Science in the Kitchen Part 36

Beat the yolks of the eggs and the sugar together, then add the milk, bread, fruit, and lastly the well-beaten whites of the eggs. Bake in a dish set within a pan of hot water, until the custard is set.

BREAD CUSTARD PUDDING.--Take one cup of finely powdered bread crumbs, one half cup of sugar, one quart of milk, and the beaten yolks of three eggs and whites of two. Mix the bread and milk, and when well softened, add the beaten yolks, sugar, and lastly the well-beaten whites; beat all together thoroughly, season with a little grated lemon rind; place the pudding dish in the oven in a pan of hot water, and bake till firm and lightly brown. Take from the oven, cover the top with a layer of apple marmalade made without sugar, or with some tart fruit jelly; add to this a meringue made of the white of the remaining egg and a tablespoonful of sugar, beaten to a stiff froth, and place in the oven a moment to brown lightly.

Fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries, chopped peaches, currants, cherries, or shredded oranges are equally as good as the marmalade or jelly for the top dressing, and may be used to vary this pudding in a number of different ways. Canned fruits, if well drained from juice, especially apricots and peaches, are excellent for this purpose. A cocoanut custard pudding may be made of the above by flavoring the milk before using, with two tablespoonfuls of desiccated cocoanut Another variety still may be made by adding to the first recipe half a cup of Zante currants and the same of seedless raisins, or a half cup of finely shredded, tender citron.

BREAD AND FIG PUDDING.--Put together two cups of finely grated bread crumbs, two cups of milk, one cup of finely chopped figs previously steamed or cooked, one fourth cup of sugar, and lastly, two well-beaten eggs. Bake in a moderate oven till the custard is set.

BREAD AND APRICOT PUDDING.--Fill a pudding dish with alternate layers of bread crumbs and canned apricots well drained from juice. Pour over it a custard made with two eggs, one half cup of sugar, and a pint of milk. Bake one half hour, or only until the custard is set. Canned peaches, to which a teaspoonful of lemon juice has been added after draining, may be used in place of apricots.

CARAMEL CUSTARD.--Turn one fourth of a cup of sugar into a stewpan, and stir it over the fire until it becomes liquid and brown. Scald a cup and a half of milk, and add the browned sugar. Beat two eggs thoroughly, add to them one half cup cold milk, and turn the mixture slowly, stirring constantly that no lumps form, into the scalding milk; continue to stir until the custard thickens. Set away to cool, and serve in gla.s.ses.

CARROT PUDDING.--Take two cups of carrots, boiled tender and rubbed through a colander, one pint of milk, two thirds of a cup of sugar, and two well beaten eggs. Flavor with vanilla, and having beaten all well together, turn into an earthen pudding dish, set the dish in a pan of hot water, and place in the oven. Bake only till the custard sets.

COCOANUT CORNSTARCH PUDDING.--Simmer a cupful of grated cocoanut in a quart of milk for twenty minutes. Strain the milk to remove the cocoanut, adding enough more milk to make a full quart. With a small portion of it braid smoothly one and one half tablespoonfuls of cornstarch or rice flour, and put the remainder in a saucepan over the fire. When the milk is boiling, add the cornstarch, stirring constantly until it thickens; then remove from the fire and cool. Next add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and two well-beaten eggs. Bake in a moderate oven, in a dish set in a pan of hot water, until the custard is well set.

COCOANUT CUSTARD.--Flavor a pint of milk with cocoanut, add a tablespoonful of sugar and two well-beaten eggs, and boil till set in a double boiler or a bowl set in a dish of boiling water. Richer custards may be made by using three or four eggs, but the richer the custard the more likely it is to curdle and become watery, as well as being less wholesome.

COCONUT RICE CUSTARD.--Flavor one quart of milk quite strongly with coconut, as previously directed. Add to it one and one half cups of boiled rice, one cup of raisins, one half cup of sugar, and lastly three well-beaten eggs. Set the pudding dish in a pan of hot water, and bake till the custard is well set.

CORN MEAL PUDDING.--Heat a quart of milk lacking two thirds of a cupful, to boiling. Moisten three tablespoonfuls of nice granulated corn meal with the two thirds of a cup of milk, and stir gradually into the boiling milk. Let it boil up until set, turn into a double boiler, and cook for an hour. Then add a tablespoonful of thick sweet cream, one half a cup of mola.s.ses or sugar, a quart of cold milk, a little salt if desired, and lastly, two well-beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a pudding dish and bake one hour. A cup of currants or seeded raisins may be used to give variety.

