The new practical housekeeping

Bread Pudding. — This is one of the most common of puddings, a general favorite, and the recipes given are so varied as to meet the requirements of all. For a Plain Pttdding. break up pieces of stale bread into bits, and pour on them as much boiling water as will soak them well. Let stand till water is cool ; then press out, and mash bread with a fork until quite free from lumps. Measure and to every quart stir in half teaspoon salt, teaspoon nutmeg, six tablespoons sugar and half pound currants ; mix all well together, and put it in well-buttered baking dish. Smooth surface with back of spoon, and put a tablespoon and a half butter in small bits over top ; bake in moderate oven one hour and a half, and serve very hot with Maple Sugar Sauce. Boiling milk instead of water very much improves the pudding. For a Layer Pudding, put slices of bread buttered ana spread with preserves or jelly, in layers in baking dish and pour over half the Boiled Custard given on page 167. Or put currants with nutmeg seasoning between the layers of buttered bread. Some first line the dish or mold with raisins, then fill with bread and, butter, and pour the custard over as above, steam half an hour ; or tie in a floured cloth over and boil. Serve hot with any sauce liked. Or, halve the raisins and place around the mold in rows, diamonds or circles; they will easily adhere if the mold is well buttered ; make half as much custard as above, using two eggs, into which stir a pint bread-crumbs and half cup chopped raisins, put into prepared mold and steam an hour. Turn out and eat with any sauce. For a more elaborate Fruit Puddina, soak a pint bread-crumbs in half pint milk fifteen minutes, add two tablespoons butter, melted, half cup sugar, beaten yolks of four eggs, tablespoon cinnamon, half teaspoon cloves, grated rind of one lemon, two ounces sliced citron and quarter pound each currants and stoned raisins, with whipped whites of eggs beaten in last. Bake in buttered mold or cups, set in pan of hot water, when ready to serve turn out, sift powdered sugar over and send on with very hot sauce. Sufficient for ten persons. Some use quarter pound finely chopped suet instead of butter, and three ounces blanched and chopped almonds, or same quantity chopped figs. Steam or boil three or four hours. Brown Pudding, — Cream quarter cup each butter and brown sugar, and three well-beaten eggs, quarter cup sweet milk, half pint molasses with half teaspoon soda stirred in, one and one-half cups flour, half teaspoon each cinnamon and cloves. Steam an hour. Omelet Pudding. — Take a sheet of sponge cake and half pound French candied fruit (apricot, pear, cherries, and lime), and ounce citron ; cut citron in shape of leaves. Butter tin mold thickly with cold butter, press the fruit in any pretty designs on bottom and sides of mold, ,.^^^_^^^. usmg large fruits for centers and citron leaves ""^JStoTrStoT around. Cut sponge cake to fit bottom of mold, place over fruit, and also line sides with the cake, then put in some more of the fruit (cher*