Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Prune Pudding. — Wash and stone a pound of prunes. Blanch the kernels, and simmer them with three-quarters of a pint of water, a glassful of port, and a table-spoonful of sugar, till they are quite soft. Line a mould with pieces of the crumb of bread which have been soaked in clarified butter. Pour in the stewed prunes gently, so as not to displace the bread, and add a table-spoonful of marmalade. Cover the fruit with a layer of bread, tie a piece of buttered paper over the top, and bake in a moderate oven. Or stew the fruit as above, mix with it half an ounce of dissolved isinglass, pour it into a mould, and when it is set, turn out, and serve. Time to bake, one hour. Probable cost of prunes, 4d. to Is. per pound. Sufficient for six or eight persons. Prune Pudding (another way).— Beat a tea -cupful of flour to a smooth ] aste with a Little cold milk. Add two well-beaten eggs, a pinch of salt, and as much milk as will make a rather thick batter. Wash half a pound of prunes, and simmer them in a little water till they are quite soft. Drain off the liquid, take out the stones, sprinkle a little flour over the prunes, and then stir them into the pudding. Dip a cloth into boiling water, PRU ( 660 PRU wring it well, and dredge a little flour over it. Pour the pudding into it, and tie it securely, but leave a little room for the pudding to swell. Plunge it into boiling water, and keep the pudding boiling until it is done enough. Serve with sweet sauce. Time to boil, two hours. Probable cost, 7d. Sufficient for five or six persons. Prune Roly-poly Pudding. — Wash and stone a pound of prunes. Blanch the kernels, and put them into a stewpan with the fruit, a table-spoonful of moist sugar, half a pint of water, and a glassful of port. Boil the prunes to a thick paste. Roll out a piece of pastry, such as is used for boiled pudding, a third of an inch thick. Spread the fruit upon it, moisten the edges, and make it into a roll. Fasten the ends securely. Tie the pudding in a floured cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil it quickly till done enough. Send wine sauce to table with it. Time to boil, about two hours and a half. Probable cost. Is. SuSicient for five or six persons. Prune Sauce for Puddings.— Wash a quarter of a pound of prunes, and simmer them in as much water as will cover them until they are quite soft. Drain and stone them, and blanch the kernels. Put fruit and kernels into a stewpan with the liquid in which they were boiled, a glassful of wine, the strained juice of half a lemon, a small strip of thin lemon-rind, a tea-spoonful of moist sugar, and a pinch of powdered cinnamon. Simmer gently for ten minutes, then rub the sauce with the back of a wooden spoon through a coarse sieve. If the pulp is too thick, dilute it with a little water. Time, one hour. Probable cost of prunes, 4d. to Is. per pound. Sufficient for half a dozen persons. Prunes and Prunelloes. — Prunes and Prunelloes are a sort of dried plums, of which there are many varieties. The finest prunes come to us from France, large quantities being exported from Bordeaux. The best prunes are packed in hampers or baskets made of white osiers, weighing from six to ten pounds each. Prunes, when stewed, form an excellent article of diet for convalescents or persons in delicate health, as they act as gentle laxatives.