CORN MEAL PUDDING NO. 2.--Crumble cold corn puffs or corn cake to make a cupful; add a pint of sweet milk, three teaspoonfuls of sugar, the yolks of two eggs and the white of one, and bake slowly in a dish set inside a pan of hot water for an hour.

CORN MEAL AND FIG PUDDING.--Beat together a scant cup of best sifted corn meal with a cupful of mola.s.ses, and stir the mixture gradually into a quart of boiling milk. Cook ten or twelve minutes, or until well thickened, then set aside to cool. Add a cupful of finely chopped figs, one and two thirds cups of cold milk, part cream if it can be afforded, and when the mixture is cool, add two well-beaten eggs.

Pour into a pudding dish and bake in a moderate, steady oven for three or more hours; the longer the better. When the pudding has baked an hour, pour over it a cupful of cold milk. Do not stir the pudding, but allow the milk to soak in gradually, a pint of finely sliced or chopped sweet apples may be used in place of figs for variety, or if preferred, both may be omitted.

CORNSTARCH MERINGUE.--Heat one and one half pints of milk to boiling, and then stir in gradually two tablespoonfuls of cornstarch which has been previously rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. When the starch has thickened, allow it partially to cool, and then add, stirring continuously meanwhile, the yolks of two eggs which have been previously well beaten with three table spoonfuls of sugar. Let the whole simmer for a minute or two longer, turn into a dish, meringue with the whites of the eggs, and when cold, dot with lumps of strawberry jelly.

CRACKED WHEAT PUDDING.--Beat two cups of cold steamed cracked wheat in two cups of rich milk until so thoroughly mingled that no lumps remain. Add one cup of canned sweet cherries well drained from juice, one half cup of sugar, and two eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately.

Bake in a slow oven till the custard is set.

CUP CUSTARD.--Into four cups of milk stir the yolks of three eggs and one whole one well beaten. Add four tablespoonfuls of sugar, and strain the mixture into cups; place these in a dripping pan full of hot water, grate a little lemon rind over the top of each, and bake in a moderate oven. If preferred, the milk may be first flavoured with cocoanut. It is also better to have the milk nearly hot when stirring in the egg. Half a cupful of the milk should be reserved to add to the egg before turning into the heated portion.

FARINA CUSTARD.--Flavor a quart of milk with cocoanut as directed on page 298. Cook two tablespoonfuls of farina in the flavored milk for twenty minutes, in a double boiler; then set aside to cool. When nearly cold, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and the well-beaten yolks of two eggs. Beat all together very thoroughly, and lastly stir in the whites of the eggs which have been previously beaten to a stiff froth. Bake in one dish set inside another filled with hot water, just long enough to set the custard. Serve cold.

FARINA PUDDING.--Take a cup of cold cooked farina and soak it in four cups of milk until there are no lumps, or rub through a colander; add two well-beaten eggs, one scant cup of sugar and one cup of raisins; bake in a moderate oven until the custard is well set.

FLOATING ISLAND.--Make a custard of a pint of milk flavored with cocoanut, and the yolks of three eggs; sweeten to taste, and steam in a double boiler. When done, turn into a gla.s.s dish. Have the whites of the eggs whipped to a stiff froth, and drop for a few seconds on the top of a pan of scalding hot water, turning so that both sides may be alike coagulated but not hardened; skim off, and put in islands on the top of the custard. When quite cold, drop bits of different colored jellies on the islands, and keep in a cool place till needed. Or put a spoonful of fruit jelly in the bottom of small gla.s.ses, and fill with the custard with a spoonful of the white on top.

FRUIT CUSTARD.--Heat a pint of red raspberry, strawberry, or currant juice to boiling, and stir into it two tablespoonfuls or cornstarch rubbed smooth in a little cold water. Stir constantly until thickened, then add half a cup of sugar, or less if the fruit juice has been sweetened; take from the fire and stir in the stiffly beaten whites of three eggs, stirring all the time so that the hot mixture will coagulate the egg. Make a custard of a pint of milk, the yolks of the three eggs, and three tablespoonfuls of sugar. When done, set on the ice to cool. Dish in a gla.s.s dish when cold, placing the fruit mixture by spoonfuls on top, and serve.

