KITCHEN AND COOKERY 540 and leave the shapes in a basin in a Httle weak stock. Make the pastry for the mince- pies. Make the cheese pastr}^ for the straws, but do not cut them out. Make the orange jelly. See that plenty of crumbs are ready for the croquettes. THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS Stuff the turkey, and put it ready on baking-tin. Cut out and prepare the beef fillets, fry them for two minutes on each side in butter or dripping, and lay them aside on a plate. Prepare and fry their garnish of fried bananas. Cut out the cheese straws, and leave them ready on a baking-sheet. Make and bake mince-pies. Prepare seakale. Make, but do not fry the potato croquettes. Clarify the stock for the clear soup. See that the smelts, with their brown bread and lemon, are in the house. Also brandy and holly for pudding. GEHERAL REMARKS HOT Pi: "T^HERE is but little to say on the subject of hot puddings that does not come under 'the special headings of boiling, steaming, etc. Still, it should be noted that all ingredients must be good and fresh, for, as in the case of cakes, there are some cooks who fancy that doubtful eggs, slightly musty suet, rancid butter, and stale fruit will not be detected in a well-spiced pudding. This idea is quite wrong, for the moisture and heat develop the objectionable taste, and do not disguise it. Another fault commonly met with is to over- sweeten puddings. This is specially noticeable in the case of milk puddings and the fruit in tarts. It is far better to use too little, than too much sugar, for more can easily be added to suit individual taste. With many varieties of puddings sauces play an important part, and these must be perfectly smooth, of the right consistency to flow round the pudding, but not so strongly flavoured as to overwhelm that of the pudding. RICE PUDDING Required : One pint of milk. Two ounces of Carolina rice. One ounce (or more) of sugar. Quarter of an ounce of butter. Grated nutmeg or any flavouring. Thickly butter a pie-dish. Wash the rice and put it in the dish with the sugar, milk, and butter left after greasing the dish ; add also flavouring, or, if preferred, merely grate a little nutmeg on the top. Put the pudding on a baking-tin in the oven, and bake it as slowly as possible from two and a half to three hours. The slower the cooking, the richer and more creamv the pudding will be. Make bread sauce for turkey, and partially toast sausages. Cut and roll the bacon. Blanch and shell the almonds for pudding Leave them in cold salted water. ON CHRISTMAS DAY Boil the pudding for two hours. Roast the turkey. Bake the cheese straws. Cook the seakale. Make the sauce for it, the sweet sauce for the pudding, and the brown gravy for the turkey. Reheat the soup and fried bananas, bread sauce, and mince-pies. Fry the smelts and potato croquettes, and grill the beef fillets. Shred the almonds. Be sure and warm the brandy before pour- ing it round the pudding or it will not light. Another decoration for the pudding is effected by sprinkling castor sugar freely over the top, giving the effect of snow, allowing some of the sugar to rest on the sprig of holly. Prepare the fruit for dessert. OH THE 'BBINGS MAKING OF When it is time it should be done, raise a corner of the skin and take out a grain or two of rice, and judge by tasting if they are sufficiently cooked. If, through cooking too fast, the pudding seems to be too stiff, pour in a little more milk under the skin, and stir it into the rice with the blade of a knife inserted under the skin, and let the pudding go on cooking. N.B. — It is poor economy to purchase inferior rice, for it will never make good creamy puddings. Condensed milk does admirably for pud- dings, but, when used, less sugar is required. BOILED RAISIN ROLL Required : One pound of flour. Quarter of a pound of Demerara sugar. Quarter of a pound of raisins. Half a pound of chopped beef suet. A few grains of salt. Cold water. One teaspoonful of baking-powder. Chop the suet very finely, stone and halve the raisins. Mix together the flour, suet, sugar, raisins, salt, and baking-powder. Add, gradually, enough cold water to mix the whole into a soft paste. Roll it on a slightly floured pastry-board into a shape like a bolster. Roll it up in a cloth which has first been dipped in boiling water, then floured ; tie the ends securely with string. Put the pudding in a saucepan of fast-boiling water, and let it boil steadily for three hours. Then take off the cloth and put the pudding on a hot dish. N.B. — If more convenient, use currants instead of raisins, or chopped figs, or prunes make a pleasant change. I
