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Last Day: Pudding

No. 198-RUSH STREET CHRISTMAS PUDDING.

One and a half pounds seeded raisins, half a pound currants, half a pound candied peel, three-quarters of a pound bread crumbs, three-quarters of a pound suet, eight eggs, one wine-glassful brandy. Mix the dry ingredients together first, very thoroughly; then add the beaten eggs, then the brandy; tie tightly in a floured cloth or press hard into a buttered mould. Boil five or six hours the day before it is to be eaten, then, if in a bag, hang it up until all the water has drained off. The next day boil for two hours longer and serve with wine sauce.

No. 199-EVE'S PUDDING.

One heaping cup bread crumbs, half a pound pared and chopped apples, half a pound seeded and chopped raisins, six ounces currants, six eggs, one teaspoonful nutmeg, one of allspice, one of salt, one cup sugar, one glass brandy, half a pound suet, chopped to powder. "Here are some recipes for simple rice puddings that I don't think I have given you yet."

No. 200-OUR OWN PUDDING.

Two teacups uncooked rice, one quart milk, two eggs, one half cup sugar, raisins if you wish. If made with boiled rice the eggs may be left out.

No. 201-UNION PARK RICE PUDDING.

One and a half teacups boiled rice, one half pint milk, a saltspoonful salt, one-half cup sugar, yolks of three eggs. Bake only until "set." Beat the whites of the eggs to a froth, season with lemon, return to the oven and brown. To be eaten cold. "Then here are a few others," said Aunt Jane, "that I picked out as being especially good, which I want to give you before we close."

No. 202-NORTH-SIDE CORN BREAD.

One cup meal, half a cup flour, one of sour milk, one tablespoonful melted butter, one of sugar, one teaspoonful soda, two eggs.

No. 203-PASTE FOR TARTS.

One and a quarter pounds butter, one and a half do. flour, a quarter of a pound of granulated sugar; rub all the butter into the flour and make into a paste with cold milk and one teaspoonful brandy.

No. 204-SUGAR CANDY.

Six cups of sugar, one of vinegar, one of water. One tablespoonful butter, put in at the last with one teaspoonful saleratus dissolved in hot water. Flavor to taste, and boil without stirring half an hour, or until it crisps in cold water.

No. 205-COFFEE CAKE.

Two cups sugar, one of butter, one of molasses, one of strong-made coffee, four of flour, one teaspoonful cloves, one nutmeg, one pound of fruit, three quarters of a teaspoonful soda, one and a third do. cream tartar, one egg.

No. 206-COCOANUT DROPS.

One pound desiccated cocoanut, one pound fine sugar, the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Add the sugar to the eggs, then the cocoanut, and bake on buttered paper. No. 207-SODA BISCUIT.

One pound flour, two ounces butter, one ounce lard, one and a half tumblerfuls sweet milk, one even teaspoonful soda, and three of cream tartar. Sift the soda and cream tartar with the flour and mix well; rub the butter very fine through the flour, stir in the milk, then work lightly into shape on a floured board, roll about half an inch thick, cut, lay in buttered pans and bake in a quick This may, for variety, be cut into strips an inch wide and as long as the pan will allow. oven. "Now, girls," said Aunt Jane, "we must stop. It's such fascinating work to talk over these nice recipes that we are rather apt to let them steal away our time. This is the day for deciding what we shall get ready for the good-by tea-party for our three families and some other friends that mamma Vernon is going to invite in our honor. First, as to the drinks, we will have tea, coffee and chocolate. Now, what is there in the way of bread that we can give them?" "Tea biscuit, Virginia wafers, company tea cake, Sally Lunns, breakfast puffs," said Grace, consulting her list. "I think we'll leave off those last two and have plenty of the others. Now, we may as well assign to each what she is going to make. Grace may take the biscuit and wafers, Rose some baking-powder biscuit, and Edith the tea cake. What sweet cake shall we have?" "Dover cake with fruit in," cried out two or three at once, remembering the birthday. "Then we must make it to-day, for it never ought to be eaten less than two days old. But we want something beside that rich fruit cake." "Chocolate cake," "sponge cake," "macaroons," "jelly cake," these all at once and in a variety of voices. "That's enough; don't drive me wild. Sister told me to let you make all that you possible could, so we'll try to get them all in. Everybody can help Grace with the fruit cake, Amy can make very nice sponge cake, Jessie jelly cake, Rose chocolate, and Edith macaroons." "And what shall I do?" inquired Mabel. "Make us some of the best wine jelly you ever tasted. And as the weather is very warm just now, we musn't put quite so much water to it, or it won't 'stand." "What is nice to go with the jelly, Aunt Jane?" "Soft custard or whipped cream; the cream is rather more attractive, I think. We'll see who has the most time left for it. As we want the greatest possible variety, there is one more thing that would look very pretty on the table with the jelly-chocolate meringue." "Oh, do let's have it," exclaimed the children. "So we will, and now I think our list of dainties is full enough. We'll make the fruit cake to-day, the others to-morrow, except the sponge, which must be made the same morning; the jelly to-morrow, and the whipped cream and meringue the next day, so as to have them nice and fresh. All kinds of biscuit and tea cake, of course, must be made the day they are eaten."

I wish I could tell you of the fun they all had in preparing this feast of good things, and the well-deserved compliments that were paid them by every one who joined in the repast. But as my efforts have been limited to giving my little readers some account of their cooking lessons, I must not transgress bounds by describing any thing outside. You can imagine for yourselves that it was a proud and happy day for the mothers and fathers of our little friends when they had such convincing proof of their children's progress as was afforded by the excellent supper prepared by them, and that the young people themselves, when they shall put in practice in future years the lessons of that happy time, will always look back with pleasure and gratification to the summer in which they were members of Aunt Jane's Cooking Class. AFTERTHOUGHT.

I am told that prefaces are out of fashion; but as I have something to say,-not to my readers, exactly, but to their mothers and aunts, I have begged permission to introduce it here. This little volume does not profess to be a complete handbook of cookery, and many topics relating to that delightful art are left untouched. My object is only to excite such an interest in the pursuit of it as may induce little people of ten or twelve years old to make some playful attempts at a beginning, with the hope that in future years they may be inclined to follow it up in serious earnest.

A word as to the recipes, which have all been thoroughly tested. Some of them are taken from those precious old manuscript books which we all remember as the unfailing storehouses of good things; others have been contributed by the kindness of friends at whose tables I have enjoyed the dishes they represent; and for such as are due to neither of these sources, I am indebted principally to Mrs. Miller's charming work, "In the Kitchen," and Marion Harland's admirable manual, entitled "Common Sense in the Household." With these acknowledgments, which my conscience will not allow me to withhold, I take my leave.

THE AUTHOR.

INDEX.

PAGE.

BISCUIT, TEA-CAKES, ETC. BREAKFAST DISHES.