Part 49

=Baked Custard.=—Proceed as in boiled custard, but instead of pouring into a double boiler pour into a baking dish. Set the dish in a pan of water, place in the oven and bake until the mixture is set in the middle.

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=Farinaceous Custards.=—Make like boiled custard, using one less egg and adding one quarter cup of farina, tapioca, cornstarch, arrowroot, or cooked rice to the hot milk and egg.

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=Sago= should be soaked over night before using.

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=Tapioca= should be soaked one hour before using.

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=Coffee Custard.=—Scald one tablespoon of ground coffee in milk and strain before proceeding as for boiled custard.

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=Chocolate Custard.=—Add one square of grated chocolate to the milk.

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=Caramel Custard.=—Melt the dry sugar until golden brown, add the hot milk, and when dissolved proceed as before. Bake.

=GRUELS.=—Gruels are a mixture of grain or flour with either milk or water. They require long cooking and may be flavored with sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, or almond.

Take the meal or flour (oatmeal, two tablespoons, or cornmeal, one tablespoon, or arrowroot, one and a half tablespoons). Sift it slowly into one and a half cups boiling water, simmer for an hour or two. Strain off the liquid; add to it one teaspoon of sugar, season with salt, and add one cup of warm milk.

=Water Gruel.=—If water gruel is desired, let the last cup of liquid added be water instead of milk.

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=Cream Gruel.=—A cream gruel may be made by using rich cream instead of milk or water.

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=Barley Gruel.=—Barley gruel (usually a water gruel) is prepared as follows: Moisten four tablespoons of barley flour in a little cold water and add it slowly to the boiling water. Stir and boil for twenty minutes.

=TOASTS.=—=Cream Toast.=—Toast the bread slowly until brown on both sides. Butter and pour over each slice enough warm cream to moisten (the cream may be thickened slightly and the butter may be omitted.)

=Milk Toast.=—One tablespoon of cornstarch or flour; one cup of milk, salt to taste, and boil. Butter the toast and pour over it the above white sauce.

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=Water Toast.=—Pour over plain or buttered toast enough boiling water to thoroughly moisten it.

=SOUFFLES OF FRUIT, ETC.=—The distinguishing feature of a souffle is a pastry or pulpy foundation mixture, and the addition of stiffly beaten egg-white. A souffle may or may not be baked.

=Plain Souffle.=—Two tablespoons flour; one cup of liquid (water, milk, or fruit juice); three or four eggs; sugar to suit the fruit. If thick fruit pulp is used, omit the thickening. Beat the egg yolks until thick. Add sugar gradually and continue beating. Add the fruit (if lemon juice add some rind also). Fold in the well-beaten whites. Bake in a buttered dish (set in a pan of hot water) for thirty-five or forty minutes in a slow oven.

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=Fresh Fruit Souffle.=—Reduce the fruit to a pulp. Strawberries, peaches, prunes, apples, bananas, etc., may be used. Sweeten the pulp. Beat the egg-white to a stiff froth, add the fruit pulp slowly. Chill and serve with whipped cream or soft custard.