GRAHAM GRITS PUDDING.--Heat two cups of milk in a double boiler.

When boiling, stir in one cup of Graham grits moistened with one cup of cold milk. Cook for an hour and a half in a double boiler, then remove from the fire and cool. Add three tablespoonfuls of sugar, three fourths of a cup of finely chopped apples, and one fourth of a cup of chopped raisins, and two well-beaten eggs. Bake three fourths of an hour in a moderate oven.

GROUND RICE PUDDING.--Simmer a few pieces of thinly cut lemon rind or half a cup of cocoanut, very slowly in a quart of milk for twenty minutes, or until the milk is well flavored. Strain the milk through a fine strainer to remove the lemon rind or cocoanut, and put into a saucepan to boil. Mix four large tablespoonfuls of ground rice smooth with a little cold milk, and add to the boiling milk. Cook until the whole has thickened, then set aside to cool. When nearly cold, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and two well-beaten eggs. Bake in a gentle oven in a dish placed in a pan of hot water, until the whole is lightly browned.

LEMON PUDDING.--Grate the rind of one lemon; soften one pint of bread crumbs in one quart of sweet milk, add the yolks of two eggs, and half a cup of sugar mixed with grated lemon rind. Bake twenty minutes.

Beat to a froth the whites of the eggs, the juice of the lemon, and half a cup of sugar. Spread over the top, and return to the oven for five minutes. This may be baked in cups if preferred.

LEMON CORNSTARCH PUDDING.--Beat the yolks of two eggs in a pudding dish; add a cupful of sugar; dissolve four tablespoonfuls of cornstarch in a little cold water, stir it into two teacupfuls of actively boiling water; when thickened, add the juice of two lemons with a little grated peel; turn over the eggs and sugar, beating well to mix all together, and bake about fifteen minutes. If desired, the beaten whites of the eggs may be used to meringue the top. Serve either cold or hot.

LEMON CORNSTARCH PUDDING NO. 2.--Mix together one half cup of cornstarch, one half cup of sugar, the juice and a portion of the grated rind of one medium-sized lemon. Add to these ingredients just enough cold water to dissolve thoroughly, then pour boiling water over the mixture until it becomes thickened and looks transparent. Stir continuously and boil for a few minutes until the starch is cooked. Take from the fire, and add gradually, with continuous stirring, the well-beaten yolks of three eggs. Whip the whites of the eggs with a teaspoonful of quince jelly to a stiff froth, and pour over the pudding; then brown in the oven. Orange juice with a very little of the grated rind, or pineapple juice may be subst.i.tuted for the lemon, if preferred.

MACARONI PUDDING.--Break sufficient macaroni to make a pint in inch lengths, put into a double boiler, turn over it three pints of milk, and cook until tender. Turn into a pudding dish, add a pint of cold milk, two thirds of a cup of sugar, one egg, and the yolks of two others well beaten. Bake from twenty minutes to one half hour. When done, cool a little, spread the top with some mashed fresh berries or grape marmalade, and meringue with the whites of the eggs and a tablespoonful of sugar.

MOLDED RICE OR SNOW b.a.l.l.s.--Steam a pint of well-cleaned rice until tender, as directed on page 99, and tarn Into cups previously wet in cold water, to mold. When perfectly cold, place in a gla.s.s dish, and pour over them a cold custard made of a pint of milk, half a cup of sugar, a teaspoonful of cornstarch, and one egg. Or, if preferred, the rice b.a.l.l.s may be served in individual dishes with the custard sauce, or with a dressing of fruit juice.

ORANGE FLOAT.--Heat one quart of water, the juice of two lemons, and one and one half cupfuls of sugar. When boiling, stir into it four tablespoonfuls of cornstarch rubbed smooth in a very little water. Cook until the whole is thickened and clear. When cool, stir into the mixture five nice oranges which have been sliced, and freed from seeds and all the white portions. Meringue, and serve cold.

ORANGE CUSTARD.--Turn a pint of hot milk over two cups of stale bread crumbs and let them soak until well softened: add the yolks of two eggs, and beat all together until perfectly smooth; add a little of the grated rind and the juice of three sweet oranges, and sugar to taste.

