La cuisine creole

by Lafcadio Hearn

PUDDINGS, PIES AND MINCEMEAT

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DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND BAKING PIES, TARTS, ETC.

The delicacy of pastry depends as much upon the baking as the making, therefore strict attention should be paid to the following directions:

Puff paste requires a quick, even heat; a hot oven will curl the paste and scorch it.

Tart paste or short paste requires a degree less of heat.

For raised or light crust, the oven may be heated as for puff paste.

When baking with coal, if the fire is not brisk enough do not put on more coal, but add a stick or two of hard wood; or if nearly done, put in a stick of pine wood.

FAMILY PIE CRUST, SHORT

Put a pound of sifted flour into a bowl, work into it half a pound of sweet lard or beef drippings, with a dessertspoonful of salt. When it is thoroughly mixed put to it enough cold water to bind together. Flour the paste slab, or table, and rolling pin. Take a part of the paste and roll it to less than a quarter of an inch in thickness. This will be quite rich enough for health or taste. A bit of volatile salts, the size of a small nutmeg, dissolved in a little hot water and put to the paste, will make it more light and delicate.

FINEST PUFF PASTE, FOR PUFFS

Heap one pound of flour in the centre of the breadboard, or slab; make a hollow in the centre; break one egg into it, then add a teaspoonful of salt and a piece of butter the size of an egg. Mix these lightly together with a little cold water, adding the water a little at a time, until the flour is made a nice paste; work it together, and roll it out to half an inch in thickness. Then divide a pound of butter in six parts, spread one part over the paste, then fold it and roll it out again, until you can perceive the butter through; then spread over another part, fold it up, and roll out again, and so continue until all the butter is used, and the paste has been worked over six times. It is now ready for making into pies, puffs or any other purpose. Flour the slab and rolling-pin, and roll it out to a quarter of an inch in thickness. A marble slab and rolling-pin are best for pastry, and much more durable than wood. After using them, scrape them clean, wash them first with cold water, then pour scalding water over them, and wipe them dry. Have a sieve ready to sift any flour you may wish to use; this is but little trouble or delay and it is always best to sift flour. To gild pastry, wet it over when nearly done, with the yolk of an egg beaten with a little milk.

PIE-CRUST

Three and a half cups of flour, one cup of sweet lard, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of baking powder, and a cupful of very cold water. Mix with a knife, using the hands as little as possible. Roll and cut after the crust is on the pie-plate.

BUTTERMILK PIE-CRUST—VERY WHOLESOME

Take a pint of buttermilk, add one large teacupful of lard, one teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of soda, and flour enough to form a soft dough. Mix the lard and flour by rubbing them together; then add the other ingredients. This is a tender and good pie-crust.

BOIL DUMPLING CRUST WITHOUT LARD OR BUTTER—FOR DYSPEPTICS

Sift a pint of flour in a basin, salt it as usual, then pour on it a fine stream of boiling water from the spout of a kettle, pour it slowly, or you will overflow the flour; mix the flour and hot water with a spoon until it is a nice soft dough that you can handle; then pour it on the biscuit board, which should be well floured; give it two or three turns, and it is ready for the fruit. This is fine for dyspeptics, and altogether lighter and nicer than the old way of mixing with grease.

TO MAKE MINCE PIE MIXTURE

Weigh two pounds of the chopped meat; put to it two pounds of suet free from strings or skin, and chopped fine; add two pounds of currants, picked, washed, and dried; four pounds of peeled and chopped rich tart apples, with the juice of two lemons, and the chopped peel of one; a pint of sweet wine, and one large nutmeg grated, or teaspoonful of ground mace; three pounds and a half of sugar, quarter of an ounce of ground cloves, or allspice, and the same of cinnamon, and a large tablespoonful of salt. Mix the whole well together, put it in a stone pot, or jar, cover it close, and set it in a cool place for use. Mix it well together again before using.

