Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

If lemon flavor be liked, the thin rind of a lemon, instead of the stick of cinnamon, may be cooked in the milk. Old-fashioned housekeepers sometimes use lemon and cinnamon together, getting a nice flavor. It is not absolutely necessary to use corn-starch ; the custard will be firm and smooth without it. When eggs are scarce, three will be enough to use, with the corn-starch. The fourth egg, of course, makes the pudding richer. Orange Pudding. Use a cupful of finely powdered cracker crumbs, one cupful and a half of granulated sugar, three table-spoonfuls of powdered sugar, one cupful of water, two table- spoonfuls of butter, the rind of three oranges and juice of six, and half a dozen eggs. Soak the cracker crumbs in the cold water for an hour. At the end of this time grate upon them the rind of three oranges, — only the thin yellow part. Squeeze the juice from half a dozen oranges, and add it to the mixture. Break the eggs, separating three whites from the rest and putting them away in a cool place. Put the butter in a warm bowl, and beat it until soft and creamy ; then gradually add the sugar. Beat the eggs (except the reserved whites) until light and frothy, and add them to the sugar and butter. Stir this into the orange and cracker mixture. Butter a pudding-dish holding two quarts and a pint, and pour the pudding into it. Bake for an hour in a very slow oven. When the hour has passed, beat the remaining whites of eggs to a light, dry froth ; then, with a spoon, beat in the three table-spoonfuls of powdered sugar. Spread this covering over the pudding, and return the dish to the oven. Cook for a quarter of an hour with the door partly open ; close it at the end of that time until the meringue gets brown. It should become sufficiently colored in three minutes. Set the pudding away to cool, and have it perfectly cold when it is served. * Use six large oranges, one cupful of granulated sugar, three table-spoonfuls of powdered sugar, one quart of milk, three eggs, two table-spoonfuls of corn-starch, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Peel the oranges, and slice them thin, cutting down instead of across. Add the cupful of granulated sugar, and let the fruit stand for an hour. Reserve one-fourth of a cupful of the milk, and put the rest into a double-boiler. Mix the corn-starch with the cold milk, and after adding the yolks of the eggs and the salt, beat the mixture thoroughly ; then stir into the boiling milk, and cook for eight minutes, stirring frequently. When it is done, let it cool ; then spread a thin layer in a pudding-dish, and spread upon it a layer of orange. Continue placing these alternate layers until all the materials are used. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff, dry froth, and beat into this froth three spoonfuls of powdered sugar. Spread this mixture on the pudding. Set the dish in a moderate oven, and cook, with the door open, for twenty minutes. Serve cold. * New York Rice Pudding. Use half a cupful of rice, a pint of water, a quart of milk, four table-spoonfuls of sugar, one of corn-starch, a teaspoonful of salt, and such flavoring as you please.