PASTRIES AND PIES

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

(

Sufficient to Serve Twelve

)

Soak the bread crumbs in the milk. Work the suet with the hands until it is creamy, and to it add the sugar, molasses, and well-beaten eggs. Mix with the milk and bread crumbs, and add the fruit and nuts. Mix the dry ingredients and sift them into the mixture. Add the fruit juice, turn into a buttered mold, and steam for 3 hours. Serve hot with hard sauce or any other desired sauce.

51. POCONO PUDDING.--Directions for still another steamed pudding in which suet is used are given in the accompanying recipe for Pocono pudding. This dessert does not require so many ingredients as suet-fruit or Christmas pudding, and in many cases will answer the same purpose.

POCONO PUDDING

(

Sufficient to Serve Eight

)

Put the suet, apples, peeled and cored, and the bread crumbs through the food chopper. Beat the yolks of the eggs and add these with the sugar, milk, salt, and grated rind and juice of the lemon. Chop the raisins and add to the mixture. Beat the egg whites and fold these into the mixture. Pour the mixture into buttered molds and steam for 3 to 4 hours. Serve with any desired sauce.

52. STEAMED FIG PUDDING.--A steamed pudding made according to the recipe here given never fails to please. As the name, steamed fig pudding, indicates, it is supposed to have chopped figs added to it, although raisins will answer if figs cannot be obtained.

STEAMED FIG PUDDING

(

Sufficient to Serve Twelve

)

Cream the butter and add the sugar, molasses, and milk. Mix and sift the dry ingredients and stir these into the mixture. Fold in the chopped figs or raisins and steam in buttered molds for 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the molds. Serve hot with any desired sauce.

53. FRESH FRUIT PUDDING.--During berry or cherry season fresh-fruit pudding is an excellent one to make. This pudding is prepared in much the same way as a cake mixture, is combined with the fruit selected, and is then either steamed or baked.

FRESH-FRUIT PUDDING

(

Sufficient to Serve Six

)

Cream the butter and add the sugar. Sift together the dry ingredients and add these alternately with the milk. Beat the egg whites and fold these in. Place a layer of dough in the bottom of a buttered baking dish, put a layer of fruit on top of this, add dough next and then fruit, and have a final layer of dough on top. Cover tight and steam for 1-1/2 or 2 hours or bake without the cover in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes. Serve with a fruit or a hard sauce.

54. COCONUT PUFF.--A light pudding to which shredded coconut is added to give flavor is a satisfactory dessert for a heavy meal. As it is baked in muffin pans, it may be served in a dainty manner.

COCONUT PUFF

(

Sufficient to Serve Eight

)

Cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat the yolks of the eggs and add them. Sift the dry ingredients with the flour and add alternately with the milk. Fold in the coconut. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in. Bake in buttered muffin pans in a quick oven for 20 minutes. Serve with coconut or any desired sauce.

55. COTTAGE PUDDING.--When a simple baked pudding is desired, the housewife almost instinctively turns to cottage pudding. This pudding has been a favorite in the household for years and may be eaten by young or old. It is not very rich, and so should be served with an appetizing sauce.

COTTAGE PUDDING

(

Sufficient to Serve Eight

)

Cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat the egg and add it. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add alternately with the milk. Add the vanilla. Bake in a loaf-cake pan and serve hot with lemon, fruit, or chocolate sauce.

[Illustration: FIG. 27]

56. CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING.--To the majority of persons the flavor of chocolate is always pleasing. In chocolate bread pudding, this flavor is well blended with the ingredients. This pudding, when baked, may be cut into slices, as shown in Fig. 27, and then daintily served with either hard or custard sauce.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

(

Sufficient to Serve Eight

)

Soak the bread crumbs in 3 cupfuls of the milk. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan and add the sugar and the remaining cup of milk. Cook until the mixture is smooth and add this to the bread and milk. Beat the eggs and add them. Add the salt and vanilla. Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes in a moderate oven. Cut into slices and serve with hard or custard sauce.

57. CHOCOLATE PUDDING.--Baked chocolate pudding provides another way in which to serve a dessert in which chocolate flavor predominates. This pudding, because of its food value and the pleasing way in which it may be served, is sure to answer for any meal in which a pudding dessert is desired.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

(

Sufficient to Serve Eight

)

Cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat the yolks of the eggs and add them. Add the milk alternately with the flour, which has been mixed and sifted with the baking powder and soda. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan and add. Beat the whites of the eggs until stiff and fold them into the mixture. Flavor with the vanilla. Bake in a pan that will leave a space in the center. It will require about 45 minutes to 1 hour for the baking. Remove from the pan, fill the center with whipped cream, and serve with chocolate sauce.

