412 



Tlic Country Gcntlczvonmn 



USEFUL RECIPES IN COOKERY. 



[Continued from page 317.] 



7. A NEW BAKED APPLE PUDDING. 



THIS, when carefully made and well 

 baked, is a very nice, wholesome pud- 

 ding, the crust being remarkably light and 

 crisp, though containing no butter. First, 

 weigh six ounces of the crumb of a light, stale 

 loaf, and grate it down small ; then add, and 

 mix thoroughly with it, three ounces and a 

 half of pounded sugar, and a very slight pinch 

 of salt. Next, take from a pound to a pound 

 and a quarter of russetings, or of any other 

 good baking apples ; pare and take off the 

 cores in quarters, without dividing the fruit ; 

 arrange them in compact layers in a deep 

 tart dish, which holds about a pint and a half, 

 and strew amongst them four ounces of sugar, 

 and the grated rind of a fine fresh lemon ; 

 add the strained juice of the lemon, and pour 

 the bread-crumbs gently in the centre, then 

 with a spoon spread them into a layer of 

 equal thickness over the apples, making it 

 very smooth. Sift powdered sugar over, wipe 

 the edge of the dish, and send the pudding 

 to a rather brisk oven for something more 

 than three quarters of an hour. Very pale 

 brown sugar will answer for it almost as well 

 as pounded ; and the writer has had it very 

 successfully baked several times in a baker's 

 oven, of which the heat in general is too fierce 

 for the more delicate kinds of pudding. For 

 the nursery some crumbs of bread may be 

 strewed between the layers of apples, and 

 when cinnamon is much liked, a large tea- 

 spoonful may be used instead of lemon-rind 

 to flavour them. An ounce or more of rata- 

 fias, crushed to powder, may be added to the 

 crust, or sifted over the pudding just before 

 it is served, when they are considered an 

 improvement. 



8. A BAKED CHRISTMAS PUDDING. 



This dish is but a variety of the above; the 

 writer, thinks, however, that it ma}- be not 

 unacceptable to those of our readers who are 

 forbidden to taX. pastry in any form. It may 



be simplified or enriched according to taste, 

 but the present recipe will be found very 

 good. Chop separately, and mix as for mince- 

 meat, four ounces of stoned raisins and four 

 of apples, and two of beef kidney suet ; add 

 three of currants, three of pounded sugar, one 

 and a half of crusted ratafias, two of candied 

 citron or orange-rind, half a glass of brandy, 

 half a glass of sherry, or any other good white 

 wine, the juice of half a large lemon, and the 

 grated rind of more than the half, a grain or 

 two of salt, some grated nutmeg, and a small 

 portion of pounded mace or of cloves. Put 

 these ingredients smoothly into a small 

 buttered tart-dish, and lay over them four 

 ounces of fine, lightly-grated, bread crumbs, 

 thoroughly mixed with three of pounded sugar, 

 and the slightest pinch of salt. Should the 

 pudding prove too sweet, less sugar must be 

 added to the mince, as the crust will not be 

 firm and crisp without a certain proportion of 

 it. The top may be brushed with clarified 

 butter before the sugar is sifted on. The 

 directions given for that of the apple-pudding 

 apply equally to this, and need not be re- 

 peated. Half an hour in a moderate oven 

 will quite suffice to bake it, as it is small. 



Observe. — The authoress has had excellent 

 puddings of this kind made with summer 

 fruit ; those of cherries, of black currants, 

 and of damsons were particularly good. When 

 large plums are used for them they should be 

 split, and a few of the kernels laid amongst 

 them. 



9. infant's PUDDING. 



Butter slightly a large cup without a handle, 

 or a very small basin, and break lightly into 

 it a penny sponge cake ; pour over it one 

 well-whisked full-sized egg, mixed with a 

 quarter of a pint of milk ; let it stand half an 

 hour, and boil it gently, or steam it for 

 eighteen minutes. Lay writing-paper over it, 

 and then a thin well-floured cloth before it is 

 put into the saucepan. The safer plan is to 



