Fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries, chopped peaches, currants, cherries, or shredded oranges are equally as good as the marmalade or jelly for the top dressing, and may be used to vary this pudding in a number of different ways.  Canned fruits, if well drained from juice, especially apricots and peaches, are excellent for this purpose.  A cocoanut custard pudding may be made of the above by flavoring the milk before using, with two tablespoonfuls of desiccated cocoanut Another variety still may be made by adding to the first recipe half a cup of Zante currants and the same of seedless raisins, or a half cup of finely shredded, tender citron.

BREAD AND FIG PUDDING.—­Put together two cups of finely grated bread crumbs, two cups of milk, one cup of finely chopped figs previously steamed or cooked, one fourth cup of sugar, and lastly, two well-beaten eggs.  Bake in a moderate oven till the custard is set.

BREAD AND APRICOT PUDDING.—­Fill a pudding dish with alternate layers of bread crumbs and canned apricots well drained from juice.  Pour over it a custard made with two eggs, one half cup of sugar, and a pint of milk.  Bake one half hour, or only until the custard is set.  Canned peaches, to which a teaspoonful of lemon juice has been added after draining, may be used in place of apricots.

CARAMEL CUSTARD.—­Turn one fourth of a cup of sugar into a stewpan, and stir it over the fire until it becomes liquid and brown.  Scald a cup and a half of milk, and add the browned sugar.  Beat two eggs thoroughly, add to them one half cup cold milk, and turn the mixture slowly, stirring constantly that no lumps form, into the scalding milk; continue to stir until the custard thickens.  Set away to cool, and serve in glasses.

CARROT PUDDING.—­Take two cups of carrots, boiled tender and rubbed through a colander, one pint of milk, two thirds of a cup of sugar, and two well beaten eggs.  Flavor with vanilla, and having beaten all well together, turn into an earthen pudding dish, set the dish in a pan of hot water, and place in the oven.  Bake only till the custard sets.

COCOANUT CORNSTARCH PUDDING.—­Simmer a cupful of grated cocoanut in a quart of milk for twenty minutes.  Strain the milk to remove the cocoanut, adding enough more milk to make a full quart.  With a small portion of it braid smoothly one and one half tablespoonfuls of cornstarch or rice flour, and put the remainder in a saucepan over the fire.  When the milk is boiling, add the cornstarch, stirring constantly until it thickens; then remove from the fire and cool.  Next add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and two well-beaten eggs.  Bake in a moderate oven, in a dish set in a pan of hot water, until the custard is well set.

COCOANUT CUSTARD.—­Flavor a pint of milk with cocoanut, add a tablespoonful of sugar and two well-beaten eggs, and boil till set in a double boiler or a bowl set in a dish of boiling water.  Richer custards may be made by using three or four eggs, but the richer the custard the more likely it is to curdle and become watery, as well as being less wholesome.