58. BOSTON CREAM PIE.--Boston cream pie is a dessert that can be made up with some of the recipes already given. It is a favorite dessert with many people and is very high in food value.

To make Boston cream pie, first bake two layers, each about 1 inch thick, in round pans, using the plain-cake or cottage-pudding recipe. Then, between these layers, put a filling about 1/2 inch thick. This filling should preferably be the one used for cream puffs, although any similar filling stiff enough to stand up well may be used instead. Cover the top layer with 1/2 to 1 inch of slightly sweetened and flavored whipped cream. The cake should not be put together until both the layers and the filling have cooled.

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

(1) In what general way does the thickness of the dough mixture for large cakes differ from that for small cakes other than cup cakes?

(2) (a) In baking small cakes, how does the oven temperature required compare with that required for large cakes? (b) How does the length of time required for baking large and small cakes differ?

(3) If the time for baking small cakes is divided into halves, what should occur in the second half?

(4) Where should the pans for the baking of small cakes be placed in the oven?

(5) Describe an original way of decorating cup cakes.

(6) Describe two classes of cookies.

(7) What precaution must be taken with regard to the flour used in the mixing of cakes?

(8) How thick should the dough be rolled for: (a) cookies? (b) ginger snaps?

(9) Describe the baking of cookies.

(10) Describe the frying of doughnuts and crullers.

(11) Describe a method of removing the excess fat from the surface of doughnuts after they are fried.

(12) By what methods may puddings be cooked?

(13) With what kind of meal and during what kind of weather should heavy, rich pudding be served?

(J4) Of what value are pudding sauces?

(15) (a) Describe the method of steaming pudding. (b) How may the surface of steamed puddings be made dry?

REQUIREMENTS FOR PASTRY AND PIE MAKING

1.Pastry is a shortened dough that is made of flour, water, salt, and fat and used in the preparation of desserts. Chief among these deserts are pies. These are made by baking foods between two crusts of pastry or with a single crust, which may be an upper or a lower one. Originally pies were not intended for desserts. Rather, they were used as the main dish of the meal, as they contained a filling of meat or fish and vegetables. Such pies are still made, but they are not usually the ones intended when pastry for pies is mentioned. It should therefore be understood that the pastry considered in this Section is that which is used with sweet fillings and employed particularly in the making of pies and similar foods that are used for desserts.

Some cooks, especially the French ones, regard as pastry such foods as certain small cakes, the paste used for cream puffs and éclairs, and the sweetened breads made with yeast, such as brioche. In reality, such desserts resemble cakes in use more than they do pastry, and for this reason are discussed in connection with them.

2.Pastry desserts may be made in various fancy shapes for individual servings or in pies that will serve five or six persons. Pies having one crust usually contain a filling that consists of a custard mixture, a mixture thickened with corn starch or flour, or occasionally a fruit mixture. Some pies also have a top crust covering the filling, and when this is the case a fruit filling, either fresh or cooked, is the kind that is generally used.

3.Because of the nature of the materials used in the preparation of pastry desserts, the finished product is necessarily high in food value. For instance, starchy material is provided by the flour, fat by the shortening, and sugar in comparatively large amounts by the filling, whether it be fruit of some kind or a material resembling custard. This fact, rather than the taste or the appetite, should aid in determining whether or not pastry desserts should be included in a meal. While the popularity of such desserts causes them to be used somewhat indiscriminately, their use should always be governed by the nature of the rest of the meal. Thus, if the other dishes served provide enough food value, then a dessert lighter than pie should be chosen; but if the rest of the meal is not sufficiently high in this respect, a wholesome pastry dessert will generally prove to be a wise selection.

4.It is true, of course, that every person must determine for himself whether or not pastry desserts are wholesome enough to be eaten by him. Indigestion is almost sure to result from heavy, soggy, imperfectly baked pastry, because the quantities of fat it contains may be slow to digest and much of the starchy material may be imperfectly cooked. Consequently, it is often not the pie itself but the way in which it is made that is responsible for the bad reputation that this very attractive dessert has acquired. If the correct method of making pastry and pies is followed and the ingredients are handled properly in the making, the digestibility of the finished product need give the housewife very little concern. As a rule, a little experience is needed in order that good results in the making of pastry dishes may be attained, but one who becomes efficient in the other phases of cookery should have no difficulty with foods of this kind.

