PUDDINGS may be either steamed, boiled or baked.

Steaming or boiling will take twice as long as baking. The best cloth to tie up a boiled pudding, is a piece of unbleached shirting.

Pudding-molds or basins should be well rubbed over in the inside with butter.

Bread puddings should be tied very loosely to allow them to expand.

Puddings boiled in a cloth should be moved occasionally to prevent adhering to the kettle.

An inverted plate or saucer should be placed in the bottom of the kettle to prevent adhering or burning.

Puddings boiled in a cloth should be kept covered with constantly boiling water; boiled in a mold, the water should not quite reach the top of the mold.

Always keep boiling water at hand to replenish the kettle if needed.

Flour should be spread on the inside of each tying-place to prevent water getting in.

Puddings boiled in a basin should have a cloth wrung out of hot water and dredged with flour, tied closely over the top of the basin.

Puddings boiled in a cloth, basin or mold, when done, should be plunged suddenly into cold water and turned out instantly; this will prevent sticking; and dumplings, i. e., boiled or steamed should be served at once. If this is an impossibility cover with the cloth in which they were boiled and serve as quickly as possible.

Baked puddings should not have the fruit put in until the pudding has begun to thicken in the oven. Otherwise it will sink to the bottom of the dish.

Sauces mentioned in the following recipes will all be found in this department.

Puddings boiled in a mold or a pudding-dish do not need as stiff a batter as those boiled in a cloth.

Silver-plated pudding dishes will be found a great advantage as well as a pleasing addition to the table. They come in various sizes and are supplied with a fire-proof porcelain inside dish, in which the pudding is baked. With two or three of these inside dishes a green corn pudding or a scallop may appear in one of the earlier course in the silver dish, to be exchanged at dessert for the pudding itself baked in another of the china inside dishes, and placed as before in the silver dish. Pie-plates come in the same material, and can have any ordinary tin pie-plate fitted into them.

Rice Peach Padding

To each cupful of boiled rice stir 1 tablespoonful butter, 2 tablespoonfuls sugar, 1 egg. Butter a pudding dish, put in a layer of the seasoned rice one-half inch thick, then a layer of pared and sliced peaches. Sprinkle with sugar and rice alternately until the dish is full. Bake twenty minutes. Have rice for the last layer. Turn out and serve with vanilla, cream or any other pudding sauce, or cream and sugar. Canned peaches may be used instead of fresh.

Rice Apple Pudding

Make the same way, substituting layers of very nice smooth apple sauce for the fresh peaches.

Plain Bread Pudding

Crumb enough stale bread to fill two cups. Pour over them 1 quart of boiling milk. When cold and the bread is thoroughly softened add 1 beaten egg, ½ teaspoon-ful salt, 3 teaspoonfuls sugar; and, if wished, ½ cupful of raisins. Bake three-quarters of an hour. This may be tied up in a cloth and boiled. Serve with some plain sauce.