Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Seed enough raisins to fill a quart measure heaping full ; prepare one pint of dried currants, a half-pint of preserved citron cut into small pieces, and a pint of peeled apples, chopped fine ; add 1 lb. of butter, creamed, or the same quantity of fresh beef suet nicely shredded, and a heaping quart of stale, light bread-crumbs. If it is more convenient to measure than weigh, one pint of butter or suet is the right quantity. Beat up light and separately the whites and yolks of eight eggs ; mix them in a large bowl or tray, with one teaspoonful of salt, Plum Pudding PUDDINGS, ETC Plum Pudding without which ingredient the bestmade plum pudding will be insipid. Add a half-pint cupful of sugar and one nutmeg grated up very fine. Have ready a light quart of sifted flour; with some of it flour your fruit thoroughly. Proceed to mix as follows : Having your well-beaten eggs ready in their proper receptacle, add to them a pint of milk, then stir in the floured fruit, creamed butter, and bread crumbs, lastly putting in just enough sifted flour to make the mass stick together in a lump. This will probably consume about the quart provided. Next dip your pudding cloth of stoutest muslin or jeans in boiling-hot water, and dredge over the inside a thick coating of flour. Put your pudding into it. tie up tightly, but at the same time leave room for it to swell. Have plenty of boiling water in a roomy pot, which must be filled up again with the same if it boils away too much. By inverting a plate in the bottom of your pot you will be sure that the pudding cannot stick to the bottom and burn, and if you have a strong cloth tied with trustworthy twine water cannot get in — the two worst mishaps that can befall the inexperienced cook. Resume of ingredients : One quart of raisins, one pint of sliced citron, one pint of chopped apples, one pint of dried currants, one pint of milk, a teaspoonful of salt, one quart of bread-crumbs, one quart of flour, eight eggs, one pint of butter, a cupful of sugar. Plum Pudding. — Plum pudding is best when boiled in moulds, which should be well buttered before the mixture is put in, should be quite full, and should be covered with one or two folds of paper floured and buttered, and then with a floured pudding - cloth. When bread is used, which makes a pudding lighter than flour, a little room should be allowed for swelling. A pinch of salt should always be remembered, as it brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. After it is tied in the cloth the pud- ding should be put into boiling water and kept boiling until it is taken off, when it should be plunged quickly into a basin of cold water; by this means it will be less likely to break when turned out of the mould. It is usual, before sending it to table, to make a little hole in the top and fill it with brandy, then light it, and serve it in a blaze. It is a good plan to mix much more than is needed, and to make several puddings instead of one, boil all together, and warm one up when necessary. If well made, plum pudding will be good for twelve months. When it is to be used, plunge again into boiling water and boil for at least two hours. Plum Pudding, Christmas. — Take 1 x/z lbs. of bread - crumbs, Yz lb. of flour, 2 lbs. of finely shred beef suet,