You can boil puddings in a bowl, a mould, or a cloth. The mould should
have a closely-fitting top, and be buttered well—top and all—before the
batter or dough is put in. These moulds are usually made with hasps or
other fastening. In lack of this, you had better tie down the cover
securely. I once boiled a pudding in a tin pail, the top of which I
made more secure by fitting it over a cloth floured on the inside, lest
the pudding should stick. The experiment succeeded admirably, and I
commend the suggestion to those who find, after the pudding is mixed,
that their mould leaks, or the bowl that did duty as a substitute has
been broken, and nothing said to “the mistress” about it. If you use
a bowl, butter it, and tie a floured cloth tightly over the top. If a
cloth, have it clean and sweet, and flour bountifully on the inside. In
all, leave room for batter, bread, rice, and cracker puddings to swell.
Tie the string very tightly about the mouth of the bag, which must be
made with _felled_ seams at sides and bottom, the better to exclude the
water.
The water must be boiling when the pudding goes in, and not stop
boiling for one instant until it is done. If it is in a bag, this
must be turned several times, _under water_, to prevent sticking or
scorching to the sides of the pot. The bag must also be entirely
covered, while the water should not quite reach to the top of a mould.
If you use a basin, dip the cloth in boiling water before dredging with
flour on the inside.
When the time is up, take mould, basin, or cloth from the boiling pot,
and plunge _instantly_ into cold water; then turn out without the loss
of a second. This will prevent sticking, and leave a clearer impression
of the mould upon the contents.
Boiled puddings should be served as soon as they are done, as they soon
become heavy.
Many of the baked puddings I have described are quite as good boiled.
As a safe rule, _double the time of baking if you boil_.