PUDDINGS FOR INVALIDS AND CHILDREN.

THERE can be no doubt that milk puddings are an essential in the dietary of children, but from their too frequent repetition it often becomes impossible to get them eaten. There is an especial difficulty with rice, and this is easily accounted for by the method of its preparation, which is too often monotonous and insipid. Whenever a child shows a marked distaste for any particular dish, it should not again be offered him for a week or two, and it should then be served in a different form. If plain rice pudding is objected to, let rice be next served in the form of croquets; probably the plain pudding, with the addition of a little lemon juice, will afterwards be readily accepted. Macaroni, if judiciously served, is generally liked, and is most valuable. It should always be broken into very small pieces for children. Italian pastine is often

liked when macaroni is objected to, and it makes light and delicious puddings.

Suet puddings, if properly prepared, may be given to children who have fair digestions on days when fish, soup or eggs are substituted for meat, but puddings made of dripping are generally inadmissible. Suet should be scraped, not chopped, and in all cases the crust must be dry and well boiled.

In making puddings with milk and eggs, the milk must always be boiled, as this prevents curdling. Lump sugar is now so cheap, that it may with advantage be substituted for raw in all delicate puddings. It is a good plan to boil the sugar with the milk, and then pour them on the eggs. Very slow baking is absolutely necessary for all puddings which have custard; if quickly baked, the custard is often mixed with the more solid portion of the pudding, and it is also rendered tough and unsuitable for children or invalids, whereas if slowly baked the custard, even when one egg is used, will be in considerable proportion to the other ingredients.

Whites of eggs make good puddings for children, and three whites should be calculated as one egg.

The custard from whites of eggs is excellent, and only to be distinguished from that made with the yolks added by its pale colour.

Fried bread will be found not only an economical, but a nourishing and delicious accompaniment to stewed fruits, and there are very few children who will not eat it. By fried bread is not meant either bread sodden in grease in the frying pan, or bread unduly hardened in boiling fat, because in either case it is most unwholesome. Bread properly fried will be just crisp, and a golden brown on the outside, and not the least hard. If the fat is a proper temperature, bread, to be properly fried, will not require to be immersed in it for more than half a minute. Great care should be taken in flavouring puddings for children. Bought essences, as a rule, are objectionable, whilst flavourings may be easily and cheaply made at home by infusing lemon peel, almonds, or vanilla in spirit. A small quantity of either of these gives an agreeable flavour, and will be found harmless. The lemon peel and almonds, when the liquor is poured off, will retain some flavour, and will be useful for several culinary purposes.

It is often necessary to give farinaceous substances and eggs to invalids in the form of puddings, and yet to avoid sugar. In such cases, the five following recipes for savoury puddings will be found useful.

Savoury Rice Pudding.

Wash one ounce of the finest rice, put it in a pie dish with half a pint of beef-tea or any kind of broth. Bake until the rice is well cooked; it will take about an hour in a moderate oven. Boil a quarter of a pint of milk, pour it on to an egg lightly beaten, stir well together, and then mix with the rice. Season with salt, and, if allowed, Put the pudding into the pie dish, bake very slowly for an hour and a half, and

a little pepper.

serve.

Savoury Macaroni Pudding.

Break half an ounce of best Italian macaroni into half a pint of veal broth or weak beef-tea, and let it boil for an hour, or until well swelled and perfectly tender. Make a custard as for savoury rice

H

pudding, put it with the macaroni into a tart dish, season to taste, and bake gently for an hour and a half.

Savoury Bread Pudding.

Pour half a pint of beef-tea, boiling, over the crumb of a French roll. Beat well together, and let it soak for half an hour; then add two eggs beaten with a quarter of a pint of boiling milk. Season with pepper and salt, beat together for five minutes, put the pudding into a buttered tart dish, and bake rather quickly for three-quarters of an hour. If there is no objection, an onion, well boiled and beaten to a pulp, may be added to the pudding.

Brown Biscuit Pudding.

Soak a Blatchley's biscuit in half a pint of milk for an hour, then boil, stirring all the time, until it begins to get thick, sweeten to taste, and flavour with vanilla. Beat up the yolks of two eggs and the white of one. Mix them in the pudding, put it into a buttered basin, and steam for twenty minutes. Serve with vanilla sauce.