As desserts are the chief factor in the use of quantities of sugar in our diet, the appended recipes will be of value, as they deal with varied forms of nutritious, attractive sugarless desserts. It is only by the one-ounce savings of each individual member of our great one hundred million population that the world sugar shortage may be met, and it is hoped every housekeeper will study her own time-tested recipes with the view of utilizing as far as possible other forms of sweetening. In most recipes the liquid should be slightly reduced in amount and about one-fifth more of the substitute should be used than the amount of sugar called for.

With a few tests along this line one will be surprised how readily the substitution may be made. If all sweetening agents become scarce, desserts can well be abandoned. Served at the end of a full meal, desserts are excess food except in the diet of children, where they should form a component part of the meal.

SUGARLESS DESSERTS

CRUMB SPICE PUDDING

Mix and bake 45 minutes.

TAPIOCA FRUIT PUDDING

Soak fruit in water 1 hour. Add other ingredients. Cook directly over fire 5 minutes, then over hot water until clear, about 45 minutes.

MARMALADE PUDDING

Mix eggs, corn syrup, salt and milk. Dip bread and brown in frying pan. Spread with marmalade or preserves. Pile in baking dish. Cover with any of the custard mixture which is left. Cover with meringue. Bake 15 minutes.

PRUNE ROLL

To prunes, add ½ cup water and soak 10 minutes. Simmer in same water until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain prunes and mash to a pulp. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add beaten egg and milk. Mix to a dough. Roll out thin, spread with prune pulp, sprinkle with two tablespoons sugar. Roll the mixture and place in greased baking dish. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Take half cup of juice from prunes, add 1 tablespoon corn syrup. Bring to boiling point. Serve as sauce for prune roll.

MARMALADE BLANC MANGE

Mix cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold milk. Scald rest of milk, add cornstarch, and stir until thick. Cook over hot water 20 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Cook, stirring 5 minutes. Chill and serve with two whites of eggs, beaten stiff, to which has been added 2 tablespoons orange marmalade. Two ounces grated chocolate and ⅓ cup corn syrup may be substituted for marmalade.

COFFEE MARSHMALLOW CREAM

Soak gelatine in cold water until soft. Add coffee and stir until dissolved. Add other ingredients. Chill. One-quarter cup of marshmallows may be cut up and added just before chilling.

FRUIT PUDDING

Soften the gelatine in 2 tablespoons of the juice or water. Add the rest of the fruit after it has been heated. When the gelatine is dissolved, add the fruit, lemon juice and corn syrup. Pour in mold.

CEREAL AND DATE PUDDING

Cook over hot water until thick, and boil or bake 20 minutes. Serve with hot maple syrup.

BAKED APPLES WITHOUT SUGAR

Fill cored apples with 1 tablespoon honey, corn syrup, chopped dates, raisins, marmalade, or chopped popcorn mixed with corn syrup in the proportion of two tablespoons of syrup to a cup of corn. Put one-quarter inch of water in pan. Bake until tender and serve apples in pan with syrup as sauce.

APPLES AND POPCORN

Core apples. Cut just through the skin around the center of the apple. Fill the center with popcorn and 1 teaspoon of corn syrup. Bake 30 minutes.

MAPLE RICE PUDDING

Cook in top of double boiler or in steamer 35 minutes.

ECONOMY PUDDING

Cook in double boiler until smooth. Serve cold with cream or place in baking dish and bake 20 minutes.

OATMEAL AND PEANUT PUDDING

Mix and bake in greased dish for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold. This is a very nourishing dish.

CHOCOLATE BLANC MANGE

Mix cornstarch with ¼ cup cold milk. Scald rest of milk. Add cornstarch. Cook until thick. Add a little of the hot mixture to the chocolate when melted. Mix all ingredients and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Chill and serve with plain or chopped nuts.

