571. +Fruit Custard (with Cake).+-- Cut some sponge cakes several days old into square pieces; drain off the liquor from a can of peaches; dip each piece of cake into the liquor and lay them in a glass dish; lay the peaches between and pour a cold custard over; spread over the top the whites of 3 or 4 eggs beaten to a stiff froth, sprinkle over a little sugar and serve. Any kind of stale cake may be used up in this way.
572. +Tutti Frutti Custard.+-- Cut any kind of stale cake into small pieces; put a layer of cornstarch custard into a buttered pudding dish, then a layer of cake; sprinkle over the cake some finely cut citron, raisins and currants; continue in this way until 2 layers of cake and 2 of custard are in the dish; cover the top with a meringue made of the whites of 3 eggs beaten to a stiff froth, add a little powdered sugar and bake in the oven for a few minutes, till meringue is a light brown, and serve. The raisins, currants and citron should be boiled for 15 minutes in a little water before adding them.
573. +Apple Custard Pudding.+-- Pare and core 6 large pippin or greening apples, place them in a long pan with 1 quart boiling water, cover with another pan of same size and stew from 5 to 8 minutes, or until a straw will penetrate through them easily; do not allow them to break; then remove the apples carefully to a pudding dish and put 1 teaspoonful currant jelly into each apple; stir 5 eggs with 4 tablespoonfuls sugar to a cream and add 1 teaspoonful lemon extract and 1 quart milk; pour this over the apples and bake till custard is firm; serve cold in the same dish in which it has been baked.
574. +Peach Meringue.+-- Boil 3 cups milk with a pinch of salt, ½ tablespoonful butter and 4 tablespoonfuls sugar; mix 2 tablespoonfuls cornstarch with 1 cup milk, stir it into the boiling milk and continue boiling for a few minutes; then remove from fire and set aside; when cold mix it with the yolks of 4 eggs and 1 teaspoonful lemon extract; pare and cut into halves 8 or 10 large, ripe peaches, lay them in a well buttered pudding dish and sprinkle 3 tablespoonfuls sugar over; pour over the cornstarch and bake 20 minutes; draw the dish to front of oven; have the whites beaten to a stiff froth, spread them over the top, sprinkle a little sugar over and bake for 5 minutes longer; serve when warm with fruit sauce and when cold with cream or vanilla sauce. Cherries and pineapples may be used the same way.