A Bread Pudding

Instructions

1. Sweeten a pint of new milk with three ounces of fine sugar, throw in a few grains of salt, and pour it boiling on half a pound of fine and lightly-grated bread-crumbs.
2. Add an ounce of fresh butter, and cover them with a plate; let them remain for half an hour or more.
3. Then stir to them four large well-whisked eggs, and a flavouring of nutmeg or of lemon-rind.
4. Pour the mixture into a thickly-buttered mould or basin, which holds a pint and a half, and which ought to be quite full.
5. Tie a paper and a cloth tightly over, and boil the pudding for exactly an hour and ten minutes.
6. This is quite a plain receipt; by omitting two ounces of the bread, and adding more butter, one egg, a small glass of brandy, the grated rind of a lemon, and as much sugar as will sweeten the whole richly, a very excellent pudding will be obtained. Candied orange-peel also has a good effect when sliced thinly into it, and half a pound of currants is generally considered a further improvement.
7. Proportions: New milk, 1 pint; sugar, 3 oz.; salt, few grains; bread-crumbs, 1/2 lb.; eggs, 4 (5, if very small); nutmeg or lemon-rind at pleasure: 1 hour and 10 minutes.
8. Proportions for the richer pudding: Or: milk, 1 pint; bread-crumbs, 6 oz.; butter, 2 to 3 oz.; sugar, 4 oz.; eggs, 5; brandy, small glassful; rind, 1 lemon. Further additions at choice: candied peel, 1-1/2 oz.; currants, 1/2 lb.