OATMEAL FRUIT PUDDING

Mix well. Bake in greased baking dish 30 minutes

JELLIED PRUNES

Soak washed and scalded prunes in 2 cups cold water 10 minutes. Simmer until tender (about 10 minutes). Soak gelatine in ½ cup cold water. When soft, add to hot prune mixture. When gelatine is dissolved, add other ingredients and place in mold. Chill, and stir once or twice while chilling to prevent prunes settling to bottom of mold.

APPLE PORCUPINES

Core 6 apples. Cut line around apple just through skin. Fill center with mixture of one-quarter cup each of dates, nuts and figs or marmalade, to which has been added one-quarter cup corn syrup or honey. Bake 30 minutes with one-quarter inch water in baking pan. Stick outside of apple with blanched almonds to make porcupine quills.

SCALLOPED FRUIT PUDDING

Put one-quarter of the crumbs on the bottom of a buttered baking pan. Cover with one-half the fruit, one-half the corn syrup, one-half the liquid, one-quarter of the crumbs; the other half of the fruit, juice and corn syrup, and the rest of the crumbs, on top. Bake 20 minutes in a hot oven.

PRUNE FILLING FOR PIE

Wash and scald prunes. Soak ten minutes in the water. Simmer until tender. Rub through colander. Add other ingredients, well blended. Bring to boiling point. Use as filling for pastry.

APPLE AND DATE FILLING

Mix all and use as filling for double crust, or cook until apples are tender. Mix well and use as filling for tarts, etc.

LEMON FILLING FOR PIE

Mix cornstarch and 1 cup water. Add to corn syrup. Cook over direct flame until thick. Cook over hot water 20 minutes. Mix other ingredients. Add one-half cup water and add to other mixture. Cook 5 minutes and use as filling—hot or cold.

SOUR CREAM FILLING FOR CAKE

Soften gelatine in cold water. Add heated cream and when dissolved add other ingredients. Chill and use for cake filling. This is a good way of using up leftover cream which has turned.

MOCK MINCE MEAT FILLING FOR PIE

Mix all. Bring to boiling point and place in double crust pastry or cook until thick and use as filling for tarts.

PUMPKIN FILLING FOR PIE

Mix all ingredients and bake in double crust pastry, or cook and serve in cooked single crust with meringue.

MERINGUE FOR CHOCOLATE, LEMON OR PUMPKIN PIE

Beat whites until very stiff. Add corn syrup by folding in. Do not beat.

WHEATLESS, EGGLESS, BUTTERLESS, MILKLESS, SUGARLESS CAKE

Cook corn syrup, water, raisins, fat, salt and spices slowly 15 minutes. When cool, add flour, soda or baking powder, thoroughly blended. Bake in slow oven 1 hour. The longer this cake is kept, the better the texture and flavor. This recipe is sufficient to fill one medium-sized bread pan.

SOUR MILK GINGER BREAD

Mix soda and molasses. Add other ingredients. Bake in muffin pans 20 minutes or loaf 40 minutes.

MAPLE CAKE

Cream fat, syrup and mapline. Add beaten egg. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk. Add flavoring and nuts last. Beat well. Bake 20 minutes in layer pan. This quantity makes one layer.

COCOANUT SURPRISE

Mix milk, egg yolk and corn syrup. Dip bread in this mixture and brown in frying pan, with small amount of fat. Spread with currant or other tart jelly, preserve or marmalade. Sprinkle with cocoanut and serve as cakes.

SOY BEAN WAFERS

Soak beans over night, boil for 1 hour. Drain. Cool and put through food-chopper. Cream butter and sugar, add beans, egg. Sift flour with baking powder and add to first mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet and bake 8 minutes in a hot oven.

APPLE SPICE CAKE

Cream fat and sugar. Add egg. Alternate dry ingredients (which have been sifted together) with the liquid. Add fruit last. Beat well. Bake as loaf about 15 minutes, or in muffin pans about 25 minutes.

CRISP GINGER COOKIES

Heat molasses and fat until fat is melted. Sift spices with one cup of flour. Dissolve soda in one teaspoon of hot water. Combine all and add enough more flour to make dough stiff enough to roll out. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in moderate oven.