TO FINISH THE PIE MIXTURE

Pare, core, and chop, not very fine, some tart juicy apples; put to them one-third as much of the prepared meat; stone one pound of raisins, and cut a quarter of a citron in small bits; add a gill of brandy, and enough sweet cider to make the whole quite wet. A peck of apples, pared and chopped, with a quart bowl of the prepared meat, and the raisins, citron, and cider, as above-mentioned, with a large teacupful of brown sugar, is enough to make six or seven pies the size of a dinner plate. A teacupful of fine chopped suet may be added if liked, or a tablespoonful of butter to each pie, as it is to be baked.

MINCE PIE MEAT

Take a nice tender piece of beef which is free from gristle, skin or strings. The meat is used for mincemeat, also the sirloin, the heart, head and skirts; the tongue and sirloin are best. Put the meat in hot water, enough to cover it; boil it gently until turning a fork in it will break it; set it to become cold, then take out all the bone and gristle parts. If the tongue is used peel off the skin, chop it very fine. To this meat, apples, raisins and spices are added, for which see recipe mince pie mixture.

MINCE PIE. HOW TO FILL AND BAKE

Line a pie dish with a nice puff paste, rolled to twice the thickness of a dollar piece. Put in the pie mixture half an inch deep, and spread it to within a finger width of the edge; roll out a puff paste crust, turn a plate the size of the one on which the pie is made on to it, and with a knife cut the paste around the edge of the plate; then take the plate off, make three small incisions with the end of the knife on each side of the middle, take it carefully up and cover the pie with it, press it lightly with the finger against the bottom crust, put it in a quick oven for three-quarters of an hour. The top may be brushed over with the yolk of an egg beaten with a little milk. Pies made in this way should be served warm.

MINCE MEAT FOR PIES

Two pounds of beef chopped fine, one peck of apples, two pounds of raisins, two pounds of currants, one pound of citron, one-half pound of suet, three pounds of sugar; powdered cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, a spoonful each. Moisten with a bottle of champagne cider. When you bake the pies, place a spoonful of butter on each pie; but do not put butter in the jar with the meat.

MINCE MEAT, FOR CHRISTMAS PIES

Boil a fresh beef tongue tender, let it get cold, then chop it fine, and add one pound of suet, one-half peck of apples, two pounds of currants picked and washed carefully, one pound of citron sliced, half an ounce each of powdered cloves, allspice, cinnamon and ginger, three pints of cider, with half a pint of brandy; sweeten to taste, then pack away in a crock. Keep it cool, or it will ferment. Add apples when you bake the pie.

MINCE PIE WITHOUT MEAT

Take one pound of currants, one pound of peeled and chopped apples, one pound of suet chopped fine, one pound of moist brown sugar, quarter of a pound of chopped and stoned raisins, the juice of four oranges and two lemons, with the peel of one lemon chopped, and a wine-glass of brandy. Mix all carefully and put in a cool place. Eat this pie hot, and when it is baked, put in a tablespoonful of butter, but put none in the mixture.

MOCK MINCE PIES. VERY GOOD

Take six crackers, soak them in one and a half cups of warm water, add to them one cup of good brown sugar, one cup of raisins, one cup of molasses, and one-half cup of cider or strong vinegar. Beat in half a cup of butter, season with a lemon and its rind, a nutmeg, one teaspoonful of cloves, and ground cinnamon.

ORANGE PIE

To the juice and sliced pulp of two large oranges, add the grated yellow rind of one orange. Beat the yolks of three eggs, with a cupful of sugar, and beat the whites to a high froth and add to them a cup of milk. Mix all the above together. Have ready a nice puff paste, and bake the mixture in it.

LEMON PIE

Grate the rind and express the juice of three lemons; rub together a cup and a half of powdered sugar and three tablespoonfuls of butter; beat up the yolks of four eggs, and add to the butter and sugar, lastly the lemon; bake on a rich puff paste without an upper crust. While the pie is baking beat up the whites of the four eggs with powdered loaf sugar, spread it over the top of the pie when done; then set back in the oven a few moments to brown lightly.

