Roll out very thin and square some fine puff paste, lay it on a tin or copper oven-leaf, and cover it equally to within something less than an inch of the edge with peach or apricot jam; roll a second bit of paste to the same size, and lay it carefully over the other, having first moistened the edges with beaten egg, or water; press them together securely, that the preserve may not escape; pass a paste brush or small bunch of feathers dipped in water over the top, sift sugar thickly on it, then with the back of a knife, mark the paste into divisions of uniform size, bake it in a well-heated but not fierce oven for twenty minutes, or rather more, and cut it while it is still hot, where it is marked. The fanchonnettes should be about three inches in length and two in width. In order to lay the second crust over the preserve without disturbing it, wind it lightly round the pasteroller, and in untwisting it, let it fall gently over the other part.

This is not the form of pasty called by the French fanchonnettes.

Fine puff paste, 1 lb.; apricot or peach jam, 4 to 6 ozs.: baked 20 to 25 minutes.

CURRANT-JELLY TARTLETS, OR CUSTARDS.

Put four tablespoonsful of the best currant-jelly into a basin, and stir to it gradually twelve spoonsful of beaten egg; if the preserve be rich and sweet, no sugar will be required. Line some pans with paste rolled very thin, fill them with the custard, and bake them about ten minutes.*

RAMEKINS À L'UDE, OR SEFTON FANCIES.

Roll out, rather thin, from six to eight ounces of fine creamcrust, or feuilletage (see page 335); take nearly or quite half its weight of grated Parmesan, or something less of dry white English cheese; sprinkle it equally over the paste, fold it together, roll it out very lightly twice, and continue thus until the cheese and crust are well mixed. Cut the ramekins with a small paste-cutter; wash them with yolk of egg mixed with a little milk, and bake them about fifteen minutes. Serve them very hot.

Cream-crust, or feuilletage, 6 ozs.; Parmesan, 3 ozs.; or English cheese, 2 ozs.: 15 minutes.

Strawberry or raspberry jelly will answer admirably for these.

ALL the ingredients for puddings should be fresh and of good quality. It is a false economy to use for them such as have been too long stored, as the slightest degree of mustiness or taint in any one of the articles of which they are composed will spoil all that are combined with it. Eggs should always be broken separately into a cup before they are thrown together in the same basin, as a single very bad one will occasion the loss of many when this precaution is neglected. They should also be cleared from the specks with scrupulous attention, either with the point of a small three pronged fork, while they are in the cup, or by straining the whole through a fine hairsieve after they are beaten. The perfect sweetness of suet and milk should be especially attended to, before they are mixed into a pudding, as nothing can be more offensive than the first when it is over-kept, nor worse in its effect than the curdling of the milk, which is the certain result of its being ever so slightly soured.

Currants should be cleaned, and raisins stoned with exceeding care; almonds and spices very finely pounded; and the rinds of oranges or lemons rasped or grated lightly off, that the bitter part of the skin may be avoided, when they are used for this, or for any other class of dishes; if pared, they should be cut as thin as possible.

Custard puddings, to have a good appearance, must be simmered only, but without ceasing; for if boiled in a quick and careless manner, the surface, instead of being smooth and

velvety, will be full of holes, or honey-combed, as it is called, and the whey will flow from it and mingle with the sauce. A thickly-buttered sheet of writing-paper should be laid between the custard mixture and the cloth, before it is tied over, or the lid of the mould is closed upon it; and the mould itself, or the basin in which it is boiled, and which should always be quite full, must likewise be well buttered; and after it is lifted from the water the pudding should be left in it for quite five minutes before it is dished, to prevent its breaking or spreading about.

Batter is much lighter when boiled in a cloth, and allowed full room to swell, than when confined in a mould: it should be well beaten the instant before it is poured into it, and put into the water immediately after it is securely tied. The cloth should be moist and thickly floured, and the pudding should be sent to table as expeditiously as possible after it is done, as it will quickly become heavy. This applies equally to all puddings made with paste, which are rendered uneatable by any delay in serving them after they are ready: they should be opened a little at the top as soon as they are taken from the boiler or stewpan.

Plum-puddings, which it is now customary to boil in moulds, are both lighter and less dry, when closely tied in stout cloths well buttered and floured, especially when they are made in part with bread; but when this is done, care should be taken not to allow them to burn to the bottom of the pan in which they are cooked; and it is a good plan to lay a plate or dish under them, by way of precaution against this mischance: it will not then so much matter whether they be kept floating or not. It is thought better to mix these entirely (except the liquid portion of them) the day before they are boiled, and it is perhaps an advantage when they are of large size to do so, but it is not really necessary for small or common ones.

