Plum Pudding, "with Punch. This is an entremets of English origin, but known and served in all countries; the receipt I am about to give here, although not usually adopted in England, is nevertheless one producing the be^t results. The English plum pudding is generally too heavy and massive; the one I am about to describe, which is often served up even at the most sumptuous dinners, is lighter and of a fine flavor. 15 226 Artistic Cookery The composition of plum pudding is: One pound of chopped beef kidney-suet, a pound and a quarter of grated fresh bread crumb, one pound of mixed dried raisins, half a pound of orange peel and citronate, a pound of moist sugar, a tablespoonful of powdered ginger, eight whole eggs, three- quarters of a glass of brandy, and half a glassful of good raw cream✪ Plum Pudding with Punch. The different ingredients are mixed and well worked, then put into a buttered and floured dome mould, covered with a napkin, likewise buttered and floured; this napkin is tied together on the other side of the mould, which is then plunged into boiling water. The pudding requires to be cooked for four hours, the kettle being closed, and without letting the water cease to boil. As soon as the pudding is drained, it is turned out of the cloth upon a hot dish, then a little cavity is formed on its center, to pour into it a few tablespoonfuls of very good brandy,, previously mixed with a little sugar, then warmed and ignited. Plum pudding must be served and eaten while very hot. Basket of Fruit for Center-Piece. In the center of a table laid for dinner, it is usual to place some orna- mental piece, such as a surtout or a dormant, a candelabrum, or some stand in silver, bronze, or china. This centerpiece however, is nothing more than an accessory, which may easily bereplacedby a simple vase of flowers, ora "corbeille" of fruit. The more handsome the dinner-service, the more elegant and rich, both in material and workmanship, must be the centerpiece. A "corbeille" of fruit, rich, abundant, and varied in its selection, is in fact only a centerpiece, when placed in the middle of the table. The "corbeille" itself may be in rustic work, osier, china, or metal. To prevent any chance of the fruit falling from its position, a piece of cardboard, in the Artistic Cookery 227 form of a pyramid, surrounded and garnished with moss, should be made for the fruit to lean against. When arranging a "corbeille" of fruit for a dinner table, only the freshest, the rarest, and the most beautiful kinds should be selected. The sort and color to be chosen, must of course depend on the season; but as great a variety, and as diversified in tint, as is possible. If the fruit be large, as pears, apples, or pineapples, they must be removed from the "corbeille," to be cut up and handed round in plates. Pineapples are peeled and sliced, large pears are quartered without being peeled.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Plum Pudding, "with Punch. This is an entremets of English origin, but known and served in all countries; the receipt I am about to give here, although not usually adopted in England, is nevertheless one producing the be^t results. The English plum pudding is generally too heavy and massive; the one I am about to describe, which is often served up even at the most sumptuous dinners, is lighter and of a fine flavor. 226 Artistic Cookery The composition of plum pudding is: One pound of chopped beef kidney-suet, a pound and a quarter of grated fresh bread crumb, one pound of mixed dried raisins, half a pound of orange peel and citronate, a pound of moist sugar, a tablespoonful of powdered ginger, eight whole eggs, threequarters of a glass of brandy, and half a glassful of good raw cream. The different ingredients are mixed and well worked, then put into a buttered and floured dome mould, covered with a napkin, likewise buttered and floured; this napkin is tied together on the other side of the mould, which is then plunged into boiling water. The pudding requires to be cooked for four hours, the kettle being closed, and without letting the water cease to boil. As soon as the pudding is drained, it is turned out of the cloth upon a hot dish, then a little cavity is formed on its center, to pour into it a few tablespoonfuls of very good brandy, previously mixed with a little sugar, then warmed and ignited. Plum pudding must be served and eaten while very hot. Basket of Fruit for Center-Piece. In the center of a table laid for dinner, it is usual to place some ornamental piece, such as a surtout or a dormant, a candelabrum, or some stand in silver, bronze, or china. This centerpiece however, is nothing more than an accessory, which may easily be replaced by a simple vase of flowers, or a "corbeille" of fruit.. The more handsome the dinner-service, the more elegant and rich, both in material and workmanship, must be the centerpiece. A "corbeille" of fruit, rich, abundant, and varied in its selection, is in fact only a centerpiece, when placed in the middle of the table. The "corbeille" itself may be in rustic work, osier, china, or metal. To prevent any chance of the fruit falling from its position, a piece of cardboard, in the Artistic Cookery 227 form of a pyramid, surrounded and garnished with moss, should be made for the fruit to lean against. When arranging a "corbeille" of fruit for a dinner table, only the freshest, the rarest, and the most beautiful kinds should be selected. The sort and color to be chosen, must of course depend on the season; but as great a variety, and as diversified in tint, as is possible. If the fruit be large, as pears, apples, or pineapples, they must be removed from the "corbeille," to be cut up and handed round in plates. Pineapples are peeled and sliced, large pears are quartered without being peeled.

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Plum Pudding with Punch

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