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Variations I 1. .Floating tIsland-cuss egg yolks for thickening the custard. Make a meringue of the white of eggs, powdered sugar and vanilla or cocoa. Cook by ' putting spoonfuls on a pan of boiling water and put in a moderate oven to brown lightly. .Spread a little jam on the custard, lift the meringue from the water with a broad (bladed spatula and put on the custard to resemble islands. The meringue may also be cooked ,loy putting it on top of the milk when it is being heated in the double boiler. _ 2. Chocolate Floating Island-Add two squares of chocolate to the milk . when hot. ' 3. Pour soft custard over sliced peaches, bananas or oranges and dates and ': chill before serving. 4. Pour soft custard over alternate layers of stale cake and fruit. Cover ' with a meringue or whipped cream. , 5. 'Serve soft custard as a dressing for simple cakes, as sponge cake or gingerbread. Decorate with a little coloured sugar or cocoanut. Baked Custard Use the same ingredients as for soft custard. The proportion of milk and eggs may vary somewhat but, if the custard is to he turned out of the mould, use only 2-3 c. of milk to one egg. Beat the egg, add the sugar and stir until blended. Add the heated milk slowly, strain and pour into custard cups or a baking dish. Set the dish in a pan of hot water. Bake in a moderate oven until firm. Test by inserting a silver knife in the centre of the custard. If the custard is cooked the knife will come _ out clean. If overcooked the custard will be watery. Variations; Caramel-Fat 1 T. of caramel syrup in each custard cup. Pour in the slightly sweetened or unsweetened custard mixture; or caramelize 14 c. sugar and add to the custard mixture. Bake like a plain custard. :Marshmallow-lPut a marshmallow in the bottom of each custard cup. Pour in the custard mixture, omitting the sugar and flavouring. Coffee-Substitute lh to 1 c. of fresh hot coffee for an equal amount of milk in the recipe; or scald the milk with 2 T. ground coffee and strain. Proceed as for baked custard. 1'ruit-Eabstitute dried fruit pulp such as prunes or apricots for half of the milk. Add more sugar if necessary. Cream-Substitute thin cream for the milk in either baked or soft custard. Serve with fruit. . ' MERINGUES Use from 1 to 2 T. sugar to each egg white for pie and pudding meringues, , , and from 4 to 5 T. sugar to each egg for kisses and meringue shells. Beat egg white until stiff but not dry, then add sugar gradually, continuing l. beating until the mixture is fine grained and will hold its shape. If using more ' than three tablespoons of sugar to each egg white, (beat in two-thirds of the i' amount and fold the last third carefully into the mixture. spread the meringue evenly over the surface. (Make the surface uneven by spreading in ridges or make fancy shapes by using a pastry bag and tube. Put the meringue on by spoonfuls so that there is a nicely shaped meringue on each serving; or prepare individual servings by putting spoonfuls on a pan of boiling water or in muffin tins partially filled with hot water and cooking in a moderate oven. Bake at 300 degrees F. for 15 minutes. 8 '-, gag.ocool _