IN MAKING puddings or dumplings the first matter of importance is to see that all the ingredients are fresh and good. The slightest taint will injure the whole pudding. Puddings are of three kinds - boiled, steamed, and baked. To steam a pudding, put it into a buttered tin pan or granite dish; tie a cloth over the top, first dredging it in flour and set into a steamer. Cover the steamer closely; allow a little longer time than you do for boiling. Boiling requires nearly twice the time required for baking.

Attention to the turning out of a pudding, so that it shall not be ragged or broken, is necessary. Puddings that are to be boiled should be put into plenty of boiling water, and kept at a steady boil. A baked pudding should be stirred once or twice after it has set, so that the fruit may not all sink to the bottom, while one that is boiled should be turned over for the same reason, and also to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the kettle. On removing a pudding tied in a cloth, plunge it quickly into a basin of cold water and it will readily separate. If there is much bread in the pudding, tie it rather loosely, to allow for its swelling, but a batter pudding cannot be fastened too lightly. An egg that is not strictly fresh must never be used. Salt should be added, in a small quantity, to all puddings.

The oven must be regularly washed, and the juice of pies, meats, etc., that have escaped in cooking scraped off. A pudding is lighter when boiled than when baked. Puddings will turn out of a basin well if it has been plentifully rubbed with butter.

If cloths are used, do not wash them with soap, unless well rinsed afterwards. Just before filling dip them into boiling water, squeeze them dry and dredge them with flour.

How To Clean Currants

Put the required amount of currants in a colander and sprinkle with flour; rub them well until they are separated, and the flour and fine stems have passed through the strainer. Place the currants in a pan of cold water and wash thoroughly; strain and dry between clean towels. It hardens them to dry in an oven Woman's Exchange.

How To Chop Suet

Take suet, when very cold break or cut in small pieces, sprinkle with sifted flour and chop quickly before it gets soft and sticky.

Woman's Exchange.

How To Stone Raisins

Put the desired number in a dish and pour boiling water over them; cover and let remain ten minutes; this will soften so that the seeds will come out easily with a small knife. Woman's Exchange.

Pop Corn Pudding (Delicious)

Take five quarts of popped corn and crush with a rolling pin, run it through a coffee mill to make it fine; this will make five pints of coarse meal. Mix this with four pints of sweet milk and set it on the back of the stove to soak for two hours or more. Then add two eggs, sugar, raisins and spices to taste; put on the hot stove and boil for a few minutes, stirring well to mix the meal with the milk; bake about one hour and serve hot. Mrs. J. H. T.

Holiday Pudding

Six ounces of malaga raisins, two ounces of orange peel, one-quarter of a pound of macaroons, five pounds of eggs, one tablespoonful of cornstarch, two cupfuls of milk, one teaspoonful of vanilla, four tablespoonfuls of sugar. In the cake mold put a row of raisins and bits of preserved orange peel, then a row of macaroons, then a row of raisins, and so on, the last being a row of macaroons. Don't fill the mold. Make a sauce of five eggs, corn-starch, milk and sugar, and mix the whole. Pour this sauce into the mold, put in a pan of hot water and bake in an oven not too warm. Knock out the pudding and serve with the following sauce:

Sauce

Beat together two yolks of eggs, one teaspoonful of cornstarch, four teaspoonfuls of sugar (pulverized), one tablespoonful of rum, two cupfuls of cream till thick enough and warm, but don't boil.

H. F. L.

Sweet Potato Pudding

Mix with one pound of sweet potatoes, grated raw, one-half teacupful of molasses, two beaten eggs, one tablespoonful of butter with two table-spoonfuls of sugar and enough milk to make a thin mixture; add one tea-spoonful of ginger and spice to taste. Bake one and one-half hours.

Chef Palmer House Chicago.

Florentine Pudding

Put a quart of milk into a pan and let it come to a boil; mix smoothly three tablespoonfuls of corn-starch and a little cold milk; add the yolks of three beaten eggs, one half teacupful of sugar and flavoring to taste; stir into the boiling milk and stir until of the consistency of starch ready to use, then put into the dish in which it is to be served. Beat the whites of eggs with a teacupful of pulverized sugar, spread over the top and place in the oven to brown. Mary Bennett.

Cottage Pudding

One cupful of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, two eggs, one cupful of sweet nlk, three cupfuls of flour, one-half teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar sifted with flour, one teaspoonful of salt; rub the butter and sugar together, beat in the yolks, then the milk and soda, the salt, and the beaten whites alternately with the flour. Bake in a buttered mold; turn out upon a dish; cut in slices; eat with vanilla sauce. Mrs. O. P. Morris.

Marmalade Pudding