Six little cooks

When the pudding materials were prepared, a round baking dish was selected, into which the slices of bread and butter were neatly fitted, being cut to shape; each layer was sprinkled with sugar until the dish was half full. Then a small-sized, heavy plate was turned down over them to prevent them from floating, and the hot custard (for it had, of course, been made with scalded milk), was poured over them. After soaking for fifteen minutes the plate was taken off and the dish placed in the oven, " You see the bread stays down very nicely to-day," said Mrs. King. "If it had risen to the top so as to threaten to make a hard crust, then we should have had to lay a silver tablespoon on it to keep it down until the custard was ' set,' as it is said to be as soon as it loses its liquid quality. By the way, I ought to have told you in giving you the recipe, that you can vary this delightfully by spreading the slices of bread and butter with jam or jelly instead of sugar; and also, that any kind of bread pudding is at least as good boiled as baked — /think better. " How do you boil puddings, Aunt Jane?" " If they are liquid you must boil them in a tin form ; but for any kind of dough or paste puddings a square of heavy unbleached shirting is the best thing that ever was contrived. It must first be wrung out of boiling water, then well floored on the inside, then the edges gathered together and tied with a strong string, leaving a little room for the pudding or dumplings to ' swell ' in." " I wish we could make a dumpling," said Grace. " We haven't had one in a long time." " We will, the first time we come in to cook in the morning. Not to-morrow, because we shall have Mabel's blanc-mange for dessert How are you getting on, Mabel?" " Pretty well, I think. Is'nt it thick enough now! " " Yes, I think it is. Don't forget to wet the inside of your moulds with cold water." While the bread and butter was soaking in custard, the other girls had been preparing the materials for some light cakes, for which Mrs. King had given them the recipes. No. 120— EMILY'S CAKE. One cup sugar, one-half cup butter, three eggs, half a cup sweet milk, one teaspoonful cream tartar, one-half do. soda, two and a half cups flour. Bake in jelly-cake tins, and fill with jelly or chocolate. No. 121 — CORN STARCH CAKE. One cup butter, rubbed to a cream, with two of sugar, three eggs beaten separately, one cup milk, one teaspoon soda, two cups of flour and half a cup corn starch, sifted together with two teaspoons cream tartar. " Now I think of it," said Aunt Jane, after giving them the last, " this will not do for to-day, as our dinner is late and we shan't need any cake for tea. It is very nice when it is fresh, but ought to be eaten the same day, or at least within twenty-four hours. Here are some nice little things that will keep a long time." No. 122 — SUGAR CAKES. One heaping teacup sugar, three quarters of a cup butter, one quarter do. sweet milk, two well-beaten eggs, two teaspoons cream tartar and one of soda, one salt-spoon salt, spice to taste, flour enough to roll out. Bake quickly in a hot oven. " I have seen mamma put eggs into one side of the scales and sugar into the other," said Grace, "What was that for?"