5.Detailed instructions regarding the making of pastry desserts are given throughout this Section, but if the greatest degree of success is to be attained, it will be well from the very beginning to understand a few general rules that apply to this work. In the first place, the ingredients must be of the right sort and as cold as possible; then they must be handled and combined with dexterity; and, finally, a hot oven must be provided in order that these foods may be properly baked.

6.The ingredients used in pastry making are neither numerous nor complicated, usually including only flour, salt, shortening, and liquid. If these are correctly combined, they will be all that is required to make a pastry that is light, flaky, and crisp. Occasionally a recipe requiring baking powder will be found and sometimes eggs are called for in mixtures of this kind, but neither of these ingredients is required for successful pastry making. Baking powder may be an advantage when it is used by one who is not experienced in the handling of pastry mixtures, for it helps to make pastry lighter. However, only a small quantity of this ingredient should be used, as a very little will bring about the desired result.

7. FLOUR FOR PASTRY.--Pastry flour is the most desirable for pastry making. It is made from winter wheat, which, as has already been explained, contains less gluten and therefore lacks the gummy consistency of bread flour. For puff paste, which is prepared so as to hold air between thin layers of pastry, bread flour is often used because it retains air better. Flours made of other cereals may also be used. Pastry made of such flours is more difficult to handle, but good results may be obtained if patience and care are exercised. When corn flour, rice flour, and barley flour are used as part of the flour for pastry, it will be found that less shortening is needed than when wheat flour alone is used. The dark flours, such as barley, produce a pastry that is dark in color, but this is no particular disadvantage so long as the quality is not impaired.

No matter what kind of flour is used for the pastry, it should be as dry as possible. At times, putting the flour in a warm oven and allowing it to dry will prove to be advantageous. However, flour so treated should be cooled before it is used, since the cooler the ingredients are the better will be the pastry.

Cereal products of different kinds, such as corn meal, for instance, may be moistened, spread into pans in thin layers, and then baked. The shells thus produced may be filled with various kinds of filling and used very successfully. Such shells, however, can scarcely be considered as real pastry.

8. SHORTENING FOR PASTRY.--A solid fat, that is, one that will remain solid at ordinary room temperature, is the best shortening for pastry making. Oils of various kinds may be used, but in most cases the results are not so successful. If pastry is to have the desired flakiness, the shortening must not be broken into such minute particles and the flour must not be saturated with fat, as is more likely to be the case if oil is used in place of solid fat. In addition to being solid, the fat should be just as cold as possible.

Butter is the fat that is used for puff paste, but for other varieties of pastry almost any desirable fat may be utilized. Lard has always been a particular favorite for pastry making; still, for ordinary pastry making, there are various combinations of fat of both animal and vegetable origin which serve the purpose.

Certain fats left over from various cooking processes in the home can be utilized to advantage in the making of pastry. Chicken fat is a very satisfactory one. A mixture of lard and tried-out beef suet also makes an ideal fat for pastry, the hard flakiness of the suet being particularly desirable. In fact, almost any fat without a disagreeable odor or flavor may be used as all or part of the fat required. As has already been learned, fats may be clarified and freed of their odor by first heating them and then allowing a few slices of raw potato to become hot in them.

9. LIQUID FOR PASTRY.--Water is the only liquid used in pastry making. Water in which small pieces of ice are allowed to melt is especially desirable for this purpose, but if ice cannot be obtained, the water used should be as cold as possible.

10. PROPORTION OF INGREDIENTS.--The proportion of ingredients for the making of pastry varies with the kinds of flour used and the kinds of pastry desired. Some varieties can be made with a comparatively small amount of fat, while others require a large amount. The use to which the paste is to be put will determine the proportion of fat to be used. It varies from the minimum amount of one-sixth as much fat as flour, by measure, or one-third, by weight, which is the proportion for economy paste, to one-half, by measure, or an equal amount by weight, which is the proportion used in the making of puff paste. For the ordinary preparation of pies, an amount midway between the two extremes is usually sufficient, while oftentimes less may be used to advantage. It should be remembered that fat is the most expensive ingredient in pastry making and should be used with discretion.

