PUDDINGS. — General Remarks and BirectioriR. — Puddings are much 

 like cake, and require about the same manipulation (skillful hand-working), and 

 much the same ingredients. Eggs should be well beaten, and usually the whites 

 and yolks are beaten separately although not quite so essential; but if so beaten 

 the yolks should be beaten into the sugar before creaming in the butter, then 

 the whites, having been well beaten ; saving the whites of a sufficient number, 

 when desired, to frost the top of a pudding — latterly called a meringue, made 

 by whipping the whites of three or four eggs to a froth, with a tablespoon of 

 powdered sugar to each ^^g used, with a little lemon juice, or such other fruit 

 juice, as orange, etc., or some of the flavoring extracts, as rose, cinnamon- 

 waters, etc., as you have or prefer; the pudding, when just done, to be carefully 

 drawn to the mouth of the oven and covered with the frosting, or meringue, 

 and a few minutes more given to nicely brown it ; then taken hot to the table — 

 nothing, it seems to the author, is so out of place as to pretend to have a pud- 

 ding, just baked, come to the table only luke-warm (half cold); for me, I tell 

 them: " Save this for me till tea-time, as I love cold pudding very much." 

 But, of course, I would not add: " I dislike a half -cold one," but I do dislike 

 them "all samee." Bread puddings, or those made with corn-starch, rice, or 

 fruits, require only a moderate oven to bake them; while butter or custard pud- 

 dings require not only a quick oven, but should go into it as soon as all the 

 ingredients are mixed in with a final thorough beating, or stirring, and placed 

 in the oven at once. The pudding-dish should always be well buttered, and, if 

 to be a boiled pudding, the cloth must be first dipped into boiling hot water, 

 then well floured on the outside. If boiled in a basin or mold, it must be but- 

 tered, and if a cloth is to be tied over it, it is to be treated the same as for boiling 

 in a cloth; then when done, either way, dip into cold water, which will allow it 

 to be emptied at once, without sticking, into a suitable dish to place upon the 

 table ; but always keep covered with the cloth or a napkin until placed upon the 

 table, but there ought to be no delay in serving after it is emptied out of the 

 cloth. It is usual to direct that " puddings be tied loosely," but you will see in 

 the first receipt, that this plan is wrong, as it gives too much chance for water to 

 get in and make them " soggy." Steam puddings often swell up and crack 

 open — a sure sign of tightness. In boiling a pudding, remember this, the water 

 must be boiling before the pudding is put in, and not allowed to slacken lest it 

 becomes clammy or "soggy," as the saiioi calls it in the first receipt. Keep the 

 pudding also well covered all the time by pouring in boiling hot water, if 

 needed, from time to time. To prevent the pudding from adhering or sticking 

 to the kettle, cloth or dish, while boiling move it occasionally or else put a tin 

 cover of some other dish into the bottom of the kettle, to make at least half an 



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