Middle class cookery book

core. Prepare a pudding-basin (see directions, p. 137); line it neatly with suet crust (see “Suet Crust,” p. 154); put the slices of apple into the lined basin ; add sugar according to taste, two or three cloves, or the rind of half a lemon, cut very thin, and two or three tablespoonfuls of cold water. Cover the basin with a piece of paste rolled out to the size required ; close the edges carefully. If the pudding is to be boiled, dip a pudding-cloth into boiling water ; squeeze it out (this may be done by putting the cloth into a basin, and pressing the rim of the saucepan lid on it) ; carefully flour the cloth, and tie it over the top of the pudding-basin with a string. Gather the corners of the cloth together, and tie 1 * * them together on the top. Plunge the pudding into boiling water, and let it boil for two hours. Puddings of all kinds are lighter and better if steamed instead of being boiled (see “ To Steam Puddings,” p. 137). Allow half an hour longer if steamed. Gooseberry Pudding Cut off the stalks and tops of the gooseberries ; line a basin with suet crust as above ; fill the basin with the gooseberries ; add sugar according to the acidity of the fruit, and a little water. Cover the basin with paste, and boil as directed for apple pudding. Currant, raspberry, plum, and all other fruit puddings are made in the same way. If the fruit is juicy, do not add any water. Suet Pudding ^ lb. Flour About 2 Gills 5 Cold Water I ,, Suet Pinch of Salt 1 Never put a pin in a pudding-cloth. 3 The Imperial gill is meant throughout this book ; it is equal to I of a pint. CHAP. XIII PUDDINGS 157 Chop the suet fine (see “Suet Crust,” p. 154) ; add it with the salt to the flour ; mix them well together iu a bowl ; add the water, mixing all together with a wooden spoon. Some kinds of flour require more and some less water than the quantity given above. It is better to mix in the water gradually, to avoid spoiling the pudding by using too much. Prepare a pudding- basin ; put in the mixture ; tie a cloth (see “ Pudding- Cloth,” p. 156) over; plunge the pudding into boiling water, and boil for two hours. This pudding is better steamed (see “To Steam Puddings,” p. 137). An egg makes the pudding richer. This pudding is lighter if made with ^ lb. bread crumbs and ^ lb. flour. Chop the suet fine ; mix it with the bread crumbs (see “Bread Crumbs,” p. 133), flour, and sugar in a bowl. Grate the rind of the lemons ; squeeze out the juice and strain it. Beat up the eggs ; add them with the grated lemon rind and juice to the contents of the bowl ; mix all well together. Put the mixture into a Prepared basin, cover with a buttered paper, and steam the pudding for two and a half hours. Serve with melted butter sauce. Apple Dumplings Peel, but do not divide the apples ; cut out the core ; fill up the hole left in the middle of the apple with sugar, and a clove, if liked. Make a crust with suet (see “Suet Crust,” p. 154); roll it out evenly; cut it into as many pieces as there arc apples. Put an apple on each piece of crust, cover the apple completely over, and put the dumplings into a saucepan of boiling Lemon Pudding J lb. Flour 4 „ Bread Crumbs | ,, Castor Sugar 2 Eggs I lb. Suet 2 Lemons 158 MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK PART II water. Let them boil for three-quarters of an hour or an hour. Currant Dumplings