11.The amount of liquid in proportion to the amount of flour is about one-fourth, by measure, for, as is explained inHot Breads, pie crust is an example of a stiff dough, and such dough requires four times as much flour as liquid. However, liquid should be added to the other ingredients until the correct consistency is obtained, regardless of the quantity used. The consistency is not right until the flour and the fat cling together in such a way that the mixture may be rolled out to form the crust for a pie. The less liquid used to accomplish this condition, the flakier will be the crust when it is baked. More skill is required in the handling of pastry when the smallest amount of water that can possibly be used is added, but the results achieved usually justify the care that is taken.

12.The utensils needed for pastry making are few in number and simple in use. They consist of a mixing bowl, two case knives, a spatula, a rolling pin, a flour sieve, two measuring cups, two measuring spoons, and pie tins. Fig. 1 shows the way in which these necessary utensils as well as the required ingredients for pastry should be placed so as to be handy for the person who is to use them. It will be well to observe the placing of these, for much depends on their convenient arrangement. The kind of utensils to use requires consideration, also.

[Illustration: FIG. 1]

13.A bowl of any description may be used for the mixing, the usual cake-making bowl being very satisfactory. As the illustration shows, this utensil should have a round bottom, as the ingredients may be kept together better in such a bowl than in a pan of another kind. The two case knives are needed for mixing the ingredients in the bowl, and the spatula is used in handling the paste. The rolling pin, which is used for rolling out the dough to the required thickness, may be made of any material, but it should be one that will revolve while the handles remain stationary. With such a utensil it is possible to procure a lighter touch than with one that has fixed handles. The flour sieve is an absolute necessity, because the flour for pastry must be made as light as possible by sifting. One of the measuring cups is needed for the flour, or dry ingredient, and the other for the water, or wet ingredient. The two measuring spoons, which should be of different sizes, are used for measuring the salt and the shortening.

The kind of pans to use for pies depends largely on the opinion of the person making the pies. Ordinary tin pans will answer the purpose, but aluminum, baking-glass, or earthenware pans will prove to be more satisfactory because they retain the heat longer than do pans made of other materials. If desired, enamelware pans may be used, but this material chips easily and consequently is not very satisfactory.

The enamel top of a pastry table or the zinc-covered or vitrolite top of a kitchen cabinet will be satisfactory for the rolling out of the pastry, as will also a hardwood molding board. Whichever one of these is used should, of course, be perfectly clean and dry.

14.Several methods of mixing the ingredients used in pastry are followed, each one producing a different effect in the finished product. The method employed in the making of plain pastry, such as is commonly used for pies, consists in first mixing the shortening and the flour and then adding the liquid.

Another method is adopted for pastries that are intended to be somewhat flakier and of a little better quality than plain pastry. In this method, half of the fat is mixed with the flour and the water is then added to the mixture. With this done, the dough that is formed is rolled out, the remaining fat placed on it, and the pastry then folded and rolled repeatedly in such a way as to incorporate all the fat.

Still another method is followed when puff paste or fancy pastry dishes are desired. Only a very small quantity of fat is mixed with the flour or flour alone is prepared. Water is then added and the mixture is kneaded until it becomes smooth and elastic. When the kneading is done, the dough is rolled out in a certain shape, the fat is placed on it, and, after it is folded over the fat, it is put through a series of foldings and rollings until all the fat is incorporated.

The first and the third of these methods are explained and illustrated here in detail, so that the housewife ought not have any difficulty in producing splendid results. As the second method is practically a combination of the other two, familiarity with them will insure success with it.

Pastry ingredients may be mixed by methods that differ from the three just mentioned. One of these is illustrated in the method given later for the making of easy pastry. This seems to be a complete reversal of the rules observed in making pastry in the usual ways. The water is hot and the fat is melted in it. The flour is added to the liquid and the fat instead of the liquid being added to the flour and the fat. In spite of the fact that all this appears to be contrary, the results obtained by this method are satisfactory.

15. PROCEDURE IN MAKING PLAIN PASTRY.--The first step in the making of plain pastry consists in sifting the flour with the salt into the mixing bowl. After this has been done, the fat should be worked into the flour, an operation that may be accomplished in three ways.

The method most commonly adopted is to work in the fat with the fingers; but this plan has its disadvantages in that it is not a very agreeable way and the fat becomes so warmed by the higher temperature of the fingers that it is liable to impair the finished product.

