AMERICAN RECIPES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22859, 14 October 1937, Page 5

AMERICAN RECIPES

DESSERTS FOR BRIDGE ICE BOX COOKIES POPULAR SHORTCAKE ALSO A FAVOURITE BV F. V. MONTGOMERY SEATTLE, Sept. 8 "What kind of a cake shall I serve?" That question is often uppermost in women's minds when they plan a small party or outing trip. To get to the very crux of the matter let mo ask, "What else is to be served at the meal?" If you are serving ice cream or a mousse of any kind, you should steer clear of rich frostings, since the combination of the ice cream and rich frosting is too devastating to the digestion. One good fundamental rule is to plan your menu for a proper balance of softness, crispness and richness. Ice cream is so rich in itself that crisp, sweet wafers or plain drop cookies, or plain pound cake with little or no frosting, is best.

American women often serve only a dessert following bridge, and in this case the rule holds good by serving a piece of rich cake with coffee or tea, but if ice cream is used, then use a plain cake or crisp wafer or cookie. A sherbet or ice made without cream permits a richer cake to be served. The Bridge Party "Dessert bridge" is popular in America, particularly for women who work in offices. These bridge parties are frequently held 011 Saturday afternoon, and the guests are presumed to take a light "snack" down town, holding back for dessert at the hostess' house which precedes cards. For these something rich is used, such as cake with fillings of whipped cream, fruit fillings or French custard.

A very delectable dessert combines angel food cake smothered in a mixture of peanut brittle and whipped cream. Use a rolling pin to break the peanut brittle into small pieces, and partially pulverise it. .Beat it into the whipped cream, add a lialf-toaspoon of vanilla, and heap two tablespoons of this mixture on each slice of cake. By the way, do you know how to cut a piece of fancy cake? Simply dip the knife in hob water every time beforeslicing. Do you know, too, that if angel food is served plain it is best to break it with the fingers, as cutting with the fork compresses the sponginess so that the texture is spoiled? Of course, you could not do this if you served whipped cream with it, but otherwise try it that way. Cookies For Outings Now, the summer season presents a problem of the proper cake to pack well for outings. Cakes with rich frostings are impossible to pack, as the frosting invariably adheres to the wax paper or packing box. A cake with a firm icing is used, or fruit drop cookies, which pack well and remain fresh several days. Ice box cookies—crisp and dainty—• how American women love tliem ! They are a little brittle to take on an outing, but for every other purpose they are good. They come prepared in rolls, read? to slice and bake, and one slices off just enough for the current meal, keeping the rest in the ice box. But they are

easy to make at home and are practical because the dough will keep for several weeks, and can be sliced off at will, allowing fresh cookies on a minute's notice. American women laugh at the old "sourdough" days in Alaska, when the gold rush brought men prospectors in droves, and they kept a batch of bread dough brewing above the kitchen stove. Now American women keep a roll of cookie dough chilled in the ice box. Here is the recipe if you want to try it. Ice Box Cookies. —1} cups butter, 4 J cups flour, two cups brown sugar, quarter teaspoon salt, 2J teaspoons baking powder, one teaspoon vanilla, two eggs well beaten, half cup nuts. Cream butter, and add sugar. Beat eggs and mix in well. Add the dry ingredients and last, the vanilla. 801 l into rolls, wrap in waxed paper; chill overnight. Slice off very thin, as needed

A favourite cake with us in the United States is shortcake —strawberry shortcake, peach shortcake or pear shortcake. American women are more and more using prepared biscuit flours so that shortcake can be made figuratively in the wink of an eye. However, whether you use prepared flour or prefer to roll your own, it is good. Add a half-nip of mi tin cats to the dough, it' you wish. Either roll out to biscuit height and hake in a flat baking pan, or make biscuits. When done, break the hot biscuits or cake in two, brush ever so lightly with butter and also the top with butter. Then use as filling between halves, and on top of the shortcake, a mixture of fruits, such as strawberries or other berries, sliced peaches, sliced pears, sweetened to taste, and either smother in whipped cream or else just top the top with a heaping serving spoon of whipped cream. With Christmas coining, the idea of making the holiday cake is lurking in many women's minds. You have guessed it—fruit cake! This year, try making it in a loaf-shaped tin, not round. It is so very hard to cut round fruit cake.