LEMON PIE, WITHOUT CORN STARCH

The juice and grated rind of a lemon, one cup of sugar, two tablespoonfuls water, yolks of three eggs. Bake in a nice crust. Make an icing of the whites and a cup of sugar, pour it over the pie, put it back in the oven, and brown lightly.

LEMON PIE. RICH

Five eggs, two lemons, one cup and a half of sugar. Beat all together except the whites of three eggs, which you must beat stiff with sugar, and when the pies are cold spread this icing on top and brown lightly. The crust of the pie is made of puff paste, or in any way that is liked; some ladies prefer plain family crust to puff paste.

CRANBERRY PIE OR TARTS

Pick a quart of cranberries free from imperfections, put a pint of water to them, and put them in a stew-pan over a moderate fire; add a pound of clean brown sugar, and stew them gently until they are soft; then mash them with a silver spoon and turn them into a dish to become cold, then make them in pies or tarts. Many persons put flour in cranberry pies; it is a great mistake, as it completely spoils the color of the fruit; but if they are strained and are too thin to jelly, it is well to add a spoonful of corn starch to thicken.

CRANBERRY TARTS WITH APPLES

Mix half a pint of cranberries with half a pound of sugar and a spoonful of water; let them simmer a little until soft. Peel and cut thin a half dozen apples; put a rim of paste around a pie plate, strew in the apples, pour the cranberries over the apples and cover with a nice crust. Bake for an hour to cook the apples.

PORK AND APPLE PIE

Make the crust in the usual manner (for many ways, see directions in this book), spread it over a deep plate; cut nice fat salt pork very thin, and slice some apples; place a layer of apples, then a layer of pork; sprinkle with allspice, pepper, and sugar, between each layer; have three or four layers, and let the last one be apples; sprinkle in sugar and spice; cover with a top crust, and bake an hour. This is a plain and wholesome dish; when the family is large and apples plentiful, it will be an economical way of giving the boys “apple pie.”

MOLASSES PIE

Take one pint of molasses, beat into it three eggs and a large spoonful of butter; pour the mixture into a rich crust, and bake.

A RICHER MOLASSES PIE

One cup of molasses, one cup of sugar, four eggs, and four tablespoonfuls of butter. Mix together the sugar, butter and eggs, then stir in the molasses. Bake in a rich crust.

HUCKLE OR WHORTLEBERRY PIE

Put a quart of picked huckleberries into a basin of water, take off whatever floats; take up the berries by the handful; pick out all the stems and unripe berries, and put the rest into a dish; line a buttered pie dish with a pie paste; put in the berries half an inch deep, and to a quart of berries put a teacupful of brown sugar, and half a teacupful of water; dredge a teaspoonful of flour over; throw in a saltspoonful of salt, and half a nutmeg grated; cover the pie, cut a slit in the centre, or make several incisions on either side of it; press the two crusts together around the edge, trim it off neatly with a sharp knife, and bake in a quick oven for three-quarters of an hour.

BLACKBERRY PIE

Pick the berries clean; rinse them in cold water, and finish as directed for huckleberries.

BOILED PLUM PUDDING. VERY FINE

Prepare all the ingredients except the beating of the eggs, the day before making the pudding. Take one pound of grated bread crumbs, pour over them a pint of boiling milk; add a pound of chopped suet, half a pound of butter, one pound of sugar, half a pound of sifted flour, one dozen eggs, one pound of raisins, one pound of currants, half a pound of citron, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one of cloves and allspice, also one grated nutmeg, a glass of brandy, the rind and juice of two lemons. Tie it in a piece of thick, unbleached cotton, allowing room for the pudding to swell. Boil five hours. Serve with butter and sugar sauce. This can be steamed over, and be as nice as it was at first.

