8 sponge cakes, 3 large bars of chocolate, 1/4 pint of cream, white of 1 egg, 3 inches of stick vanilla, 3 oz. of almonds blanched and chopped, 2 oz. of ratafia, 1/2 pint of milk. Break the sponge cakes into pieces, boil the milk and pour it over them; mash them well up with a spoon. Dissolve half the chocolate in a saucepan with 2 tablespoonfuls of water, and flavour it with 1 inch of the vanilla, split; when the chocolate is quite dissolved remove the vanilla. Have ready a wetted mould, put into it a layer of sponge cake, next spread some of the dissolved chocolate, sprinkle with almonds and ratafias, repeat until you finish with a layer of sponge cake. Grate the rest of the chocolate, whip the cream with the whites of eggs, vanilla, and 1 teaspoonful of sifted sugar; sift the chocolate into the whipped cream. Turn the sponge cake mould into a glass dish, spread the chocolate cream over it evenly, and decorate it with almonds. CHRISTMAS PUDDING (1). 1 lb. raisins (stoned), 1 lb. chopped apples, 1 lb. currants, 1 lb. breadcrumbs, 1/2 lb. mixed peel, chopped fine, 1 lb. shelled and ground Brazil nuts, 1/2 lb. chopped sweet almonds, 1 oz. bitter almonds (ground), 1 lb. sugar, 1/2 lb. butter, 1/2 oz. mixed spice, 6 eggs. Wash, pick, and dry the fruit, rub the butter into the breadcrumbs, beat up the eggs, and mix all the ingredients together; if the mixture is too dry, add a little milk. Fill some greased basins with the mixture, and boil the puddings from 8 to 12 hours. CHRISTMAS PUDDING (2). 12 oz. breadcrumbs, 1/2 lb. currants, 1/2 lb. raisins, 1/2 lb. sweet almonds, 1 doz. bitter almonds, 3/4 lb. moist sugar, 3 oz. of butter, 2 oz. candied peel, 8 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of spice, and 1 teacupful of apple sauce. Rub the butter into the breadcrumbs, wash, pick, and dry the fruit, stone the raisins, chop or grind the almonds, beat up the eggs, mixing all well together, at the last stir in the apple sauce. Boil the pudding in a buttered mould for 8 hours, and serve with white sauce. CHRISTMAS PUDDING (3). 1 lb. each of raisins, currants, sultanas, chopped apples, and Brazil nut kernels; 1/2 lb. each of moist sugar, wholemeal breadcrumbs, Allinson fine wheatmeal, and sweet almonds and butter; 1/4 lb. of mixed peel, 1/2 oz. of mixed spice, 6 eggs, and some milk. Wash and pick the currants and sultanas; wash and stone the raisins; chop fine the nut kernels, blanch and chop fine the almonds, and cut up fine the mixed peel. Rub the butter into the meal and breadcrumbs. First mix all the dry ingredients, then beat well the eggs and add them. Pour as much milk as is necessary to moisten the mixture sufficiently to work it with a wooden spoon. Have ready buttered pudding basins, nearly fill them with the mixture, cover with pieces of buttered paper, tie pudding cloths over the basins, and boil for 12 hours. CHRISTMAS PUDDING (4).