Lastly add the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth, turn into cups, which place into a moderate oven in a pan of hot water, and bake twenty minutes, or until the custard is well set but not watery.

ORANGE PUDDING.--Pare and slice six sweet Florida oranges, removing the seeds and all the white skin and fibers. Place in the bottom of a gla.s.s dish. Make a custard by stirring two table spoonfuls of cornstarch braided with a little milk into a pint of boiling milk, and when thickened, adding gradually, stirring constantly meanwhile, one egg and the yolk of a second egg well beaten with one fourth cup of sugar. When partially cool, pour over the oranges. Whip the white of the second egg to a stiff froth with one fourth cup of sugar which has been flavored by rubbing over some orange peel, and meringue the top of the pudding.

Fresh strawberries, raspberries, or peaches may be subst.i.tuted for oranges in making this dessert, if preferred.

PEACH MERINGUE.--To every pint of stewed or canned peaches, sweetened to taste, stir in the beaten yolks of two eggs. Bake in a deep pudding dish fifteen minutes, then cover with the whites of the two eggs beaten till very light with two tablespoonfuls of sugar. Brown in the oven, and serve cold with whipped cream. For peaches, subst.i.tute any other stewed fruit desired.

PICNIC PUDDING.--Thicken a pint of strawberry or raspberry juice, sweetened to taste, with two tablespoonfuls of corn starch, as for Fruit Custard. Turn into the bottom of cups previously wet with cold water, or a large mold, as preferred. In a second dish heat to boiling a pint of milk, flavored with cocoanut, to which a tablespoonful of sugar has been, added. Stir into it two tablespoonfuls of cornstarch rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, and cook thoroughly. When done, cool slightly and turn into the molds on the top of the pink portion, which should be sufficiently cool so that it will not mix. A third layer may be added by cooking two tablespoonfuls of cornstarch and one of sugar, rubbed smooth in a little milk, in a pint of boiling milk, and stirring in, just as it is taken from the stove, the well-beaten yolks of two eggs.

PLAIN CORNSTARCH PUDDING.--Heat to boiling a pint and a half of milk, with a few bits of the yellow rind of a lemon to flavor it. While the milk is heating, rub four large spoonfuls of cornstarch to a cream with half a cup of cold milk; beat well together the yolks of three eggs, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, and half a cup of cold milk, and whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth. When the milk is actively boiling, remove the bits of lemon rind with a skimmer, and stir in the starch mixture; stir constantly and boil three or four minutes--until the starch is well cooked; then add gradually, stirring well meanwhile, the yolks and sugar. Remove from the fire, and stir the beaten whites lightly through the whole. Serve with a dressing of fruit juice or fruit syrup; if in the season of fresh berries, the pudding may be dressed with a few spoonfuls of mashed strawberries, raspberries, or currants.

PLAIN CUSTARD.--Heat a pint of milk to boiling, and stir in a tablespoonful of cornstarch nabbed smooth in a little milk; let the milk and starch boil together till they thicken; then cool and add one well-beaten egg and two tablespoonfuls of sugar. Cook in the oven in a dish set inside another filled with hot water, or in a double boiler.

The milk may be previously flavored with orange, lemon, or cocoanut.

PRUNE PUDDING.--Heat two and one half cups of milk to boiling, then stir in gradually a heaping tablespoonful of cornstarch which has been rubbed smooth in a little cold milk; let this boil and thicken for a minute, then remove from the fire. When cool, add three well-beaten eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a cupful of prunes which have been stewed, then drained of all juice, the stones removed, and the prunes chopped fine. Pour into a pudding dish and bake twenty minutes.

Serve with or without cream.

PRIME WHIP.--Sift through a colander some stewed sweet California prunes which have been thoroughly drained from juice, and from which the stones have been removed. Beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth, and add two cups of the sifted prunes; beat all together thoroughly; turn into a pudding dish, and brown in the oven fifteen minutes. Serve cold, with a little cream or custard for dressing. Almond sauce also makes an excellent dressing.

RICE APPLE CUSTARD PUDDING.--Pare, and remove the cores without dividing from a sufficient number of apples to cover the bottom of a two-quart pudding dish. Fill the cavities of the apples with a little grated lemon rind and sugar, and put them into the oven with a tablespoon of water on the bottom of the dish. Cover, and steam till the apples are tender, but not fallen to pieces. Then pour over them a custard made with two cups of boiled rice, a quart of milk, half a cup of sugar, and two eggs.