SIX-OUNCE PLUM PUDDING

Six ounces of stoned raisins, six ounces washed and dried currants, six ounces of bread crumbs, six ounces of suet and six eggs. Flavor with half a nutmeg, half a lemon and half a glass of brandy. Mix all these ingredients together, and put the pudding into a mould, or floured cloth, and boil three hours.

CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING

One pound and a half of raisins, half a pound of currants, three-quarters of a pound of bread-crumbs, half a pound of flour, three-quarters of a pound of beef-suet, nine eggs, one wineglassful of brandy, half a pound of citron and orange-peel, half a nutmeg, and a little ground ginger. Chop the suet as fine as possible, and mix it with the bread-crumbs and flour, add the currants washed and dried, the citron and orange-peel cut into thin slices, and the raisins stoned and divided. Mix it all well together with the grated nutmeg and ginger, then stir in nine eggs well beaten, and the brandy, and again mix it thoroughly together, that every ingredient may be moistened; put it into a buttered mould, tie it over tightly, and boil it for six hours. This pudding may be made a week before using, boiled in a cloth, and hung up in a dry place, and when required put into a saucepan of boiling water and boiled for two hours or two hours and a half, then turned out, and served with sauce as above.

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS PUDDING

One pound of raisins, one pound of currants, one pound of suet, three-quarters of a pound of bread-crumbs, one pint of milk, ten eggs, three-quarters of a pound of citron and orange-peel mixed, one small nutmeg, one glass of brandy. Stone the raisins and divide them, wash and dry the currants, and cut the peel into slices. Mix all these with the bread-crumbs, flour and suet chopped very fine, add the grated nutmeg, and then stir in the eggs well-beaten, the brandy, and the milk. When the ingredients are well blended, put it into a mould, tie a floured cloth over it, and boil it six hours. When done turn it out, and serve with brandy and arrowroot sauce.

RICH PLUM PUDDING WITHOUT FLOUR

One pound and a half of grated bread, one pound and a half of raisins, one pound and a half of currants, one pound of beef-suet, peel of one large lemon, three ounces of almonds, a little nutmeg or mixed spice, sugar to taste, three quarters of a pound of candied orange, lemon and citron, eight or nine eggs, half a pint of milk, two wineglassfuls of brandy. Stone the raisins, wash and pick the currants, chop the suet very fine, and mix with them a pound and a half of grated bread; add the candied peel cut into shreds, the almonds blanched and minced, and the mixed spice and sugar to taste. When all are thoroughly blended, stir it well together with eight or nine well-beaten eggs, two glassfuls of brandy, and half a pint of milk, tie it in a cloth, and boil it for five hours or five hours and a half, or divide it into equal parts, and boil it in moulds or basins for half the time.

COTTAGE PLUM PUDDING

One pound and a half of flour, four or five eggs, a pinch of salt, a little nutmeg, one pound of raisins, half a pound of currants, sugar to taste, and a little milk. Make a thick batter with five well-beaten eggs, one pound and a half of flour, and a sufficient quantity of milk. Then add the currants washed and picked, the raisins stoned, a little nutmeg and sugar to taste. Mix all well together, and boil it in a basin or floured cloth for quite five hours. The peel of a lemon grated, and a few pieces of citron cut thin may be added.

CHEAP PLUM PUDDING

Take a cup of chopped suet, a cup of raisins, a cup of currants and citron mixed, a cup of sweet milk, two eggs, a cup of molasses, and a teaspoonful of soda; add to this three and a half cups of sifted flour or bread crumbs, and a little salt. Boil three or four hours. Serve with hard sauce of beaten butter, sugar and nutmeg; or with butter, sugar and wine sauce. This is inexpensive, but is modeled after the most excellent recipes. The quantity suits a small company.

