degrees into the milk, which must be quite cold or the eggs will
make it curdle. Put the custards into cups, and set them in a
baking pan, half filled with water. When baked, grate some nutmeg
over each and ice them. Make the icing of the whites of eight
eggs, a large tea-spoonful of powdered loaf sugar, and six drops
of essence of lemon, beaten all together till it stands alone.
Pile up some of the icing on the top of each custard, heaping it
high. Put a spot of red nonpareils on the middle of the pile of
icing.

If the weather be damp, or the eggs not new-laid, more than eight
whites will be required for the icing.


PLAIN CUSTARDS.

A quart of rich milk.
Eight eggs.
A quarter of a pound of powdered sugar.
A handful of peach-leaves, or half an ounce of peach-kernels,
broken in pieces.
A nutmeg.

Boil the peach-leaves or kernels in the milk, and set it away to
cool. When cold, strain out the leaves or kernels, and stir in the
sugar. Beat the eggs very light, and stir them gradually into the
milk when it is quite cold. Bake it in cups, or in a large white
dish.

When cool, grate nutmeg over the top.