Browning Chief

Nourishing Desserts
Build Family Health
Just as Other Foods

Is dessert at your home something that's used just as a filler, to take up that empty sense at the close of a none too hearty meal?

Or, is it well designed to do its share of assuming some of the nutrients that should belong in the balanced diet?

If you can't answer the question, then look to the desserts of the past week. If they were all starchy foods lacking in fruit or berries, milk and eggs, they are not being planned with the health of the family in mind.

It's all very well to serve cakes and pies, but desserts should also include plenty of fruits and milk and eggs to be truly health-building. When youngsters skip their milk, refuse their eggs or turn thumbs down on breakfast fruits, include these in luncheon and dinner desserts.

HOMEMAKERS WHO SAY these are not interesting desserts should take a look at the parade of health building dessert recipes in today's column.

They're tops in appetite appeal and just as high in vitamins, proteins and minerals.

Candied Fruit Cup
(Serves 4-6)

3 to 4 oranges
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup broken candy mints

Add candy mints to pineapple. Chill together. Section oranges removing all membranes. Line dessert dishes with orange sections and place pineapple-candy mixture in center. Serve chilled.

Orange Custard
(Serves 6-8)

2 cups milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites, beaten stiff, but not dry
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oranges, sectioned

Scald milk in top of double boiler. Combine thoroughly sugar, salt, cornstarch and slightly beaten egg yolks. Add scalded milk slowly, return to double boiler, cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Add orange juice, rind, and vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Garnish with orange sections. Chill.

Fig Bread Pudding
(Serves 8-10)

2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 quart hot milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chopped figs
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup melted butter
3 eggs
Salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Add crumbs to hot milk and set aside to cool, then add all other ingredients and pour into greased baking dish. Place in pan of hot water and bake at 325° for one hour or until firm. Serve with partially frozen whipped cream.

Milk, eggs and oranges give a delicately flavored dessert that will please at any meal. This type of dessert offers an easy way to incorporate important foods into the daily diet.

LYNN SAYS:
Improve your Foods
With Simple Seasonings

To rejuvenate doughnuts, try splitting and toasting them. Serve spread with butter and jam and you'll wonder why you never tried it before.

Your salad business will pick up with a simple trick like adding broken pecan meats to shredded cabbage and chopped celery. For something really delicious, fold the ingredients into an old-fashioned boiled dressing.

An assortment of fruits makes a pretty and tempting dessert that provides health-giving nutrients painlessly. Serve this colorful dessert as a perfect close to a heavy meal.

LYNN CHAMBERS' MENU
Lamb Stew with Vegetables
Popovers
Butter and Jelly
Hearts of Lettuce Salad
Orange Custard
Beverage
Cookies

Recipe Given

Toasted Pears
(Serves 6)

6 large fresh pears
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
2 1/2 cups corn flakes

Sauce:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Peel, halve and core pears. Dip at once into lemon juice in which sugar has been dissolved. Dip in melted butter. Roll in crushed corn flakes. Arrange cut side up on a shallow baking pan. Bake in moderate oven (350°-375°) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pears are tender but not soft. To make lemon cream sauce, beat confectioners' sugar into the sour cream and flavor with lemon juice.

Fruit Marlow
(Serves 6)

1/2 pound marshmallows, quartered
1 cup strong hot coffee
1 cup whipped cream
1 1/2 cups fruit cocktail, drained

Dissolve marshmallows in coffee in top of double boiler. Cool until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped cream and drained fruit cocktail. Pour into sherbet glasses and chill.

Caramel Baked Apples
(Serves 6-8)

6-8 medium apples
1/2 cup seedless raisins
3 tablespoons enriched flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice

Wash apples and core. Pare about one strip around top. Place in deep baking dish. Fill centers with raisins. Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork. Add walnuts. Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples. Pour over water and orange juice. Bake uncovered in moderate oven (350°) one hour, basting occasionally. Serve with cream.

Apricot-Marshmallow Betty
(Serves 6-8)

1 pound (3 cups) quartered dried apricots, cooked
5 cups toasted white bread cubes
1 pound (about 16) marshmallows, quartered
1 cup liquid from apricots
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter

Alternate layers of apricots, bread cubes and marshmallows in greased 6x10-inch baking dish. Top layer should be bread cubes. Heat apricot juice to boiling; add lemon peel and juice and butter; pour over. Bake uncovered in moderate oven (350°) about 35 minutes.

Note: Add four cups water to dried apricots, cover, simmer tender.

Stewed pears will take on a festive touch if you serve them with chilled custard and then top with meringue, browned until golden.

Mix some herbs with bread or cracker crumbs before breading veal or other meats.

Fried sausages are just as good with fried pears as with apples. Fry the pears in the sausage drippings just as you would the apples.

Smart garnish for a fish dinner uses tiny red beets, cooked and chilled, served in salted soured cream.