PLAIN PUDDING WITHOUT EGGS OR WINE

One pound of chopped and stoned raisins, half a pound of suet, one pound of flour, a cup of bread crumbs, two tablespoonfuls of molasses, a pint of milk or nutmeg grated, and a lemon peel chopped. Cut the suet very fine and mix it with the flour; add the bread crumbs, lemon and nutmeg, with the stoned raisins, to a pint of milk; mix all together and put in the molasses; keep it closely covered in a cool place. When it is wanted, pour it in a floured cloth and boil it five hours. Serve with rich sauce.

PLAIN PLUM PUDDING FOR CHILDREN

One pound of flour, one pound of bread crumbs, three quarters of a pound of stoned raisins, three quarters of a pound of currants, three quarters of a pound of suet, four eggs, and milk to moisten, say about one pint. Let the suet be finely chopped, the raisins stoned, the currants well washed, picked and dried. Mix them with the other dry ingredients, stir all well together; beat and strain in the eggs, and add just enough of the milk to make it mix properly. Tie it up in a well floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil for five hours. Serve with butter and sugar sauce, or wine sauce.

SWEET POTATO PUDDING

Take one pound or a pint of hot boiled sweet potato, pass it hot through a sieve—the finer the better. To this add six eggs well beaten, three-fourths of a pound of butter, and a pound of sugar; flavor with grated lemon rind, and a little brandy. Make a paste around the dish, pour in the sweet potato mixture, and bake. Sprinkle finely pulverized sugar over the surface of the pudding. This is a Southern dish, and fit to grace the table of an epicure.

BAKED SUET PUDDING. ECONOMICAL AND WHOLESOME

To a pound of flour, add by degrees six ounces of finely chopped suet, four eggs, together with as much milk as will make a firm batter. Beat all together hard, until the last moment before placing it in the oven. Pour it into a buttered dish, and bake. Serve as soon as done, with plain syrup, or butter and sugar sauce.

LEMON PUDDING. VERY NICE

Six eggs, three lemons, six tablespoonfuls of corn starch, and one large spoonful of butter. Cook the corn starch in a pint and a half of water, and stir in the butter. Let it get cool, and then stir in the yolks of the eggs, the juice of the lemons, and the grated rind; also one cup of sugar. Bake this lightly in a pudding dish, and when cold pour it over a meringue, or icing, made with the whites of the eggs, and sufficient sugar to make a thick icing. Put it back in the oven, and let it brown lightly.

TEMPERANCE ICED CABINET PUDDING FOR SUMMER

This is usually made in oval tin moulds, with a tight-fitting cover. Small moulds are the best. Cut some sponge cake about half an inch thick; shape it nearly to the mould; dilute a tablespoonful of any favorite extract, and pour it on to the cake. Then commence to fill up the mould in layers of currants, seedless raisins, sliced citron, and chopped almonds, then a layer of cake, until it is full. Make ready a custard of one pint of milk, the yolks of two eggs, a quarter of a pound of sugar, and half a teaspoonful of extract of lemon, rose, or almonds; let it simmer a little, but not enough to curdle, as it will certainly do if allowed to stay too long on the fire. When it simmers, take it off, and let it cool a little. When only lukewarm pour it over the fruit and cake in the mould. Cover tightly, and bury it in ice and salt. It is, when well made, a most exquisite dessert.

SOUFFLE PUDDING

Take a pint of milk, a cup of flour, one spoonful of sugar, and a piece of butter as large as an egg. Scald the milk, flour, and butter together. After the batter becomes cold, stir in the yolks of five eggs, and just before baking, stir in the whites. Bake in a quick oven, and serve with sauce.

OMELET SOUFFLE PUDDING

Beat the whites of ten eggs to a stiff froth. Beat the yolks with three quarters of a pound of powdered sugar, and the juice and grated rind of a lemon. Mix all together lightly. Butter a thick-bottomed dish which will just hold the pudding; put it immediately in the oven, and bake it fifteen or twenty minutes. Serve it just as it comes from the oven. It should quiver like a golden jelly when served. If baked too long, it will be spoiled. The oven must not be too hot, or it will scorch; the heat should be as usual to bake pies.

