Mrs Beetons Recipes for Bread Puddings

Ingredients:
8 ozs. of stale bread,
4 ozs. of raisins or currants, cleaned and picked,
2 ozs. of finely chopped suet,
2 ozs. of sugar,
1 egg,
a little milk,
a good pinch of nutmeg.

Method:
Break the bread into small pieces, cover them with cold water, soak for 30 minutes, then strain and squeeze dry. Beat out all the lumps with a fork, and stir in the sugar, suet, raisins, nutmeg and mix well. Add the egg, previously beaten, and as much milk as is necessary to make the mixture moist enough to drop readily from the spoon. Pour into a greased piedish and bake gently for 1 hour. When done, turn out on to a hot dish, and dredge well with sugar.

Time: 1 and 3/4 hours to 2 hours.

Serves: 5 or 6 people.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of stale bread,
6 ozs. of raisins or currants, cleaned and picked,
3 ozs. of finely chopped suet,
3 ozs. of sugar,
2 ozs. of peel,
1 egg,
1/4 pint of milk,
a good pinch of nutmeg.

Method:
Break the bread into small pieces, cover them with cold water, soak for 30 minutes, then strain and squeeze dry. Beat out all the lumps with a fork, add the raisins, suet, sugar, peel and nutmeg, and mix well. Beat the egg, add it to the milk, and stir into the rest of the ingredients. Put into a greased basin, and steam or boil for 2 hours. Serve with a sweet sauce if liked.

Time: About 3 hours.

Serves: 5 or 6 persons.

Ingredients:
5 or 6 thin slices of bread and butter,
1 pint of milk,
2 eggs,
1 desertspoonful of sugar,
sultanas,
currants or candied lemon, if liked.

Method:
Cut off the crust and divide each slice of bread into 4 squares, arrange them in layers in a well buttered piedish, and sprinkle each layer with sultanas or whatever is being used. Beat the eggs, cover the bread, which should only half fill the dish. Let it stand at least 1 hour for the bread to soak, then bake in a moderately cool oven for nearly 1 hour.

Time: 2 and a quarter hours.

Serves: for 4 or 5 persons.

Ingredients:
5 or 6 thin slices of bread and butter,
3/4 of a pint of milk,
2 eggs,
1 desertspoonful of sugar,
sultanas,
currants or candied lemon, if liked.

Method:
Butter a pudding basin, sprinkle it with currants, or chopped peel, or arrange raisins or sultanas in some simple design on the bottom and sides of the basin. Cut each slice of bread into 4 pieces, place them in layers, each layer being sprinkled with fruit and a little finely chopped candied peel. Beat the eggs, add the milk and the sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved, then pour slowly over the bread, etc. Let it stand at least 1 hour, if convenient for 2 hours, before being cooked. Cover the top with a greased paper, and steam slowly for about 1 hour. Serve with a sweet sauce or fruit syrup.

Time: about 20 minutes.

Serves: for 4 or 5 persons.