For beef and mutton the seasonings are salt, pepper, allspice, a few sweet herbs powdered, with the addition, if approved, of a little ketchup; the mince must be warmed in strong well-thickened beef gravy.

If the mince is of fish, season with anchovy sauce, nutmeg, lemon-peel, pepper and salt; warm it, in a sauce prepared with butter, flour, and milk or cream, worked together smoothly and stirred till it thickens; the mince is then simmered in it for a few minutes, till hot; the seasonings may be put with the sauces, instead of with the mince.

CHAPTER VII.

Sweet Dishes, Puddings, Cakes, &c.

GENERAL REMARKS.

The freshness of all ingredients for puddings is of great importance.

Dried fruits should be carefully picked, and sometimes washed and should then be dried.  Rice, sago, and all kinds of seed should be soaked and well washed before they are mixed into puddings.

Half an hour should be allowed for boiling a bread pudding in a half pint basin, and so on in proportion.

All puddings of the custard kind require gentle boiling, and when baked must be set in a moderate oven.  By whisking to a solid froth the whites of the eggs used for any pudding, and stirring them into it at the moment of placing it in the oven, it will become exceedingly light and rise high in the dish.

All baked puddings should be baked in tin moulds in the form of a deep pie dish, but slightly fluted, it should be well greased by pouring into it a little warmed butter, and then turned upside down for a second, to drain away the superfluous butter; then sprinkle, equally all over, sifted white sugar, or dried crumbs of bread, then pour the pudding mixture into the mould; it should, when served, be turned out of the mould, when it will look rich and brown, and have the appearance of a cake.

To ensure the lightness of cakes, it is necessary to have all the ingredients placed for an hour or more before the fire, that they may all be warm and of equal temperature; without this precaution, cakes will be heavy even when the best ingredients are employed.  Great care and experience are required in the management of the oven; to ascertain when a cake is sufficiently baked, plunge a knife into it, draw it instantly away, when, if the blade is sticky, return the cake to the oven; if, on the contrary, it appears unsoiled the cake is ready.

The lightness of cakes depends upon the ingredients being beaten well together.  All stiff cakes may be beaten with the hand, but pound cakes, sponge, &c., should be beaten with a whisk or spoon.

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BOLA D’AMOR.