VERY RICH PUDDING

Line a deep pie dish with puff paste, having first buttered it thoroughly; place on this a layer of jam, then a layer of custard, then jam, then custard, until the dish is nearly full, leaving the custard layer at the top. Bake for twenty minutes in a moderate oven, let the pudding cool, beat up the whites of the eggs that were used for the custard into a stiff whip with a little powdered sugar, pile the whip on as high as possible, and serve.

PARISIAN PUDDING

Lay slices of sponge cake at the bottom of a glass dish, spread over them a layer of preserve (red or black currant is very good for the purpose), place over that more slices of sponge cake, then another layer of jam. Do this until you have filled the dish. Pour over it sufficient sherry to soak the cake properly, then beat up the whites of four eggs with sufficient powdered loaf sugar to make it a very stiff froth, with which to cover the top of the cake completely, and bake.

BIRD’S NEST PUDDING

Take half a package of gelatine, using a little more than half the quantity of water given in the recipe for making jelly; in all other respects use the same proportions. When ready to strain put it into a large oval dish (a meat dish is nice); fill it nearly to the edge; then set it away to harden. Take some egg-shells that you have broken just the end off in getting out the egg; make a blanc-mange of corn starch; flavor it with vanilla, and sweeten; put this into the shells before it cools and hardens at all; set the eggs on end in a vegetable-dish so that they will stand top up, being careful not to let the blanc-mange run out. Cut some very thin yellow parings off the lemon rind, stew them in a little sugar and water; when cold lay each piece separately in a circle on the jelly, making two or three nests. Break open the egg-shells, take out the blanc-mange, and lay it in groups like eggs inside the nest. This makes a very pretty dish, and is very good. Ivy sprays or myrtle wound around the edge of the dish improves the appearance.

BIRD’S NEST PUDDING

Peel and core six mellow apples; line a pudding dish with pastry; lay the apples in the bottom of the dish, and stick long narrow strips of citron around them. Stir to a cream a pint of powdered sugar, and half a pint of butter. Beat separately the yolks and whites of eight eggs; mix them with the butter and sugar, season with nutmeg, place it on the fire, and stir until it is hot; then pour it over the apples, and bake immediately. It can be eaten warm or cold. Do not allow the top to brown too soon. It should be covered with a pan, when first put into the oven, to prevent this.

CROWS’-NEST WITH CINNAMON

Cut nice sour cooking apples into a baking dish, small or large as you need; put sugar, cinnamon, and lemon over them; throw in a cup of water, and cover the dish with a crust of light pie crust. Put it in the oven, and bake until the apples are tender. Be sure to cut air-holes in the crust before putting in to bake. Eat it with cream and sugar, or hard sauce of butter and sugar; beat together until firm enough to slice like butter. Grate a little nutmeg over the sauce, if cinnamon is not liked.

COTTAGE PUDDING

One tablespoonful of butter, one cup of sugar, one cup of milk, two eggs, one teaspoonful of soda, one pint of sifted flour, two spoonfuls of cream of tartar; mix like cake; bake quickly in shallow tin pans; dredge the top with powdered sugar, which gives a nice crust to all puddings and cakes. Sauce to accompany this pudding: one tablespoonful of butter, one cup of powdered sugar, lemon extract for seasoning, or lemon juice, with half a pint of boiling water. All beaten together until it foams.

COUNTRY BATTER PUDDING WITH FRUIT, CHEAP AND NICE

This is a pudding which requires no paste and is a nice way to use fruit, such as pie-plant, berries, strawberries, peaches, etc. To a quart of buttermilk add one egg, a large teaspoonful of soda, a little salt, and flour enough to make a thick batter. Pour it over a quart of chopped fruit, such as mentioned, beat it a little, tie it tightly in a bag, drop it in a kettle of hot water, and let it boil two hours. Serve with sugar and cream. This pudding may be poured into a cake pan and baked, if not convenient to boil it. Put in plenty of fruit.