SOFT CINNAMON COOKIES

Mix molasses, fat, and boiling water. Sift dry ingredients. Add the liquid. Add enough more flour (about four cups) to make dough stiff enough to roll out. Cut and bake about 15 minutes in moderately hot oven.

WARTIME FRUIT CAKE

Cream fat, honey and egg. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with milk. Bake in loaf 45 minutes in moderate oven.

HOT WATER GINGER CAKES

Sift dry ingredients. Mix fat, molasses and boiling water. Add dry ingredients. Beat briskly for a few minutes, and pour into greased muffin pans. Bake twenty to thirty minutes in moderate oven.

SPICED OATMEAL FRUIT CAKES

Heat the corn syrup and fat. Sift dry ingredients and add to first mixture. Add fruit last. Bake in muffin pans for 30 minutes.

FRUIT WONDER CAKES

Beat egg white until very stiff. Add other ingredients and place on the wafers. Place under broiler until a delicate brown.

SUGARLESS CANDIES

FRUIT PASTE

Mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Heat corn syrup to the boil, add cornstarch and cook for three minutes. Soften the gelatine in two tablespoons cold water for five minutes; stir into the hot syrup after taking from fire. When gelatine has dissolved add the fruit and nuts and flavoring. Chill, cut in squares, and roll each in powdered sugar.

WARTIME TAFFY

Boil the syrup for fifteen minutes, then add the soda. Cook until a little snaps brittle when dropped in cold water. Add the vinegar when this stage is reached and pour into oiled pans. When cool enough to handle, pull until white; make into inch-thick rolls and clip off into neat mouthfuls with oiled scissors, or chill and break into irregular pieces when cold.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Boil syrup and fat until brittle when tested in cold water. Grease a pan, sprinkle the roasted and shelled peanuts in it, making an even distribution, then turn in the syrup. When almost cold mark into squares. Cocoanut, puffed wheat or puffed rice may be used for candy instead of peanuts.

RAISIN AND PEANUT LOAF

Put equal quantity of seeded raisins and roasted peanuts through the food chopper, using the coarsest blade. Moisten with molasses just enough so that the mixture can be molded into a loaf. Chill, cut and serve as candy. Chopped English walnuts combined with chopped dates or figs make a very delicious loaf sweetmeat.

POPCORN BALLS AND FRITTERS

Cook syrup for fifteen minutes, add vinegar, then when a little snaps when dropped in cold water turn over popped corn, mix well, and form into balls with oiled hands, or if fritters are desired, roll out the mass while warm and cut out with a greased cutter.

COCOANUT LOAF

Mix corn syrup and mapline. Add enough to the dates and cocoanut to form a stiff cake. Mold into neat square at least an inch thick. Let stand in the refrigerator for one hour, then cut in squares and roll each in cornstarch.

STUFFED DATES

Mix one-half cup each of chopped peanuts and raisins. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of cream cheese. Remove stones from fine large dates, and in their place insert a small roll of the cheese mixture. These are nice in place of candy or can be served with salad.

FRUIT LOAF

Put fruit and nuts through the food chopper, using the coarsest blade. Add enough syrup or honey to make a stiff loaf. Place in the refrigerator for one hour; slice and serve in place of candy, rolling each slice in cornstarch.

STUFFED FIGS

Cut a slit in the side of dried figs, take out some of the pulp with the tip of a teaspoon. Mix with one-quarter cup of the pulp and one-quarter cup of finely chopped crystalized ginger, a teaspoon of grated orange or lemon rind; and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Fill the figs with mixture, stuffing them so that they look plump.

SUGARLESS PRESERVES

QUINCE OR PEAR PRESERVES

Steam or cook sliced and pared fruit in small amount of water until tender. Add ginger and corn syrup. Cook 20 minutes slowly. Lemon skins may be used instead of ginger root.

APPLE, QUINCE, PEACH, PEAR OR PLUM JAM

Cook slowly until thick.

