New-York tribune., 1911-12-12
COOKING the Christmas
Goodies in Paper Bags
The Cakes and Tartlets the Children Expect at
Christmas May Be Made Even Better
Than Usual by the Soyer Method.
By Martha McCulIoch Williams.

Christmas is coming-praise be for the
fact The crown of the year, 1t demands
especially the best of cheer. Therefore, 1t
comes particularly within the province of
paper bag cooking, since the mission Of
rsper bag cooking is to provide good cheer
for the world and his wife and all his
children.
The little people should have the first
place in the Christmas paper bag cooking
not only because the season belongs TO
them most nearly. but because there's no
doing anything else till they are properly
provided for This is very much as 1t
should he. for men and women get their
true education In whatsoever things are
true pure, Just. lovely and of good report
at the hands of these little ones.
Il was an acute social observer who
wrote: "Housekeopers instinctively add
grease and sweetenng when cooking for
company" The same rule ought to prevail
IN cooking for children. Food cannot be
too rich for young. thriving creatures, pro-
vlded it is properly proportioned. Perfect
pound cake IS q meal in Itself, gingerbread
as perfect. but little less satisfying. while
as for tea cakes Of the right sort crisp,
sugary. melting an active, healthy child
nav eat all II chooses Of them and be the
better for the eating
Make all these not merely good but
Christmasy Make also sponge cake. raisin
cake and many manners Of fancy tartlets
Make them individual-in that will lie the
supreme charm. To do that entails the
sacrifice of a few extra paper bags, but
the results justify the sacrifice.
Begin by cutting a big bag lengthwise
into strips two inches wide. Grease each
strip half an inch from one edge, and cut
hunt notches into the crease, three-quar-
ters Of an inch apart From another bag
split open cut rounds or ovals, four or five
inches across Fasten the notched strips
10 these with small clips, letting the
notches stand outside and clipping the endS
where they come together. Thus you nave
2 fat bottomed individual mould. to he
filed. after butteTing, with anything you
like. Filled the moulds are slid inside
large. lightly creased bag, the bag set on
trivet and, after sealing, baked in the oven
Let the cakes cool in the mOulds. then
tear away the paper and frost them or
decorate them with candy or nuts. oval
rnoulds frosted white, then the frostlnS
tinted pink for lips and cheeks, can be
turned into grotesque faces by adding cur
rant ewes. under chocolate eyebrows, stick
,ne IN a walnut kernel nose and putting
cur's Of chocolate frosting about the FORE
head Very dark chocolate frosting VIII
make realistic Africans using white FROST
ing to make the whites Of the eyes, ana
ned for the lips. Round cakes can thus be
turned into the Man in the Moon or his
sister the Woman or, upon smooth
chocolate frosting surface you can sketch
lightly with thin white frosting profile IN
a crescent.
Put the frosting in paper cornucoplas'
cut off a very little at the small end, ana
squeeze It gently through the clipped place
A little practice will enable you TO do Won
ders with these tubes. which are ever 50
much more adjustable than the regular
pastry tubes bought In the shops
Each child should have its own hand
cut al least q dozen times out of tea cake
dough or hard ginger bread. Scrub the
hands very clean before laying them on as
noulds. and flour the dough rather hber-
ally. Bake the pastry hands I'm creased
paper bag. take up and put rings on some
Of the fingers and the thumb-rings OF
frost!ng with tiny candies for settings.
Thin. very small lozenges can be stuck on
the tips for nails, or the nail can be SIM
ulated IN frosting
Cut out animals likewise, using a paper or
cardboard pattern. and frost them fantas-
ticalIy with white, pink and chocolate
frosting tiger with yellow and dark
brown stripes is easy of attainment, and
certain 10 fascinate the small recipient Of
q L.
plain or one-colored. Cows can likewise be
biotched and pied, and horses have reaNs-
tic names put ON their necks, and their
baked tails made 10 look fine and fringy'
with threads Of icing lightly laid on. Make
also small fancy tartlets Of either tea
cake dough or puff paste, rolling It thin,
cutting it in rounds three inches across and
laying upon a round a pinch Of mincemeat,
or nuts chopped fine with citron, or dates
cut small and mixed with cystallzed
ginger, likewise cut up fine, or preserved
cherry or half a preserved plum, drained Of
syrup Then cover with another round
Wettng the under edge Of the top round
little and pinching it into the bottom
one with the tips Of a fork Prick on top,
bake, and then take out and frost. 4 good
way is 10 put an initial in frosting, indica-
tive Of the contents.
These tartlets are choice mouthfuls for
grOwn-ups, no less than children. But if
Christmas is 10 have a real tang Of paper
bag cooking make all things here set forth
ana as many more as fancy OF experience
may suggest 10 you, then put an assOrt-
ment o. al your good things into a paper
lag. fold and clip IT, and either hand IL 10
the recipient or lay IL beside his place at
table II possible the bags should have on
the outside Father Christmas I'm outline,
done in brilliant red ink. They must. Of
course, be painted before filling or they
may be tied with sashes of scarlet crepe
Iaper knottcd with a spPig Of holly
Here IS Mammy's pound cake-and better
never went into anybOdy's mouth: Take
ten eggs q pound Of -four. Siftcd with two
tcasl00rtuls of cream Of tartar and one Of
SODA. "A pound Of sifted SUGAR. three-duar-
ters OF pound Of best butter q wnegiassful
of brandy or sherry a tablespoonful lemon
extract Cream the butter very light with
half the sugar. add the other half to the
yolks Of the eggs after beating them foamy
light and then beat again. Put in the but
ter and sugar mix well, add the liquor
next then half the -four. putting i'm a cup