PASTRY: 553 
Puddings are of more modern invention, seeing that sugar 
and spices were rare and costly luxuries in the middle ages. 
Pepper was then the most common spice; and the old term of 
a ‘“peppercorn rent” survives to show how highly this condi- 
ment was valued by the landlords of old times. It was 
frequently used for spicing over sweet pastry. Ginger, and 
cloves were the next common spices. Sugar was cheaper in 
those days than spices, but even this was costly, and difficult 
to obtain, so that it could not be employed aiter our present 
lavish way. In pastry-making the quality to be desired is 
lightness, which depends on the amount of air in the dough 
beforehand, and the expansion of the air after it is put in the 
oven. Therefore the best pastry is that which contains the 
greatest quantity of the coldest air before it is baked. The 
foldings, and rollings of pastry during its making have this 
increase of air in view; so that pastry should always be 
prepared in a cold place, and if set aside to wait between rollings, 
it should stand on a cold stone, or on ice. Eggs are used to 
increase the tenacity of the paste, and thus to make it hold more 
air. Baking powder has the same effect in pastry ; it should be 
used rather for pastry to be baked at once, and little handled. 
The richer the paste, as a rule, the hotter should be the oven for 
baking it. All boiled puddings should be put on the fire in 
boiling water, and the pudding must always be kept covered 
with the water while simmering. The ingredients for puddings 
are generally better for being mixed some time before they are 
wanted. As an acceptable dish for dyspeptics, whilst good also 
for juveniles, an eggless plum pudding, of which a generous help- 
ing can be safely given, is to be made as usually ; the materials 
being two small apples, and a medium-sized carrot, a pound 
each of stoned raisins, and currants, half a pound of mixed peel 
(minced), a grated nutmeg, half a teaspoontul of salt, an ounce 
of sweet almonds, chopped, or shredded cocoanut, twelve ounces 
of moist sugar, the same of chopped suet, twenty ounces ot 
bread-crumbs, and a scant half-pint of home-made wine (raisin, 
or cowslip). No flour except what is used in chopping the suet, 
and as little as possible. This quantity composes three medium- 
sized, or four, small puddings, requiring four and a half hours 
cooking. It is not advisable to form it into a single large 
pudding. For young children the currants may be replaced 
with advantage by sultanas, and the wine may be omitted in 
