nutes, then spread on a plate and allowed to
stand in a dry place for several days. When thoroughly dried place in
glass jars and stand aside until required. Currants or raisins should
always be well floured before adding to cake or pudding. The "German
hausfrau" usually serves stewed prunes or raisins with a dish of
noodles or macaroni.

RICE PUDDING

One of the simplest and cheapest of desserts depends partly on the
quality of the ingredients used, but chiefly on the manner of making
for its excellence. If prepared according to directions, you will have
a pudding both rich and creamy. Use 1 quart of good sweet milk (do not
use either skimmed milk or water), 3 tablespoonfuls of whole uncoated
rice (no more), 2-1/2 tablespoonfuls of sugar, pinch of salt, vanilla
or almond flavoring.

Wash the rice well, mix all together in a pudding dish, bake from
2-1/2 to 3 hours in an oven with a slow, even heat. When a skin forms
on the top of the pudding, carefully stir through the rice. Do this
frequently. This gives the pudding a rich, creamy consistency. When
grains of rice are tender allow pudding to brown over top and serve
either hot or cold. Raisins may be added, if liked, or raisins may be
stewed separately and served with the rice, which many think a great
improvement to the pudding. Many think rice pudding should always be
flavored with grated nutmeg. Aunt Sarah, while using nutmeg flavoring
in various other dishes, never used it for her rice pudding.

When mixing a boiled pudding Aunt Sarah frequently substituted a large
tablespoon of fine dried bread crumbs instead of the same amount of
flour. She said, "'Twas a small economy," and, she thought, "the
pudding's improved" by the use of bread crumbs.

FRAU SCHMIDT'S APPLE DUMPLINGS

Prepare a syrup of 1 cup sugar, 2 cups of hot water and 1 tablespoon
of butter. Pour all into an agate pudding dish. Add to this syrup 2
heaping cups of pared, sliced sour apples.

Let all come to a boil. For the dumplings, sift together one cup of
flour and two even teaspoons of baking powder. Add a pinch of salt.
Mix into a soft dough or batter with about 3/4 cup of sweet milk or
cream. Drop six or eight spoonfuls of this batter into the boiling
syrup on top of apples. Cover closely and cook on top of range twenty
minutes without uncovering. Serve hot. These dumplings should be light
as puff balls. Peaches may be substituted for apples and are
delicious.

CARAMEL CUSTARD (AS