USING UP BREAD SCRAPS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 474, 23 July 1948, Page 22

USING UP BREAD SCRAPS

/ OME of these suggestions for using up scraps of bread may be new and helpful to some people, and perhaps some Links in the Daisy Chain may be able to send us in some further ideas. We are all aware of the necessity for avoiding waste, and so don’t take extra bread for the sake of making puddings, but save up all the scraps till you have enough; and don’t forget stuffings for ‘meat and fish. These make the meat go much further, besides beirfg very tasty. When the oven is in use, fill up odd corners with scraps of bread to crisp them; then put them through the mincer and keep them crisp in jam-jars. They are very useful for coating fish-cakes or rissoles or frying fish or chops, as well as. using thern in scalloped dishes, though most people prefer soft crumbs for these. Scalloped Dishes Make a good white sauce, flavoured with chopped parsley, and grated onion or chopped chives-and sometimes curry powder, if liked-and into it put flakedup cooked fish (fresh or smoked) or chopped up rabbit or meat or poultryany left-over pieces; or oysters. Line a greased pie-dish with stale breadcrumbs, fill up the dish with the creamed mixture, put another layer of breadcrumbs on top and dot with little knobs of butter and if liked, grated cheese. . These scalloped dishes are very tasty, use up many small scraps of meat and fish, and if baked brown and served hot with a green vegetable and jacket potatoes make a really good dinner. Finish with coffee and raw fruit. Bread Plum Pudding Soak stalé breadcrumbs in sufficient hot milk to be all absorbed-about 3 cipfuls. Beat up with a fork till smooth and soft and free from lumps. Add a good tablespoon~ of warmed golden syrup, a tablespoon of sugar (brown is nice), 2 cupfuls of mixed fruit, including some chopped dates, a good sprinkle of nutmeg and spices as desired, about 2 tablespoons of warmed butter, essence of lemon to taste and. lastly 4% teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a little cold water. Have the mixture moderately ’ wet-not stodgy; and steam in a greased basin for 14% to 2 hours. Serve with a custard sauce. | Baked Bread Custard Soak 2 large cups of stale bread pieces in a quart of hot milk until soft, and mash up finely. A tablespoon of cocoa heated with the milk makes a fine chocolate flavour; or if a spice pudding is preferred, sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¥% teaspoon each of ground cloves and nutmeg over the soaking bread. By soaking the bread and spices together a better flavour is obtained. Beat up 2 or 3 eggs, add %% cup sugar and a little vanilla or lemon essence if liked, and stir into the beaten bread. Bake in an uncovered pie-dish in a moderate, oven, about 1 hour, It

is a good idea to stand such custard puddings in an outer tin of hot waterto prevent the custard from boiling and curdling. Half a cup of coconut may be added, or raisins, or chopped nuts, or dates. m Savoury Bread Patties These make delicious savouries for a bridge-party.. Have thick slices of stale bread; cut into rounds with a cutter, and hollow out the centres with a sharp knife. Dip them into hot milk, then into crisp baked breadcrumbs, and fry them golden-brown in butter or good unflavoured fat. Fill with any hot tasty mixture, such as chopped crayfish or smoked fish in white sauce with a scraping of onion; minced ham with mustard in white sauce and chopped chives; or Ylb. of cut-up packet-cheese melted together with a tin of sweetened condensed milk and seasoned with mustard, pepper and salt. Use a double saucepan for this and beat it very smooth. . Queen of Puddings This one came to me from New York. Scald a quart of milk and put in 2 cups of soft breadcrumbs. Beat up 2 eggs and 2 extra yolks, add 5 tablespoons of sugar and % teaspoon salt, and mix well; then add this to the bread and milk with 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and % cup of melted butter (or margarine). Blend all well. Bake in greased dish or individual cups, set 2 a pan of hot water, in moderate oven (350 degrees) for about % hour or until a silver knife comes out clean, Then spread the’ pudding with strawberry or raspberry jam, and top with meringue made with the 2 extra egg-whites beaten up with 4 tablespoons sugar. Return to oven to bake the meringue a delicate brown. May be served hot or cold. Chocolate Crumb Pudding Melt 4% cup of butter or margarine in @ saucepan, add % cup of brown sugar, and heat all together, stirring until tmeited. Add this, gradually, to 2 cups of scalding hot milk in another saucepan. Stir. till all is dissolved, then add 2 cups of cold milk, and add the whole, slowly and stirring, to 2 beaten eggs in a large basin. Now add 2 large cups of soft breadcrumbs, not too small, a teaspoon of vanilla, and about 4oz. of cooking chocolate chopped into pieces. Bake in a large casserole or pie-dish, set in a pan of hot water, about 1% hours, moderate oven. Serve hot or cold. Lemon Bread Pudding Scald 14% cups of milk, cool it a little. Beat up 1 egg, add the milk, % cup sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, a pinch of salt, 2 good tablespoons of lemonsjuice and 1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind, and pour this over coarselygrated stale bread-about 112 breakfast! cups. Combine all thoroughly and bake in individual custard cups set in a pan of hot water; moderate oven, about an hour. ; :