Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-12-19
Packing the Christina Hamper.

help to make Frightening q light task
and cleaning still easier.
Packing the Christina Hamper.
With the advent of the Christmas sea-
SON, when the average housewife is
puzzling her brains over how to provide
novel and appropriate gifts for large
circle of friends and relatives, without
too severe a strain on her pocket-book,
a revival of the good old colonial custom,
is suggested of sending remembrance
on Christmas morning In the form OF
dainty basket, or hamper, attractively
packed with an array of holiday goodiea.
This, of course, should be prepared by
the housewife herself, and the fortunate
recipient will be sure to prize it far more
highly than any purchased gift at even
double or treble the original cost OF the
simple materials.
In fact, if one is good manager, even
this outlay may be reduced to mini
mum; for with little forethought one
can easily arrange, when engaged in tho
preliminary preparations of holiday
dainties for the home table, to make
few extra cookies, a small plum cake,
one or two diminutive molds of jelly,
highly seasoned tumbler of veal loaf, or
another of gelatin of chicken. Many
other seasonable delicacies will suggest
themselves, which can be set aside from
the original supply as a nucleus for the
Christmas hamper, and which, augment
ed by days cooking possibly later on,
will produce most gratifying results
with but very slight expenditure.
The baskets In which the edibles are
packed may be of any preferred variety,
but they should be made az attractive
and artistic as the donors ingenuity can
devise.
Even old baskets provided they are
souud) need not be despised, If before
Christmas they are treated to two coats
of common white paint; allow this to
become thoroughly dry, then give q coat
of white enamel, painting the handles
and rim delicate green enamel. Use in
com bination with this cOlOring large
bow of crimson satin ribbon tied to the
handle, through which thrust hand
some cluster of holly, gay with ito
scarlet berries. Another charming
decoration will be found in using dark
green paint with white enamel, and
ornamenting with white satin ribbon and
mistletoe. Countless ideas and con-
ceits will suggest themselves a. the fasci-
mating work progresses, the final festive
touch being given by wrapping the con.
tents in dainty white tissue paper, or In
crepe paper printed in holly design; and
tying them with red, white and green
baby ribbon, or with rafia.
i T., La Doolip1 invariably nlana tha
| heaviest articles in the bottom with the
lighter and more perishable ones on top,
so that the edibles will reach their desti-
nation In perfect condition; and arrange
them so that there is no possibility of
their moving or slipping about. On top,
resting on a delicately tinted paper nap
kin, place q suitable card bearing the
seasons greetings, and on the other side
a list of tho viands contained In the
hamper.
OF course the gifts may be as elabo-
rate or az simple as the donor desires.
Study, however, to suit the individual
taste aud requirements OF each recipient;
90 that to the semi-iuvalid may be sent
dslicacies suitable to the cOnvalescent,
reserving the more substantial, but
equally delicious mince turnovers, corn
ish pasties, and kindred dainties for the
epicurean friend or bachelor relative.
| With this consideration in view, the
following select ed and tested recipes arc
suggested as smbodying the charm Of
novelty, az we'll As the advantage Of
being easily and successfully prepared
by even the inexperienced housewife:
| CORNISH PAsTIEs.
These little dainties are made from
scraps OF pie crust, rolled out on the
pastry board to thickness of a quarter of
an inch, and cut with sharp knife into
neat squares. Place them directly on
the ice in very cold place, and then put
in the center of each spoonful Of the
following: Half cupful of finely chopped
chicken, one slice of minced sausage, q
few drops of onion juice, . pinch each
of summer ssvory and paprika, two
tablespoonfuls of grated bread crumbs.
Fold over the pasties in triangle form,
crimping the edges with the tines Of
silver fork; brush over with the white of
an egg, and bake in a quick oven for
twenty minutes.
sAGo FRUIT CUP.
Soak In cold water over night hand
full OF the finest quality svaporsted
peaches, cooking them the next morn
| ing in the double boiler until thoroughly
tender; then skim out the fruit, and for
each cupful of fruit liquid add ono table
spoonful of pearl sage, pinch Of salt,
and . tesspoonful OF sugar. Simmer
slowly until the sage 10 transparent and
very thick; remove from the fire, and
stir in the chopped fruit together with .
cupful OF sweetened whipped cream
beaten solid. Turn Immediately into
chilled jelly tumblers, and set In cold
place to become firm and hard.
FRUIT BUNS.
These may be suitably substituted for
cake, and are made by rolling out light
bread dough In q thin sheet; butter
literally with softened butter, sprinkle
with powdered sugar and ground CHINA.
mon, and spread with fruit mixture
composed OF chopped dates, candied
lemon peel, curtsnts and raisins, Begin
ming at one end, roll the dough In the
same manner - for jelly.cake roll, pat
ting 1t smoothly In place, and f1attening
1t out; then, with sharp knife, cut into
SQUARES. Allow them to rise until
double the original size, then bake In
Quick oven for. about twenty minutes
glaze when cold with Q frosting com. |
posed of grated nutmeg, ground oinna- |
mon, confectioner's sugar, and . little
cream.
VEAL CHEESE.
Prepare equal quantities OF boiled
veal and smoked tongue; pound small
pieces OF each separately In . mortar,
moistening with melted butter ~ you |
proceed, and adding the chopped whites
Of hard boiled eggs to the veal, and the
grated yolk of the eggs to the tongue.
Pack iu square dish In alternate layers,
anrinklinQ each with bits Of feathery