Dumplings boiled the same way, put into little separate cloths. Batter puddings should be smoothly mixed and free from lumps. To ensure this, first mix the flour with a very small proportion of milk, the yolks of the eggs and sugar thoroughly beaten together, and added to this ; (362) DUMPLINGS AND PUDDINGS. 363 then add the remainder of the milk by degrees, then the seasoning, then the beaten whites of eggs last. Much success in making this kind of pud- ding depends upon a strict observance of this rule ; for, although the ma- terials may be good, if the eggs are put into the milk before they are mixed with the flour, there will be a custard at the top and a soft dough at the bottom of your dish. • All sweet puddings require a little salt to prevent insipidity and to draw out the flavor of the several ingredients, but a grain too much will spoil any pudding. In puddings where wine, brandy, cider, lemon juice or any acid is used, it should be stirred in last and gradually, or it is apt to curdle the milk or eggs. In making custard puddings (puddings made with eggs and milk), the yolks of the eggs and sugar should be thoroughly beaten together before any of the milk or seasoning is added, and the beaten whites of eggs last. In making puddings of bread, rice, sago, tapioca, etc., the eggs should be beaten very light, and mixed with a portion of the milk, before adding them to the other ingredients. If the eggs are mixed with the milk, with- out having been thus beaten, the milk will be absorbed by the bread, rice, sago, tapioca, etc., without rendering them light. The freshness of all pudding ingredients is of much importance, as one bad article will taint the whole mixture. When the freshness of eggs is doubtful, break each one separately in a cup before mixing them all together. Should there be a bad one amongst them, it can be thrown away ; whereas, if mixed with the good ones, the entire quantity would be spoiled. The yolks and whites beaten separately make the articles they are put into much lighter. Eaisins and dried fruit for puddings should be carefully picked and, in many cases, stoned. Currants should be well washed, pressed in a cloth and placed on a dish before the fire to get thoroughly dry; they should then be picked carefully over, and every piece of grit or stone re- moved from amongst them. To plump them, some cooks pour boiling water over them and then dry them before the fire. Many baked pudding recipes are quite as good boiled. As a safe rule boil the pudding twice as long as you would bake it; and remember that a boiling pudding should never be touched after it is once put on the stove ; a jar of the kettle destroys the lightness of the pudding. If the water boils down and more must be added, it must be done so 364 DUMPLINGS AND PUDDINGS. carefully that the mold will not hit the side of the kettle, and it must not he allowed to stop boiling for an instant. Batter should never stick to the knife when it is sent to the table ; it will do this both when a less than sufficient number of eggs is mixed with it and when it is not cooked enough ; about four eggs to the half pound of flbur will make it firm enough to cut smoothly. When baked or boiled puddings are sufficiently solid, turn them out of the dish they were baked in, bottom uppermost and strew over them finely sifted sugar.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Dumplings boiled the same way, put into little separate cloths. Batter puddings should be smoothly mixed and free from lumps. To ensure this, first mix the flour with a very small proportion of milk, the yolks of the eggs and sugar thoroughly beaten together, and added to this ; (362) then add the remainder of the milk by degrees, then the seasoning, then the beaten whites of eggs last. Much success in making this kind of pudding depends upon a strict observance of this rule ; for, although the materials may be good, if the eggs are put into the milk before they are mixed with the flour, there will be a custard at the top and a soft dough at the bottom of your dish. • All sweet puddings require a little salt to prevent insipidity and to draw out the flavor of the several ingredients, but a grain too much will spoil any pudding. In puddings where wine, brandy, cider, lemon juice or any acid is used, it should be stirred in last and gradually, or it is apt to curdle the milk or eggs. In making custard puddings (puddings made with eggs and milk), the yolks of the eggs and sugar should be thoroughly beaten together before any of the milk or seasoning is added, and the beaten whites of eggs last. In making puddings of bread, rice, sago, tapioca, etc., the eggs should be beaten very light, and mixed with a portion of the milk, before adding them to the other ingredients. If the eggs are mixed with the milk, without having been thus beaten, the milk will be absorbed by the bread, rice, sago, tapioca, etc., without rendering them light. The freshness of all pudding ingredients is of much importance, as one bad article will taint the whole mixture. When the freshness of eggs is doubtful, break each one separately in a cup before mixing them all together. Should there be a bad one amongst them, it can be thrown away ; whereas, if mixed with the good ones, the entire quantity would be spoiled. The yolks and whites beaten separately make the articles they are put into much lighter. Eaisins and dried fruit for puddings should be carefully picked and, in many cases, stoned. Currants should be well washed, pressed in a cloth and placed on a dish before the fire to get thoroughly dry; they should then be picked carefully over, and every piece of grit or stone removed from amongst them. To plump them, some cooks pour boiling water over them and then dry them before the fire. Many baked pudding recipes are quite as good boiled. As a safe rule boil the pudding twice as long as you would bake it; and remember that a boiling pudding should never be touched after it is once put on the stove ; a jar of the kettle destroys the lightness of the pudding. If the water boils down and more must be added, it must be done so carefully that the mold will not hit the side of the kettle, and it must not he allowed to stop boiling for an instant. Batter should never stick to the knife when it is sent to the table ; it will do this both when a less than sufficient number of eggs is mixed with it and when it is not cooked enough ; about four eggs to the half pound of flbur will make it firm enough to cut smoothly. When baked or boiled puddings are sufficiently solid, turn them out of the dish they were baked in, bottom uppermost and strew over them finely sifted sugar.

Original White House Cookbook