whatzit?

[valmom]

Well, if you filled the holes with butter, then stamp the design on top of the butter, chill, then use the design bar to push out the butter pats?

 

[sylvie]

Saw this antique that is similar but they are guessing too:
http://www.goantiques.com/detail,unique-wood-butter,1886325.html

and this Japanese candy mold operates like yours:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Japanese-Wo...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2a056aef10

 

[Henrietta23]

The pieces do fit together quite tightly don't they??

I immediately thought of a pastry shell press, but it seems tight for that too. Then I thought of a muslin press. It looks a tad thick for a muslin press, but it could do.....

They are fairly tight. Seems to be hand carved. It only fits one way. If you flip the holey piece end to end it doesn't line up quite right. I tried putting some butter into the holes then pressing the pattern in. I had waxed paper on the other side. I didn't chill it as much as I probably should have and all I really made was a mess. It's still a mystery!

 

[Henrietta23]

Saw this antique that is similar but they are guessing too:
http://www.goantiques.com/detail,unique-wood-butter,1886325.html

and this Japanese candy mold operates like yours:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Japanese-Wo...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2a056aef10

That first one is the closest thing I've seen. I'm going to try it again and chill the butter longer.

 

[On Our own]

My grandmother had a muslim press that was similar. She would take very thin muslin soaked in starch and press it through. After it dried she would cut the flowers out and they would be decorations for ladies hats and dresses.......

 

[Henrietta23]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[rty007]

that is a cookie maker.. cmon the .. crunchy that breaks apart easily kind (pastry is it?)

you take rather small balls of dough and the flat piece with the one with holes on top, then put the ball into the holes, and press with the one with sticking out thingies from above to make a pattern on both sides. when the resistance becomes quite obvious and it is formed, you just pick the one with holes and the one with the sticking out pattern and press it all the way, so that they drop out, and bam a batch of cookies, then next, next, next and of you go for a nice treat

 

[Henrietta23]

that is a cookie maker.. cmon the .. crunchy that breaks apart easily kind (pastry is it?)

you take rather small balls of dough and the flat piece with the one with holes on top, then put the ball into the holes, and press with the one with sticking out thingies from above to make a pattern on both sides. when the resistance becomes quite obvious and it is formed, you just pick the one with holes and the one with the sticking out pattern and press it all the way, so that they drop out, and bam a batch of cookies, then next, next, next and of you go for a nice treat

It would work.