PUMPKIN OR CARROT MARMALADE

Reduce 1 pint grape juice one-half by boiling slowly. Add 1 cup vegetables (pumpkin or carrot). Add 2 teaspoons spices and 1 cup corn syrup. Boil until of consistency of honey and place in sterilized jars or glasses.

GRAPE JUICE

Cook grapes in water until soft. Mash; drain through jelly bag or wet cheesecloth. Add corn syrup. Boil 5 minutes. Put into sterilized bottles. If cork stoppers are used cover them with melted sealing wax.

SYRUP FOR SPICED APPLES, PEARS, PEACHES, GRAPES

Boil 5 minutes. Add any fruit and cook slowly 20 minutes or until fruit is clear and syrup thick. If hard fruits, such as pears, quinces, etc., are used, steam for 20 minutes before adding to syrup.

SYRUP FOR CANNED FRUIT

Bring to boiling point. Use same as sugar and water syrup.

SYRUP FOR PRESERVED FRUIT

Use same as water and sugar syrup.

CRANBERRY JELLY

Cook cranberries in water very slowly until tender. Leave whole or press through colander. Measure amount of mixture and add equal amount of corn syrup. Cook slowly until mixture forms jelly when tested on cold plate. Turn into mold which has been rinsed in cold water.

APRICOT AND RAISIN MARMALADE

Soak apricots and raisins in the water two hours. Cook slowly until very soft. Add other ingredients and cook slowly (about 30 minutes) until slightly thick. Place in sterile jars or glasses and seal.

SAVE FAT

Reasons Why Our Government Asks Us to Save Fat, With Practical Recipes for Fat Conservation

With the world-wide decrease of animal production, animal fats are now growing so scarce that the world is being scoured for new sources of supply. Our Government has asked the housewife to conserve all the fats that come to her home and utilize them to the best advantage. To this end it is necessary to have some knowledge of the character of different fats and the purposes to which they are best adapted.

The word fat usually brings to one's mind an unappetizing chunk of meat fat which most persons cannot and will not eat, and fatty foods have been popularly supposed to be "bad for us" and "hard to digest." Fats are, however, an important food absolutely essential to complete nutrition, which repay us better for the labor of digestion than any other food. If they are indigestible, it is usually due to improper cooking or improper use; if they are expensive, it is merely because they are extravagantly handled. The chief function of fatty food is to repair and renew the fatty tissues, to yield energy and to maintain the body heat. The presence of fat in food promotes the flow of the pancreatic juice and bile, which help in the assimilation of other foods and assist the excretory functions of the intestine. These are badly performed if bile and other digestive fluids are not secreted in sufficient quantity. The absence of fat in the diet leads to a state of malnutrition, predisposing to tuberculosis, especially in children and young persons.

It is claimed that the most serious food shortage in Germany is fat; that the civilian population is dying in large numbers because of the lack of it, and that Von Hindenburg's men will lose out on the basis of fat, rather than on the basis of munitions or military organization. Worst of all is the effect of fat shortage on the children of the nation. Leaders of thought all over Europe assert that even if Germany wins, Germany has lost, because it has sapped the strength of its coming generation.

The term fat is used to designate all products of fatty composition and includes liquid fats such as oils, soft fats such as butter, and hard fats such as tallow. While all fats have practically the same energy-value, they differ widely from each other in their melting point, and the difference in digestibility seems to correspond to the difference in melting point. Butter burns at 240 degrees Fahrenheit, while vegetable oils can be heated as high as 600 degrees Fahrenheit, furnishing a very high temperature for cooking purposes before they begin to burn. The scorching of fat not only wastes the product, but renders it indigestible, even dangerous to some people, and for this reason butter should never be used for frying, as frying temperature is usually higher than 240 degrees. It is well to choose for cooking only those fats which have the highest heat-resisting qualities because they do not burn so easily.

Beginning with the lowest burning point, fats include genuine butter, substitute butters, lard and its substitutes, and end with tallow and vegetable oils. Of the latter, there is a varied selection from the expensive olive oil to the cheaper cottonseed, peanut, cocoanut and corn oils and their compounds and the hydrogenated oils.

