Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16
Table and Kitchen.
Ways of Cooking and Using Prunes.

Ways of Cooking and Using Prunes.
OF fruits which approach nearer to the
/ actual solid foods than others it is well 10
| consider the prune, it being fruit with
| positive nutritive value and deserving a
| favorable place on our list of provisions
| available to the greatest number Of people
| useful alike to those who must study the
strictest economy in providing wholesome
and palatable foods. and to those who, un-
| der no restrictions in regard to cost, may,
| while pleasing the taste. also obtain at the
| same time a very proper form of nourish-
| ment. Prunes-which are the dried fruit
| of a certain kind of puma sweeter varl-
| ETY. than the ordinary Dawson or Green
Gage plum-belong to that class or fruit
| known as food fruits. Dates, figs, raisins
and prunes-the 'stone fruits"-contain 90
| to 20 per cent of sugar, and are considered
| to surpass even the banana as a source of
| cheap nourishment Then, too, they have
| this advantage over the banana, they are
generally more agreeable to every one when
| they are cooked, and may be employed in a
| greater number of delightful combinations.
| Prunes and rice form delicious consort-
| ment, the rice furnishing the carbohy
| drates.
The laxative quality attributed to The or
binary prune is greatly overrated, as ii
does not contain qualities which cause il
| to be more laxative than other fruits. This
| idea probably had it's origin in the fact that
| a special kind of plum is grown in southern
| France, which is rather indigestible. and
| which forms, when dried, the medicinal
| prune.
| Prunes, grown. ripened and sun-dried in
| our favored western climate, are very
| sweet and very fine.
| They should be thoroughly stewed but
| slowly and at moderate heat, in order to
make them tender and develop the natural
sweetness; If the cooking is carefully and
| properly done the finest grade of prunes do
not require sugar added as additional
| Sweetenng.
| Prunes should be thoroughly yashed in
cold water and soaked over night in suffi-
| Gent lukewarm or cold water to cover them
well. allowing for their swelling to their
| original size when fresh.
| When the skins of cooked prunes are
| tough and hard they should be removed be-
| fore the fruit is given to children or deli
| cate persons, and in all cases they should
| be thoroughly masticated before swallowing
| them.
| Prunes which are cooked until they are
| plump sweet and luscious are not to be
| spurned by the most fastidous, who may
| have had the misfortune of first intro
duction to this branch of the plum family
| after 1t had been subjected to the not nm
usual shriveling, toughening process which
| has made them a byword and subject for
cheap witticismS.
| Prune Pudding.
| Stew until tender one pound Of prunes
| which have been soaked over night; when
| cooked add sufficient graduated sugar to
| sWeeten to taste. Remove the pits and cut
the prunes into small pieces. Beat the
| whites Of eight eggs to a froth and stir
| them in gradually into the cold prunes
beating all the time. Bake at once about
twenty minutes; Stir the pudding once
| while cooking. Serve with whipped cream
| This makes d large pudding.
| pr11pa Je11x pndd;,-
| Simmer gently large finely favored
prunes until tender, being careful to keep
the skins from breaking. Drain free from
| the syrup and place In a pretty glass dish.
Break up a mold of lemon jelly and place
in and about the prunes to give it the ap-
| pearance of having been made together.
| Whip one pint of cream stiff with half a
cup of powdered sugar, flavor with a teas
poonful of vanilla, pile over the pudding and
| set away to get very cold
Prune Loaf Pudding.
| Stew half a pound of prunes which have
| been well soaked until tender soak half a
| box of gelatine in cup of cold water.
| Strain the juice from the prunes; there
| should be two and a half cupfuls Pour
| this juice over the gelatine and half a cup
| of sugar. Add the prunes, together with
| the meats taken from the prune pits both
should be chopped fine, and the juice of
4
| been wet with cold water: set away to
| harden. Serve with whipped cream.
Prune Roll.
Add to one quart of sifted -four three
teaspoonfuls of baking powder and half
| teaspoonful of salt; sift these again, then
| rub in with the tips of the fingers two ia
| blespoonfuls of butter add sufficient milk
| to make soft dough. Roll out, and sprin-
| kle with one cup of prunes which have
been cooked until tender, and from which
the pits have been removed and the prlInes
cut into small pieces; dust with a little
| cinnamon. Roll up and steam for half an
hour Serve with hard sauce
Prune Cream Pie
| Stew gently sufficient prunes which have
| been soaked over night to make one cup
of pulp. Stone and mash the prunes through
| a colander Add to the pulp one cup of
| thin cream, thickened with a teaspoonful
| of cornstarch which has been made smooth
| with little cold milk add one-thfrd cup
| of sugar and the yolks of two well-beaten
| eggs A little lemon orange Juice may
| be added to favor and greatly improves
| the pie. Line a pie plate with pie crust
| fill with the prune mixture and bake as
quickly possible without burning. Beat
| the whites of the eggs stiff and stir in two
tablespoonful of powdered sugar, and
spread over the pie when taken from the
| oven; return to the oven and brown light
| ly. To be eaten cold or hot, as preferred.
Stuffed Prunes.
| Cover with cold water one pound of
prunes which have been carefully washed
allow them to soak Tor twelve hours
| Drain the prunes and save the water in
which they were soaked. Remove the pits
| from the fruit being careful not to spoil
| the shape of the prunes. Place an almond
which has been blanched and slightly
| roasted in the place from which the pit has
| been removed. Add to the prune water
| half a cup of sugar and a teaspoonful of
| vanilla Bring all to a boil boil for two
minutes skimming WE'LL add the prunes
| when the prunes soft lift carefully
| from the syrup and put aside to cool. If a
| creamy, clear syrup is desired, add one ia
| blespoonful of soaked gelatine to the hot
| prune juice.
| pr111 Cr,o