A very little salt improves all sweet puddings, by taking off the insipidity, and bringing out the full flavour of the other ingredients, but its presence should not be in the slightest degree perceptible. When brandy, wine, or lemon-juice is added to them it should be stirred in briskly, and by degrees, quite at last, as it would be likely otherwise to curdle the milk or eggs.

Many persons prefer their puddings steamed; but when this is not done, they should be dropped into plenty of boiling water, and be kept well covered with it until they are ready to serve; and the boiling should never be allowed to cease for an instant, for they soon become heavy if it be interrupted.

Pudding and dumpling cloths should not only be laid into plenty of water as soon as they are taken off, and washed afterwards, as we shall direct, but it is essential to their perfect sweetness that they should be well and quickly dried (in the open air if possible), then folded and kept in a clean drawer. We have known them left wet by a careless servant, until when brought forward for use, they were as offensive almost as meat that had been too long kept. To prevent their ever imparting an unpleasant flavour when used, they should be washed in a ley made as follows; but when from any circumstance this cannot be done, and soap is used for them, they should be rinsed, and soaked in abundance of water, which should be changed several times.

A LIE, OR LEY, FOR WASHING PUDDING-CLOTHS.

To a pint of wood ashes pour three quarts of boiling water, and either wash the cloths in the mixture without straining it, or give them two or three minutes boil in it first, then let the whole cool together; wash the cloths perfectly clean, and rinse them in abundance of water, changing it several times: this both takes the grease off, and renders them very sweet. Two ounces of soda dissolved in a gallon of water will answer almost as well, provided the rinsing afterwards be carefully attended to.

TO CLEAN CURRANTS FOR PUDDINGS OR CAKES.

Put them into a cullender, strew a handful of flour over them, and rub them with the hands to separate the lumps, and to detach the stalks; work them round in the cullender, and shake it well, when the small stalks and stones will fall through it. Next pour plenty of cold water over the currants, drain, and spread them on a soft cloth, press it over them to absorb the moisture, and then lay them on a very clean oven-tin, or a large dish, and dry them very gradually (or they will become hard), either in a cool oven, or before the fire, taking care in the latter case that they are not placed sufficiently near it for the ashes to fall amongst them. When they are perfectly dry, clear them entirely from the remaining stalks, and from every stone that may be amongst them. The best mode of detecting these is to lay the fruit at the far end of a large white dish, or sheet of paper, and to pass it lightly, and in very small portions, with the fingers, towards oneself, examining it closely as this

is done.

TO MIX BATTER FOR PUDDINGS.

Put the flour and salt into a bowl, and stir them together;

whisk the eggs thoroughly, strain them through a fine hair-sieve, and add them very gradually to the flour; for if too much liquid be poured to it at once it will be full of lumps, and it is easy, with care, to keep the batter perfectly smooth. Beat it well, and lightly with the back of a strong wooden spoon, and after the eggs are added thin it with milk to a proper consistency. The whites of the eggs beaten separately to a solid froth, and stirred gently into the mixture the instant before it is tied up for boiling, or before it is put into the oven to be baked, will render it remarkably light. When fruit is added to the batter, it must be made thicker than when it is served plain, or it will sink to the bottom of the pudding. Batter should never stick to the knife when it is sent to table; it will do this both when a sufficient number of eggs are not mixed with it, and when it is not enough cooked. About four eggs to the half pound of flour will make it firm enough to cut smoothly.

SUET-CRUST, FOR MEAT OR FRUIT PUDDINGS.

Clear off the skin from some fresh beef kidney-suet, and with a sharp knife slice it thin, free it entirely from fibre, and inince it very fine: six ounces thus prepared will be found quite sufficient for a pound of flour. Mix them well together, add half a teaspoonful of salt for meat puddings, and a third as much for fruit ones, and sufficient cold water to make the whole into a very firm paste; work it smooth, and roll it out of equal thickness when it is used. The weight of suet should be taken after it is minced. This crust is so much lighter, and more wholesome than that which is made with butter, that we cannot refrain from recommending it in preference to our readers. Some cooks merely slice the suet in thin shavings, mix it with the flour, and beat the crust with a paste roller, until the flour and suet are perfectly incorporated.

Flour, 2 lbs.; suet, 12 ozs.; salt, 1 teaspoonful; water, 1 pint.

BUTTER CRUST FOR PUDDINGS.

When suet is disliked for crust, butter must supply its place, but there must be no intermixture of lard in paste which is to be boiled. Eight ounces to the pound of flour will render it sufficiently rich for most eaters, and less will generally be preferred; rich crust of this kind being more indigestible by far than that which is baked. The butter may be lightly broken into the flour before the water is added, or it may be laid on, and rolled into the paste as for puff-crust. A small portion of salt must