over. Eggs must be broken separately into a cup, so as to see tbat eacb is good. A doubtful egg will ruin any Pudding. When eggs are scarce choose one of the numerous Puddings which can be made without them. The Butter must be of the best. Good salt Butter can be used for very common Puddings, but it requires soaking under a tap and then well working and press- ing in a clean cloth to remove the salt. Milk must either be fresb or skimmed. At the end of twelve hours new milk throws up a surface of cream, and the two can never be mixed together again. If skimmed milk is used the addition of a teaspoonful of minced suet will replace the loss of the cream. But cream and skimmed milk must be dealt with separately. Sugar. — Be most careful not to put in too much. Puddings are generally too sweet, and sugar can easily be added when the Pudding is being eaten if more is liked. Moist sugar can be used for many Puddings, but castor sugar is required for all which are to be light. Raisins- must be freed from stalks, stoned, and slit in half. Every kitchen should have one of the new Raisin- stoners, for Raisins should be bought whole, as they do not keep when stoned. Sultanas are free from stones, but they have not the flavour and richness of Raisins. Currants are avoided by many people as they are absolutely indigestible, owing to the thickness and toughness of their skins. If used, Currants should be “ plumped ” by pouring boiling water upon them ; they must then be washed in lukewarm water, dried in a cloth, and well rubbed to get rid of the stalks. After this, drop the Currants, a few at a time, on a baking-tin, so that a rattle will show if there are any stones among the fruit. Many a child has' broken a tooth by biting a stone carelessly left among Currants. If Currants are dried before the fire they will become hard. Candied Peel should be cut in thin strips, not minced. Baked Pudding’S. — Milk Puddings require only a moderate oven. If the rice, tapioca, or sago has been soaked as just described, all that is needed is to pour the mixture into the pudding-dish, taking care not to spill any of it on the edges of the dish, and to push it into the oven till the surface is nicelj browned. If there are eggs and milk in the Pudding too hot an oven would make them curdle. Baked Puddings of all BAKED PUDDINGS 479 kinds are much better not turned out, and now that fire-proof china dishes can be got of all shapes and sizes, and quite pretty enough to appear on the dinner-table, this is easily managed. Boiled Pudding’s. — For success in these, two rules are essential. (1.) The water must be boiling when the Pudding is put in, and it must be kept boiling all the time the Pudding is cooking. (2.) The Pudding must be under water the whole time. If these two rules are not attended to the water will soak into the Pudding and ruin it. Always, therefore, keep a kettle of boiling water ready, and fill up the saucepan in which the Pudding is cooking as may be required. Puddings are boiled either in a basin or in a cloth. If a basin is used, see that it is well buttered, and that the Pudding quite fills it. Scald out a pudding-cloth, put it over the basin, and tie it firmly with strong twine tightly under the rim. If the cloth is not firmly secured the Pudding, as it rises in cooking, may burst out of the basin.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

over. Eggs must be broken separately into a cup, so as to see that each is good. A doubtful egg will ruin any Pudding. When eggs are scarce choose one of the numerous Puddings which can be made without them. The Butter must be of the best. Good salt Butter can be used for very common Puddings, but it requires soaking under a tap and then well working and pressing in a clean cloth to remove the salt. Milk must either be fresb or skimmed. At the end of twelve hours new milk throws up a surface of cream, and the two can never be mixed together again. If skimmed milk is used the addition of a teaspoonful of minced suet will replace the loss of the cream. But cream and skimmed milk must be dealt with separately. Sugar. — Be most careful not to put in too much. Puddings are generally too sweet, and sugar can easily be added when the Pudding is being eaten if more is liked. Moist sugar can be used for many Puddings, but castor sugar is required for all which are to be light. Raisins- must be freed from stalks, stoned, and slit in half. Every kitchen should have one of the new Raisinstoners, for Raisins should be bought whole, as they do not keep when stoned. Sultanas are free from stones, but they have not the flavour and richness of Raisins. Currants are avoided by many people as they are absolutely indigestible, owing to the thickness and toughness of their skins. If used, Currants should be “ plumped ” by pouring boiling water upon them ; they must then be washed in lukewarm water, dried in a cloth, and well rubbed to get rid of the stalks. After this, drop the Currants, a few at a time, on a baking-tin, so that a rattle will show if there are any stones among the fruit. Many a child has' broken a tooth by biting a stone carelessly left among Currants. If Currants are dried before the fire they will become hard. Candied Peel should be cut in thin strips, not minced. Baked Pudding’S. — Milk Puddings require only a moderate oven. If the rice, tapioca, or sago has been soaked as just described, all that is needed is to pour the mixture into the pudding-dish, taking care not to spill any of it on the edges of the dish, and to push it into the oven till the surface is nicelj browned. If there are eggs and milk in the Pudding too hot an oven would make them curdle. Baked Puddings of all BAKED PUDDINGS kinds are much better not turned out, and now that fire-proof china dishes can be got of all shapes and sizes, and quite pretty enough to appear on the dinner-table, this is easily managed. Boiled Pudding’s. — For success in these, two rules are essential. (1.) The water must be boiling when the Pudding is put in, and it must be kept boiling all the time the Pudding is cooking. (2.) The Pudding must be under water the whole time. If these two rules are not attended to the water will soak into the Pudding and ruin it. Always, therefore, keep a kettle of boiling water ready, and fill up the saucepan in which the Pudding is cooking as may be required. Puddings are boiled either in a basin or in a cloth. If a basin is used, see that it is well buttered, and that the Pudding quite fills it. Scald out a pudding-cloth, put it over the basin, and tie it firmly with strong twine tightly under the rim. If the cloth is not firmly secured the Pudding, as it rises in cooking, may burst out of the basin.

Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book