Table Talk's illustrated cook book

Cream the butter, add the sugar and cream again. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, add to the creamed butter and sugar and beat hard. Add a little sifted flour, then the vanilla, then alternate the remainder of the flour and the milk. Add salt and baking powder, the whites whipped to a stiff froth and the nut meats and beat steadily for three minutes. Line the loaf pan with one or two thicknesses of paper. Turn in the batter, which should two-thirds fill the pan. Dust slightly with powdered sugar and bake in a moderate oven. If the loaf is four or five inches thick when done it will require nearly an hour for baking. As flours vary in their capacity to absorb liquids add the last spoonful or two of milk with caution ; the batter should be quite thick or the nut meats will sink. A WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY CAKE. A SMALL ARTIFICTAL CHERRY TREE IS PLACED ON TOP OF A CAKE ICED A PALE GREEN. A FEW CHERRIES ARE ARRANGED SYMMETRICALLY AT THE BASE OP THE TREE. THE SIDES OF THE CAKE ARE DECORATED WITH VERY SMALL CLEAR RED CANDY HATCHETS. CLUSTERS OF ARTIFICIAL CHERRIES WITH LEAVES GARNISH THE PLATTER. A SMALL GEORGE WASHINGTON HATCHET IS READY FOR USE. NUT TARTLETS. Cream thoroughly together one-lialf a cupful of butter and one cupful and a half of sifted powdered sugar. Beat in gradually the yolks of three eggs, add a pinch of salt, then alternate one cupful of milk with three cupfuls of flour, licat hard, add the stiftly whipped whites of the eggs, one teaspoonful of vanilla and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Pour into a shallow greased pan of such size that the batter will be a little less than an inch deep. Bake in a moderate oven. Turn out carefully on a wire cake cooler. When cold cut into small circles, using a straight-sided cutter. In a saucepan melt one cupful of granulated sugar in one-half a cupful of boiling water, then boil slowly without stirring until a little of the syrup, when dropped into cold water, can be rolled in a soft ball between the fingers. Let stand untouched until lukewarm, then stir. The syrup will slowly cloud and thicken until it becomes white and stiff. Take quickly in the hands and work and knead until it is soft and pliable. Melt a portion of this fondant over hot water, stirring and adding any color and flavor desired ; a few drops of water may also be added. Dip each cake in the fondant, so as to give a thin coating on top and sides. As quickly as dipped sprinkle over the top of each a small spoonful of finely chopped nuts and press one perfect nut in the centre. By flavoring separate portions of the fondant with vanilla, rose, chocolate and pistache and using appropriate colorings several kinds of fancy cakes may be made with one baking of cake. WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY CAKES. BAKE ANV CAKE MIXTURE IN CUPS AND WHEN COOL DIP INTO BUFF COLORED, VIOLET AND WHITE ICING. ON THE BUFF COLORED ONES PLACE A CRYSTALLIZED VIOLET AND TWO MINT LEAVES. ON THE VIOLET COLORED ICING TRACE WITH BUFF A LETTER *'w." ON THE WHITE PLACE A SPRAY OF CANDIED CHERRIES AND CITRON STEMS AND FOLIAGE. THE BUFF AND BUFF ARE THE COLONIAL COLORS. TRANSPARENT ICING. One cupful of sugar, three tablespoonfuls of water, one teaspoonful of butter and one half of a teaspoonful of vanilla. Boil together for five minutes and use at once. ORANGE LAYER CAKE. CAKE ICED WITH YELLOW; TINY CANDY EGGS ARK PLACED IN LITTLE NESTS MADE WITH PASTBY BAG AND ROSE END TUBE. SET FRESH OR CRYSTALLIZED STRAWBERRIES BETWEEN THE NESTS. ORANGE LAYER CAKE.