THE dessert is by no means an unimportant part of the meal; for, though frequently heavy and indigestible, it may be both dainty and wholesome. Custards and all milk desserts are to be recommended, especially in families where there are children. Many persons will take eggs and milk in this form when they would reject them in any other.

Care should be taken in planning the menu to have a dessert that "goes well" with the other courses. It is a mistake to offer mince pie or plum pudding after a heavy turkey dinner, as is so frequently done; a light dessert would be much more acceptable.

Rice Pudding

2 quarts milk ⅔ cup rice

½ teaspoon salt ⅔ cup sugar

Grated nutmeg or cinnamon

Wash the rice; mix with half the milk and the salt and sugar and pour into a buttered pudding dish. Bake for several hours in a slow oven, stirring frequently and adding the rest of the milk. When the last milk is added, grate nutmeg over the top and let the pudding brown.

A cup of seeded or seedless raisins may be baked in the pudding if desired.

Boiled Custard

2 cups hot milk 2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt 2 eggs or yolks of 3 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

Put the milk on to heat in a double boiler. Beat the eggs thoroughly with the sugar; into them pour the hot milk, stirring to prevent lumps. Return all to the double boiler and cook until the custard coats the spoon, but no longer. If the mixture should curdle, set the boiler in a pan of cold water and beat with a wire egg-beater until smooth. When the steam passes off add the vanilla or other flavoring.

In the winter, when eggs are expensive, the custard may be made with one egg and one heaping teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a little cold milk.

If desired, the whites of the eggs may be beaten separately and added to the custard after it is cold or beaten with sugar into a meringue.

Rice Meringue No. 1

¾ cup rice

¼ pound butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 quart milk

Yolks of 4 eggs

Little grated lemon rind

Whites of 4 eggs

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Boil the rice in water; while hot add the butter; when cool add the sugar, milk, beaten yolks and lemon. Pour into a buttered pudding dish and cover with a meringue made of the whites of eggs and granulated sugar, flavored with lemon juice. Brown in a hot oven.

Rice Meringue No. 2

2 tablespoons rice 1 quart milk Yolks of 2 eggs 4 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

Lemon or vanilla flavoring

Whites of 2 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

Cook the rice in a little water; drain and add the yolks, sugar, salt and flavoring. Cover with meringue and brown in the oven.

Cornstarch Pudding

3 cups scalded milk

6 level tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup cold milk

⅓ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the cornstarch with the cold milk; stir the scalded milk slowly into this mixture and stir over hot water until the cornstarch thickens. Beat the eggs slightly; add sugar and salt; pour over them the cornstarch mixture and cook one minute longer. Serve cold with cream and sugar.