Six little cooks

" I suppose because some people use skimmed milk for cooking, after taking off the cream for coffee, and the person who writes the recipe doesn't want to have the article spoiled. Never use skim-milk in cooking, if you can get any other. Oh, I forgot that the peaches were not prepared yet; you two girls may pare and cut them up while Gracie is making the paste, and afterwards she will help you to prepare your materials." " Does this paste look about right, Aunt Jane?" asked Grace when she had rolled it out. "Yes, just right; now we must have a two-quart tin pan or a round vegetable-dish to lay it in to keep the peaches in place. If Rhoda will wring the cloth out of hot water for you. you can rub it inside with flour, then lay it in the dish, put in your paste and afterward the peaches and sugar which the girls have been getting ready for you, and then all you have to do is to gather the edges together and press them tightly so that no water can get inside. Now we will tie up the cloth, not too close to the ball, because there must be a little room left for it to swell in. nor too loosely, because that would let it fall out of shape ; but just — so. " I quite long for dinner-time to come," said Grace. " Not so much because I want to taste it myself as to see how the rest like it, especially mamma and papa." " You may make your mind perfectly easy about that, Grace; I know it will be good." "Are apple dumplings made in the same way?" " Yes ; and so are cherry and blackberry and huckleberry, and any thing else you like to use. Many people make all these things into what they call < bolsters/ or rollers, but I dont think they are nearly as nice as when the fruit is all kept together in the middle." " What a queer name for anything to eat — bolsters! " " I don't think it's an agreeable one, so I never call them so. Sometimes they are called 'valise puddings,' which isn't so bad, but that there isn't anything in the valises used now-a-days (which are shaped like little trunks,) to remind you of them." " What kind of sauce must we have for this? " " At home we always had them served in this way: a plate of butter was set by the one who served the dumplings, and a piece of it was placed directly in the middle of each helping; this was covered with a great spoonful of white sugar and the eater distributed them for himself, so we'll have it done in that way to-day, to remind your mother of old times." " But I suppose some people eat sauce with it, don't they?" inquired Rose. "Yes; generally hard sauce, though liquid sauce is equally admissible." "How do you make hard sauce, Aunt Jane?" " Why, did I never tell you? Then you must have the recipe for it straightway." No. 156 — HARD SAUCE. Beat to a cream one cup butter, to which add three cups powdered sugar. Beat long and hard, then place upon a small dish and smooth into shape with a knifeblade dipped in cold water. It is made richer by having half a cup of wine, or the juice of a lemon, or both, beaten up with it When smooth, grate nutmeg thickly on the top. " Here is another extremely nice one:" No. 157 — FBUIT PUDDING SAUCE.