RICE CUSTARD PUDDING.--Take one and one half cups of nicely steamed rice, four tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a pint of milk; heat to boiling in a saucepan. Then stir in very carefully the yolk of one egg and one whole egg, previously well beaten together with a few spoonfuls of milk reserved for the purpose. Let the whole boil up till thickened, but not longer, as the custard will whey and separate. When partly cool, flavor with a little vanilla or lemon, turn into a gla.s.s dish, and meringue with the white of the second egg beaten to a stiff froth. Cold steamed rice may be used by soaking it in hot milk until every grain is separate.

RICE SNOW.--Into a quart of milk heated to boiling, stir five tablespoonfuls of rice flour previously braided with a very little cold milk; add one half cup of sugar. Let the whole boil up together till well cooked and thickened; then remove from the stove, and stir in lightly the beaten whites of four eggs. Mold, and serve cold with foam sauce.

RICE SNOW WITH JELLY.--Steam or bake a teacupful of best rice in milk until the grains are tender. Pile it up on a dish roughly. When cool, lay over it squares of jelly. Beat the whites of two eggs and one third of a cup of sugar to a stiff froth, and pile like snow over the rice. Serve with cream sauce.

RICE WITH EGGS.--Steam rice as previously directed, and when sufficiently cooked, stir into half of it while hot, the yolks of one or two eggs well beaten with a little sugar. Into the other half, the whites of the eggs, sweetened and beaten to a stiff froth, may be lightly stirred while the rice is still hot enough to set the eggs.

Serve with the yellow half in the bottom of the dish, and the white part piled on top covered with whipped cream flavored with lemon or vanilla.

SNOW PUDDING.--Heat one half pint each of water and milk together, to boiling, stir into this a tablespoonful of cornstarch rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, and cook for five minutes. Cool partially and add the whites of two well-beaten eggs. Turn into molds and set in the ice box to cool. Serve with a cream made by stirring into a half pint of boiling milk the yolks of two eggs, a teaspoonful of cornstarch rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, and half a cup of sugar. Cook until well thickened. Cool and flavor with a little lemon or vanilla. Or, if preferred, serve with a dressing of fruit juice.

STEAMED CUSTARD.--Heat a pint of milk, with which has been well beaten two eggs and one third of a cup of sugar, in a double boiler until well thickened. When done, turn into a gla.s.s dish, and grate a little of the yellow rind of lemon over the top to flavor. If desired to have the custard in cups, remove from the fire when it begins to thicken, turn into cups, and finish in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water.

STRAWBERRY CHARLOTTE.--Fit slices of nice plain buns (those made according to recipe on page 347 are nice for this) in the bottom of a pudding dish, and cover with a layer of hulled strawberries; add another layer of the buns cut in slices, a second layer of strawberries, and then more slices of buns. Make a custard in the following manner: Heat a scant pint of milk to boiling in the inner cup of a double boiler, and stir into it gradually, beating thoroughly at the same time, an egg which has been previously well beaten with half a cup of sugar, a teaspoonful of cornstarch, and a spoonful or two of milk until perfectly smooth. Cook together in the double boiler until well set. Cool partially, and pour over the buns and strawberries. Place a plate with a weight upon it on the top of the charlotte, and set away to cool.

POP CORN PUDDING.--Take a scant pint of the pop corn which is ground and put up in boxes, or if not available, freshly popped corn, rolled fine, is just as good. Add to it three cups of new milk, one half cup of sugar, two whole eggs and the yolk of another, well beaten. Bake in a pudding dish placed inside another filled with hot water, till the custard is set. Cover with a meringue made of the remaining white of egg, a teaspoonful of sugar, and a sprinkling of the pop corn.

SAGO CUSTARD PUDDING.--Put one half cup of sago and a quart of rich milk into the inner cup of a double boiler, or a basin set inside a pan of boiling water, and let it simmer until the sago has thickened the milk and become perfectly transparent. Allow it to cool, then add a cup of sugar, two well-beaten eggs, and a little of the grated rind of a lemon. Turn into a pudding dish, and bake only till the custard has set.