Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/77

breaking. Stir well, and return to the saucepan, and just let it come to the boil, so that it thickens. Then pour into a jug, stir a few minutes and add any flavouring you prefer. You can either serve in custard cups, or in the jug, to eat with the pudding. If in cups, grate a little nutmeg over the top of each.

Porridge.—Every one has his own way of working ship, as the old sailor said when he gave the order to “lay aft and haul down the jib;” and so every cook has her own way of making porridge. The main thing is to boil it well, and have it the right consistency, so that it can be poured into the plates and will set. My children do not consider it properly cooked unless it will float when the milk is poured on to it. First put on your water to boil, with a teaspoonful of coarse salt in it. You can either wet your meal with water and pour it in so, stirring the while, or you can gradually dredge it in dry from your hand. By the former process you can be certain of no lumps; but most good cooks prefer the latter way. Stir till it thickens, and then it can be allowed to boil—without more than an occasional stir—over a gentle fire, but he sure it keeps boiling all the time. Maizemeal makes very good porridge but it is usually preferred mixed with oatmeal. Wheatmeal is also a good porridge; but all these things should be well boiled or they are unwholesome.

Boiled Cornflour and Arrowroot.—All milk food, such as cornflour, arrowroot, etc., should be boiled. No greater mistake is made than the impression that blanc-mange needs no boiling. It should always be allowed to boil for a few seconds to take off the rawness. When the milk is brought to boiling point stir in the cornflour or arrowroot, blended smoothly with a little milk, and the sugar mixed with it. When it has boiled remove from the fire,and stir for a few minutes to get rid of some of the steam. Then, and not till then, stir in your flavouring. Many people put in the flavouring

while it is still very hot or while over the fire, consequently the flavouring all goes up the chimney in the steam, and then they blame the essence, or wonder how it is the pudding is not flavoured. The cooler it is before adding it, the better and stronger it will taste.

Tapioca and Fruit Syrup.

Ingredients: Half a pint of fruit syrup, tapioca, sugar.

Mode: Very often when stewing fruit there may be some syrup over, and which it is a pity to waste. It. can be utilized as follows:—Put the syrup into a saucepan with a little water (if you have enough use all syrup), add sugar if not sweet enough. When boiling stir in some tapioca, and boil till quite clear. Pour into a mould, and set in a cold place on ice if possible. Serve with custard.

To Cook Apples.

Ingredients: Bread, two eggs, apples, sugar, one lemon, cinnamon, cream.

Mode: Cut a few slices of bread of moderate thickness, butter a basin or mould, and also the slices of bread, and as well as you can line the mould or basin with them; you may have to cut the bread into pieces or strips to do it. When all are in beat up the whites of two eggs, and with a spoon pour it or smear it over the edges of the bread to make them hold together. Stew some apples with plenty of sugar, a little water, the juice and rind of a lemon, and a little cinnamon, pass through a hair sieve, and then fill the mould. Cover with a slice of bread and set in a quick oven till it looks done. Turn out and serve with cream.

Time: One hour.

To Cook Apples.—No. 2.

Ingredients: Baking apples, sugar, one lemon, one stick cinnamon, cochineal, one small packet gelatine.

Mode: Peel, quarter and core some baking apples, and stew them with a little water, some sugar, the rind of a lemon, and the cinnamon. When quite soft pass through a sieve, and colour with a few drops of cochineal.