RICE MERINGUE PUDDING

Boil half a cup of rice in a quart of milk until it is thoroughly done. Sweeten to taste, and let it cool. Beat in the yolks of four eggs. Flavor with lemon rind or essence and nutmeg. Bake in a pudding-dish. When cool, pour over it the whites of your eggs, beaten with a cup of white sifted sugar. Bake light brown. Season to taste with lemon, rose or vanilla.

APPLE MERINGUE

Select handsome pippin apples if you can get them, pare and core them whole, put them in the oven with a little water in a deep dish, and let them cook a little but not enough to break. When plumped, take them out and let them get cold; then fill the centre of each apple with jelly. Make an icing of the whites of eggs, beaten with sifted sugar, and carefully cover each apple with it, wetting the knife while smoothing the icing. Sift a little sugar over them and put them in the oven to harden, but not to brown; too much heat will cause the jelly to melt.

A CHEAP AND DELICATE PUDDING

Take a tablespoonful of butter, a cup of sugar, a cup of milk, two eggs, and a pint of sifted flour. Put into the flour a small teaspoonful of soda and two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar; sift this in carefully, and set the flour aside. Beat the eggs, yolks and whites together, briskly until they foam; add to the eggs two tablespoonfuls of water; beat them sharply again until the tissues of the eggs thoroughly blend with the water, mix the sugar and butter together; add the eggs, beat again, then pour in the flour which will make a stiff batter; lastly, thin this with the small cup of milk (sweet milk is the best), then bake in shallow pans and serve with lemon sauce, or a rich wine sauce if that is preferred.

A QUICKLY-MADE PUDDING

Split a few crackers, lay the surface over with raisins, and place the halves together again; tie them closely in a cloth, and boil them fifteen minutes. Serve with a rich sauce of butter, wine, sugar and nutmeg.

ANOTHER QUICKLY-MADE PUDDING

Get a light, square loaf of bread, split it in three or four horizontal slices; strew in between the slices cut-up raisins or currants; tie it up again; boil half an hour, and serve it with a rich sauce. There are few better puddings made with so little expense or trouble.

DELICIOUS BREAD PUDDING

Butter some slices of bread, cut thin, and lay them in a dish, with currants and citron between; pour over it a quart of milk, with four well-beaten eggs, and sugar sufficient to sweeten to taste, and bake. Serve with sauce. It is easily made, and very nice. It is good hot or cold.

CHEAP GINGERBREAD PUDDING

Take a cup of butter, rub it up with three and a half cups of flour, one cup of milk, one cup of molasses, and one teaspoonful of saleratus. Steam three hours, and serve with a rich sauce.

A FRENCH FRIED PUDDING

Beat four eggs to a quart of milk, sweeten and flavor to taste, cut slices of baker’s bread and steep them until thoroughly saturated, then fry in hot butter and serve. Half this quantity for a small family.

MY OWN PUDDING

Let a quart of milk be set on to boil; while it is getting hot, mix a cup of maizena or corn starch with enough cold water to form it into a thick batter; add to this a cup of white sugar and the yolks of four eggs; take the milk off and stir eggs, maizena, and sugar, into the milk; beat all together a few minutes, then pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake it lightly about ten minutes, or long enough only to cook the eggs; then take the pudding out, and while hot put over it a layer of jelly or jam; beat up the whites of the eggs with a cup of sugar, put this over the jelly and brown.

MARLBOROUGH PUDDING

Take half a pound of grated apples, half a pound of fine white sugar, half a pound of butter, six eggs well beaten, the peel of one lemon grated, and the strained juice of two; line the dish with pie paste, put the pudding in, and bake in a quick oven.

