(Author’s Receipt.)
Lay into a rather deep tart-dish some thin slices of French roll very slightly spread with butter and covered with a thick layer of mincemeat; place a second tier lightly on these, covered in the same way with the mincemeat; then pour gently in a custard made with three well-whisked eggs, three-quarters of a pint of new milk or thin cream, the slightest pinch of salt, and two ounces of sugar. Let the pudding stand to soak for an hour, then bake it gently until it is quite firm in the centre: this will be in from three-quarters of an hour to a full hour.
MRS. HOWITT’S PUDDING.
(Author’s Receipt.)
Butter lightly, on both sides, some evenly cut slices of roll, or of light bread freed from crust, and spread the tops thickly but uniformly with good orange-marmalade. Prepare as much only in this way as will cover the surface of the pudding without the edges of the bread overlaying each other, as this would make it sink to the bottom of the dish. Add the same custard as for the mincemeat-pudding, but flavour it with French brandy only. Let it stand for an hour, then place it gently in a slow oven and bake it until it is quite set, but no longer. It is an excellent and delicate pudding when properly baked; but like all which are composed in part of custard, it will be spoiled by a fierce degree of heat. The bread should be of a light clear brown, and the custard, under it, smooth and firm. This may be composed, at choice, of the yolks of four and whites of two eggs, thoroughly whisked, first without and then with two tablespoonsful of fine sugar; to these the milk or cream may then be added.
AN EXCELLENT LEMON PUDDING.
Beat well together four ounces of fresh butter creamed, and eight of sifted sugar; to these add gradually the yolks of six and the whites of two eggs, with the grated rind and the strained juice of one large lemon:—this last must be added by slow degrees, and stirred briskly to the other ingredients. Bake the pudding in a dish lined with very thin puff-paste for three-quarters of an hour, in a slow oven.
Butter, 4 oz.; sugar, 1/2 lb.; yolks of 6, whites of 2 eggs; large lemon, 1: 3/4 hour, slow oven.
LEMON SUET PUDDING.
To half a pound of finely grated bread-crumbs, add six ounces of fresh beef-kidney suet, free from skin, and minced very small, a quarter of a pound of castor sugar, six ounces of currants, the grated rind and the strained juice of a large lemon, and four full-sized or five small well-beaten eggs; pour these ingredients into a thickly-buttered pan, and bake the pudding for an hour in a brisk oven, but draw it towards the mouth when it is of a fine brown colour. Turn it from the dish before it is served, and strew sifted sugar over it or not, at pleasure: two ounces more of suet can be added when a larger proportion is liked. The pudding is very good without the currants.