which is set on fire. Ccrtainjy nothing is more festive than a flaming plum pudding. And almost as important ns the pudding is the sauce, which may he thick or thin ns you like, but always flavoured with brandy, sherry, or rum. Portions of pudding may and should he small, but sauce should practically flow. ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING. Ingredients.—ljlb seedless raisins, 2 ounces citron, cut fine. 3 sour apples, chopped fine, 1 cup fruit juice, rind of 1 lemon, 1 cup chopped Brazil nuts, 3 eggs, 1$ cups dried broad crumbs, 1 cup suet, chopped fine, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, -j teaspoon allspice, -J teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, i cup sugar, 1 cup molasses, soak the fruits in fruit juice overnight, then add the remaining ingredients. Put in moulds and cover tightly. Steam at least five hours. Serve with hard sauce. CHRISTMAS SAUCE.

Ingredients.-—1 egg, 1 cup powdered sugar, i cup cream, 2 tablespoons sherry. Beat the egg, add the sugar, heat until smooth. Beat the cream, fold in to first mixture and flavour. CHRISTMAS CANDIES. SOME PRACTICAL RECIPES. This season there is a vogue for combining candies to make interesting novelties, and while candies for these are generally commercial products, the combining into novelties can he done at home. This is a thrifty method. COOKED EONDANT RECIPE. Twice as much sugar as water is used, I teaspoonful cream of tartar to each jmoportion of 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Put all together in a saucepan and boil for a few minutes, then pour into a platter. Do not scrape the pan or the fondant will be grandu-

lar. After ten minutes, or when the fondant is cool enough to keep the dent of tho finger pressed on it, begin to work it from the edges toward the centre. A spatula is best for this, but a tablespoon can be used. When too firm to work thus, knead it with the hands until of a good creamy consistency. Pack in a jar with a wide mouth. Cover tight so no air gets to it, and set away until the day before Christmas, when it can be formed into balls to be dipped in chocolate, or rolled in coconut, or wrapped around nuts, raisins, cherries, etc., or rolled in white or coloured powdered sugar. It can be made into a wide variety of candies and fillings. Part of it can be coloured with vegetable colourings and used for bright fillings and candies. QUICK FONDANT. One-quarter cup cream. Add confectioners’ sugar slowly while stirring until no more can be assimilated, and the mixture can be handled. Then form into balls for coating with chocolate or use it for any candies, as suggested for boiled fondant. The white of an egg can bo used instead of the cream if preferred. A tablespoon of melted butter can be mixed in with the fondant, a little at a time while stirring, and a butter fondant results. Fondants can bo flavoured with any preferred flavouring. For chocolate fondant add grated chocolate when tho mixture gets to tho boiling point, or stir in melted chocolate to quick uncooked fondant. Use strong coffee instead of water for coffee fondant. The juice of an orange mixed with confectioners’ sugar makes orange fondant. Tho grated rind of an orange can be worked in also.