The economy of fat, therefore, depends on the choice of the fat used for the various cooking processes as well as the conservation of all fatty residue, such as crackling, leftover frying fats and soup fat. For cooking processes, such as sauteing (pan frying), or deep fat frying, it is best to use the vegetable and nut oils. These are more plentiful, and hence cheaper than the animal fats; the latter, however, can be produced in the home from the fats of meats and leftover pan fats, which should not be overlooked as frying mediums. Butter and butter substitutes are best kept for table use and for flavoring. The hydrogenated oils, home-rendered fats, lard and beef and mutton suet can be used for shortening fats.

In the purchase of meats, the careful housewife should see that the butcher gives her all the fat she pays for, as all fats can be rendered very easily at home and can be used for cooking purposes. Butchers usually leave as large a proportion of fat as possible on all cuts of meat which, when paid for at meat prices, are quite an expensive item. All good clear fat should, therefore, be carefully trimmed from meats before cooking. Few people either like or find digestible greasy, fat meats, and the fat paid for at meat prices, which could have been rendered and used for cooking, is wasted when sent to table.

There are various methods of conserving fat. First, the economical use of table fats; second, the saving of cooking; and third, the proper use of all types of fat.

Economy in the use of table fats may best be secured by careful serving. One serving of butter is a little thing—there are about sixty-four of them in a pound. In many households the butter left on the plates probably would equal a serving or one-fourth of an ounce, daily, which is usually scraped into the garbage pail or washed off in the dishpan. But if everyone of our 20,000,000 households should waste one-fourth of an ounce of butter daily, it would mean 312,500 pounds a day, or 114,062,500 pounds a year. To make this butter would take 265,261,560 gallons of milk, or the product of over a half-million cows, an item in national economy which should not be overlooked.

When butter is used to flavor cooked vegetables, it is more economical to add it just before they are served rather than while they are cooking. The flavor thus imparted is more pronounced, and, moreover, if the butter is added before cooking, much of it will be lost in the water unless the latter is served with the vegetables. Butter substitutes, such as oleomargarine and nut margarine, should be more largely used for the table, especially for adults. Conserve butter for children, as animal fats contain vitamines necessary for growing tissues. Butter substitutes are as digestible and as nourishing as butter, and have a higher melting point. They keep better and cost less.

Oleomargarine, which has been in existence for fifty years, was first offered to the world in 1870 by a famous French chemist, Mege-Mouries, who was in search of a butter substitute cheap enough to supply the masses with the much-needed food element. He had noticed that the children of the poor families were afflicted with rickets and other diseases which could be remedied by the administration of the right amount of fat. He combined fresh suet and milk and called the product "oleomargarine." In the United States this product is now made of oleo oil or soft beef fat, neutral lard, cottonseed and other oils, churned with a small quantity of milk, and in the finer grades, cream is sometimes used. A certain proportion of butter is usually added, and the whole worked up with salt as in ordinary butter-making.

Owing to the fears of the butter-makers that oleomargarine would supplant their product in popular favor, legislation was enacted that restricted the manufacture of oleo and established a rigid system of governmental inspection, so that the product is now manufactured under the most sanitary conditions which furnishes a cleaner and more reliable product than natural butter.

Nut margarine is a compound of cocoa oil, which so closely resembles butter that only an expert can distinguish it from the natural product. Both these butter substitutes are used in large amounts by the best bakers, confectioners and biscuit manufacturers, and foolish prejudice against butter substitutes should not deter their use in the home.

A large saving in cooking fats can be made by the careful utilization of all fats that come into the home. Beef and mutton suet can be rendered and made available. Fats which have been saved after meals are cooked should be clarified—that is, freed from all objectionable odors, tastes or color—so as to be made available as shortening and frying fats.

The following recipes and suggestions make possible the use of all fats, and as fat shortage is one of the most serious of the world's food problems, it is essential that every housekeeper have a larger knowledge of the utilization and economy of this essential food.