The humble bread pudding is, perhaps, the most familiar of all hot desserts. However, it is not always a popular favorite, and, sad to say, not always palatable, because too much bread is used in its making. The bread in a bread pudding is used merely to hold the other ingredients together and to supply a background for flavors, not as a means of using a quantity of dry bread. A well-made bread pudding is a very palatable dessert and is capable of an almost endless number of variations.

Remember, a pudding of this kind forms a hearty, substantial dessert and is also easily digested. The following rules, if carefully adhered to, will enable anyone to make a delicate, smooth pudding: Always soak the bread in water, scald the milk, add other ingredients, and bake the pudding slowly. The bread must be soaked in water to produce lightness and delicacy. The milk is scalded because scalded milk makes the pudding smoother than raw milk.

The pudding is baked slowly in order that the eggs and milk will not curdle, as they might if baked in too hot an oven. The bread should be soaked in the cold water to cover for 20 minutes or more. Then press out all the water and crumble the bread into small pieces. Scald the milk and add salt, sugar, shortening, the well-beaten eggs and flavoring. Pour the mixture over the bread and stir well. Pour all into a well-greased pudding dish, and bake about 40 minutes in a slow oven for a medium sized pudding. If the dish containing the pudding is placed in a pan of hot water and baked, there will be less danger of too much heat. All custard mixtures are better baked in this manner. The mixture will appear thin, but will thicken sufficiently when baked.

If a very thick pudding is desired more eggs may be added, or a teaspoon of cornstarch may be mixed to a thin paste with cold milk and added to the scalded milk. Use this quantity of cornstarch for each pint or two cups of milk. More bread will also thicken the pudding, but it will not be so delicate.

All of these puddings may have a meringue added and in that case use only the yolks of the eggs in the foundation recipe, reserving the white for the meringue; or use 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg for the pudding. After the pudding is baked spread with jelly or jam and then the meringue. A well-made meringue is light and adds much in appearance and taste to any dessert. But a poor, tough meringue is a waste of good material.

For the bread pudding meringue use 2 egg whites, 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. Eggs should be beaten until the bowl can be inverted without fear of their slipping from it; then add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well or until mixture will hold its shape. Flavor and spread over pudding and place on the top grate in a very moderate oven. The meringue should not begin to color for at least 5 minutes and will take 8 minutes to cook sufficiently and become a delicate brown. The meringue may be varied by adding 1 tablespoon of ground chocolate. Powdered sugar never gives as satisfactory meringue as granulated sugar.

Marsh mallows may be used instead of the meringue. When the pudding is baked set 6 or 8 marshmallows on top, return to the top grate of the oven and cook until slightly melted and a golden brown. The plain bread pudding may be served with various pudding sauces. If individual puddings are liked, bake the bread pudding in custard cups or ramekins.