MARLBOROUGH APPLE TARTS. VERY FINE

Quarter, and stew a dozen tart apples. To each teacup of this pulp, rubbed through a sieve, add a teacup of sugar, half a cup of melted butter, the juice and grated rind of two lemons, a cup of milk, four eggs and half a nutmeg. Beat all together and bake in pans lined with pastry, with a rim of puff paste around the edge. This is an old and always good recipe.

BAKED APPLE DUMPLINGS

Make a nice pie crust, raised with yeast, or not, as you desire; divide it into six parts, and roll each part thin; have ready six good-sized tart apples, pared and cored; fill up the cores with sugar and butter. Close the dough neatly around the apples, and turn that side down in a deep dish. If they are made with raised dough they should stand one hour; if with unleavened paste, sprinkle some sugar over them, also a little grounded cinnamon or other spice, and set them in the oven to bake. Spread a little batter over each of the dumplings as they go to the oven. Put plenty of spices, nutmegs, cinnamon and mace. Throw a little water in the dish, and bake three-quarters of an hour. Wine, or sugar and butter sauce is a great improvement, but it is very good without it.

PLAIN TAPIOCA CREAM

Boil the pearl tapioca as you do rice; when cool sweeten it to the taste, and grate nutmeg over it. Pour rich cream over it and serve.

TAPIOCA CREAM

Soak two teaspoonfuls of tapioca for two hours in a little cold water. Boil a quart of milk, and to it add the tapioca, the yolks of three eggs, well beaten with a cup and a half of sugar; give it one boil, and set it away to cool; do not boil it long, or the eggs will curdle. Beat the whites of the eggs, and put them on top, or boil them in a little of the milk and put it on the cream. Set it on ice until wanted. This is a delicate and nourishing cream for convalescents, or invalids who require nourishing food.

A NICE SUPPER DISH

Take one pint of cream, whip it until stiff, and one ounce of isinglass boiled and strained in about a pint of water. Boil it until reduced to half a pint. Boil in this water and isinglass, a vanilla bean, and when nearly cold, take out the bean, add four ounces of sugar, and when this is blood warm, stir in the cream. Eat with whipped cream.

RICE-MILK FOR CHILDREN

To every quart of milk, allow two ounces of rice. Wash the rice and put it with the milk in a close-covered stewpan, set it over a slow fire, and let it simmer gently for one hour and a half. It will scorch on a fierce fire.

NICE RICE CUSTARD

Take two tablespoonfuls of boiled rice. If it is very dry, wash it with a little warm water. Put it in a pan, add a tablespoonful of butter, three or four eggs beaten light, a quart of sweet milk, sugar enough to make it quite sweet, and one cup of picked and seeded raisins. Flavor with nutmeg and essence of lemon or vanilla. Bake lightly. Do not allow it to remain in the oven long, as the milk will become watery and thus destroy the jelly-like consistency of the custard. It is a nice and cheap dessert for children. The raisins may be omitted if they are objectionable.

APPLE POT PIE

First, the pastry: Rub into a pint of flour a heaping spoonful of lard. Strew in a little salt, and work it until the mass becomes numberless little globules and balls. Then moisten with cold water, and press them together until they adhere, and your pastry is made. It must not be kneaded or worked over at all. Let any cook try this method, and he will find it the best and easiest way to make fine leaf paste, and he will never again countenance the old rolling, larding, butter-spreading system.

Now for the fruit: Pare, core and quarter one dozen apples. Put them in a baking pan, with one large cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of spices, two of molasses and one of butter; add water until the fruit is nearly covered, and put it in the oven to bake and stew, and brown. When the apples begin to soften, dredge in a little flour, for the juice, though plentiful, must not be watery. Roll out the pastry. Cut the cover to suit the pan, and make the trimmings into dumplings, which must be dropped at intervals among the fruit. Fold the pie cover in half, make several oblique incisions for openings, lay it on and brown it lightly. Serve on a dish like peach cobbler. Like that substantial dessert, it may be eaten with cream.