Handbook of practical cookery

Cut the bread about half an inch in thickness, cut off the crust, then toast it to a pale brown on both sides. Cut the toast in small square pieces, place them in a basin, and cover them with boiling water ; cover the basin with a plate, and let it stand by the side of the fire or in a very cool oven for half an hour. Pour away every drop of water, add the sugar, pour over the milk, cover the basin again, and place it by the side of the fire or in a very slow oven for two hours longer. NOTE. — This must not at any time reach boiling-point. Cup Custard.— One egg, one gill milk. Grease well with fresh butter a tea-cup. Beat well in a basin the egg, pour it into the greased cup, fill up the cup to the top with the milk. Place the cup in a sauce-pan, and pour round it enough boiling water to come up halfway. Place the sauce-pan over the fire, and allow the water to boil slowly for twenty minutes. Turn the custard out on a hot plate, and serve at once with sugar to taste. Invalid Shape.— One half ounce gelatine, one pint milk, two eggs, one ounce sugar. Place the gelatine in a basin, and pour over the milk; allow the gelatine to soak for ten minutes. Pour then the milk and gelatine into a sauce-pan, place the pan over the fire, and stir the contents till boiling, then take the pan at once from the fire. Beat well in a basin the sugar and yolks of egg, and pour over them the milk, stirring well meanwhile. Pour all back into the sauce-pan, and stir over the fire until very hot ; but do not let the mixture boil, as the yolks of egg will curdle. Pour the mixture into a basin, and let it get cool, but not set Place on a plate the whites of egg, and with a very dry knife whip them to a very stiff froth. Mix them in very lightly to the other ingredients in the basin. Dip a mould in cold water, pour in the mixture, and when set turn it out in a glass dish. Invalid Pudding. — One sponge-cake, two apples, one ounce of sugar. Crumble a stale sponge-cake into small pieces, pare thinly and core the apples. Grease a tea-cup well with fresh butter, place in the bottom of it a little of the cake crumb, then a piece of apple, sprinkle over a little sugar. Continue to do this until all the apples, sugar, and sponge-cake are used up. Place the cup in rather a quick oven, and bake the pudding for half an hour. Serve in the cup in which it was baked. Busk. — One rusk, one tea-cupful milk. Place the rusk in a small jelly-jar, pour over the milk. Place the jar in a pan in which there is enough boiling water to come half-way up the jar. Allow the water to boil three quarters of an hour. The rusk must then be turned out of the jar on to a hot plate and served with sugar to taste. Minced Steak. — One quarter pound steak, two teaspoonfuls water, one tea-spoonful catchup, one pinch pepper. Place the steak on a board, remove the skin, and chop it very finely. Place the chopped steak in a stew-pan, add the water, pepper, and catchup. Place the pan over a slow fire, and stir the contents until just at boiling-point; but do not let it quite boil, as the steak would then become tough. Serve at once on a very hot plate. NOTE. — If the flavour is not desired, the catchup may be left out and a little salt added.