The Republican journal., 1911-10-05
ANCIENT PASTRY MOULDS.
When They Stamped Elaborate Pictures
on Cakes and Buns.


From the Queenl
If the gingerbread of Elizabethan
times was going out of fashion IN the
seventeenth century the biscuit and the
bun were appearing in quaint and or
nate state of infancy. Kingly effigies
and royal features were vigorously and
not always flatteringly impressed upon
the small discs of paste and caraway
that lay in the windows OF the fashion
able bun houses.
Tales were told upon the delectable
area of a sugary cake by means OF a firm
impression from the pearwood or box
wood die, or romance was carried to the
lips on the surface of cracknel, possi-
bly, telling the story of the famous Bid
denden maids.
Stamping and enclosing of delicate
cakes and "jumballs" during the late
Stuart times became characteristic
branch of the pastry cooks profession,
while in private life, at period when
cookery was considered lady's most
graceful accomplishment, the country
chatelaine must have despatched many
an order to her agent in town for pear
wood mould, preferably one depicting
the equestrian energies of the reignlng
monarch. With these the loyal hostess
could do herself and her neigbors justice.
In Newbery's Olives Pragmaticus,
1863, rhymed catalogue Of. the utensils
of an Elizabethan kitchen, we get
long metrical enumeration of the incised
rollers for the paste and various moulds
and ornaments. Another old book of
favorite dishes, "a Queens Delight
Is Lo dc pI,f
cake between wooden cards and sew the
cards together till the cakes are cold.
Currant breads, very popular through
out the seventeeth century, called forth
all the energies of the mould maker;
prominent persons and even political
crises left their mark within the hollow
ed cavern of the die.
The favorite material for these old
pastry moulds was undoubtedly pear
wood, but there are many made of box
wood still in existence, and set in beech
is discovered occasionally. The solidity
of the moulds is noticeable feature;
frequently they were more than an inch
thick and very heavy, so that their i'm
preston on pie and cake must have been
an emphatic one. On the other hand
the early biscuit and household bun was
of equally robust constitution and quite
able to hold its own against the assaults
of ornamentation. Sometimes the al
phabet was stamped on cake to sweet
en- the way of learning for babies.
For Easter cakes there were pearwood
moulds of the Paschal lamb. Heart
shaped cakes with embossed lovers on
them appeared on betrothal festivals.
Hunting scenes We're popular through
out the seventeenth and eighteenth cen
turtles, sleighing parties proved favor
lite winter subject, nor were Scriptures
and mythology overlooked. The vigor-
GUS mould depicting Hercules and the
Nemean monster under stress OF clrcum-
stances did impartial duty as Samson
Staying the lion.
An old lockwood set of blocks carved
in intaglio with flowers and geometrical
designs is still in existence, bearing the
arms of Henry de la Poer, the second
Marquis of Waterford. They date from
the end of the eighteenth century and
bear the makers name, Hawkins of
Vigo street, London. But it is to the
fascinating days of William and Mary
and Anne that the most interesting spec.
linens of these Old moulds belong.