Foods and home making

PLAIN CUSTARD 1 pint milk 2 eggs or 3 egg yolks i teaspoon salt \ cup sugar \ teaspoon vanilla or dash nutmeg 1. Heat the milk in a double boiler. In a bowl, break the eggs. Add the salt. Beat the eggs enough to mix readily with the other ingredients. Then add the sugar and mix. Pour the hot milk slowly (stir while pouring) into the bowl containing the egg mixture. Custard mixed in this way may be cooked by steaming, baking, or stirring in a double boiler. If steamed or baked add the vanilla before cooking. If cooked in a double boiler, add the vanilla after cooking and cooling. Add the nutmeg before cooking. 2. To steam the custard, pour into 6 individual custard cups or into one bowl. Place the cups in a steamer. Cover. Let the water in the bottom of the steamer boil gently. Cook the custard without stirring. To test for sufficent cooking, insert a knife into the custard. If it comes out clean the custard is done. Remove from the steamer at once. Set aside to cool. 3. To bake custard, pour into cups or bowl. Place the cups in a pan. Pour a small amount of hot water around the cups. Bake at 350° F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the custard. 4. To cook a stirred or soft custard, pour the mixture into the double boiler in which the milk was scalded. Cook over gently boiling water, stirring constantly until the mixture is slightly thickened and forms a thin coating over the bowl of the stirring spoon. Immediately remove the top part of the double boiler and set it aside to cool. Then add vanilla. Luncheon or Supper instead of eggs in making custard. We can substitute flour for one egg, but not for both. If no eggs were used, the mixture would neither look nor taste like a custard. We must use at least one egg. Of course flour does not have the same kind of nourishing properties as do eggs. A custard thickened with flour and egg will differ in food value from one thickened only with eggs. We can, however, make a custard that tastes good by using a combination of flour and eggs. CUSTARD THICKENED WITH FLOUR AND EGG Follow the recipe for plain custard, using I egg and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix the flour and sugar. Add the hot milk and cook in the same way as blancmange. Beat the egg, add the salt. Pour some of the hot milk mixture over the egg. Pour into the double boiler. Then proceed as in making custard thickened with eggs only. How is floating island made? Can you imagine islands of beaten egg white floating on a lake of golden custard? What makes the islands float? This you can readily answer when you remember that air is inclosed in beaten eggs. Air, as you know, is very light and much of it is distributed through the beaten egg white. Let us learn how to make this kind of custard : Mix and cook these ingredients as directed for soft custard (page Egg whites beaten and sweetened are called meringue (pronounced me-ring'). Meringues are used on the tops of pies, puddings, and other desserts. FLOATING ISLAND 1 pint milk 3 egg yolks £ teaspoon salt ^ cup sugar 2 teaspoon vanilla 3i7)- 3 egg whites Pinch salt 3 tablespoons sugar Put the egg whites in a bowl. Add the salt. Beat with a wheel egg beater until stiff. Add the sugar — granulated or powdered may be Luncheon or Supper Desserts 319