Again, some persons mix the fat with the flour by means of a fork, using this utensil to crush the lumps of fat against the sides of the bowl.

[Illustration: FIG. 2][Illustration: FIG. 3]

[Illustration: FIG. 2]

[Illustration: FIG. 3]

By far the most satisfactory method and the one that produces the best results is that shown in Fig. 2. Put the required amount of fat into the bowl containing the flour and the salt, and then, with two knives, as shown, cut the fat into the flour until the particles of fat are about the size of a small pea. As can readily be seen, this method, which is perhaps as speedy as any method that may be adopted, has the advantage of being entirely sanitary.

16.The next step is that of adding the liquid to the mixture of flour and fat. Heap the particles up in the center of the bowl, make a depression in the mixture, and, as shown in Fig. 3, pour the water into this in a thin stream, stirring the mixture all the time with a knife or a spatula. Be careful to add just enough water to make the mass of fat and flour barely cling together. As soon as the water has been added, gather the mixture into a mass preparatory to rolling it out on the board.

17.At this point, flour the molding board or other surface slightly, shape enough of the dough mixture to cover a pie pan into a rounded mass, and place it on the floured space. Then, as shown in Fig. 4, roll it out with the rolling pin until it is about 1/8 inch in thickness, using a light, careful motion and keeping the piece of dough as nearly round as possible, so that it will fit the pan it is intended to cover.

When the rolling has been completed, roll the edge of the pastry over the rolling pin, hold it carefully over the pie pan, and, as shown in Fig. 5, unroll it gradually so that it will fall in the right place and cover the pan properly. With the paste in the pan, press it lightly with the fingers in order to make it cling closely to the bottom and the sides. Then, as shown in Fig. 6, trim the paste evenly by running a knife around the edge of the pan. When this is done, the pan is properly covered with paste for a one-crust pie or with the bottom crust for a pie that is to have two crusts.

[Illustration: FIG. 4]

18.In case a one-crust pie is to be made, the kind of filling to be used determines whether the crust should be baked first or not. For pies that require comparatively long baking, such as pumpkin pie, for instance, the raw crust is filled with the mixture and the two, crust and mixture, are then baked in the oven together. However, if the filling is one that does not require baking for any length of time, that is, time sufficient to bake the pastry, or if the filling requires a temperature that would be too low to bake the pastry, the crust should be baked first. In such an event, it is necessary to prick very thoroughly the bottom and the sides of the crust with a fork, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the air that is confined in the pastry will not make bubbles by pushing the pastry up as it expands in baking. A perforated pie tin is an advantage in the baking of shells or single-crust pies, for it prevents the air from becoming confined between the pan and the crust and producing air spaces that would cause blisters to form as the pie is baked. If desired, the crust may be placed over the back of the pan and baked, thus forming a shell that may be filled with a cooked filling and served.

[Illustration: FIG. 5][Illustration: FIG. 6]

[Illustration: FIG. 5]

[Illustration: FIG. 6]

19.When a double-crust pie is to be made, place the filling, which is usually fruit, on the bottom crust, but do not prick the crust in the manner just described. With this done, roll out the top crust and, as shown in Fig. 8, mark it with a knife in any design. The design serves as an outlet for the steam that generally forms inside of the pie as the filling cooks; if no provision is made for the steam to pass out, it will push up the crust and thus spoil the appearance of the pie. Next moisten the edge of the lower crust with a little water, putting it on with the finger, as shown in Fig. 9. Then carefully pick up the marked crust, place it over the filling, and press it down so that the edges of the bottom and the top crust cling together well. In applying the top crust, be careful not to stretch it. If it is put on loosely and pressed down on the edge of the lower crust without being pulled, the contents will not be so apt to cook out of the pie. Trim off the uneven edge with a knife and finish the edges of the top and bottom crusts in any desired way. This may be done by fluting the edge with the fingers or, as shown in Fig. 10, making marks with the tines of a fork. When this has been completed, the pie is ready to bake.

[Illustration: FIG. 7][Illustration: FIG. 8]

[Illustration: FIG. 7]

[Illustration: FIG. 8]

20. BAKING THE PLAIN-PASTRY MIXTURE.--As soon as the pie or other pastry dessert has been prepared, the next step is to bake it. To produce the best results, the pastry should be baked as quickly as possible; consequently, a hot oven is necessary. The baking can be accomplished most successfully in the case of a single crust baked without the filling or a pie containing a mixture that does not require long cooking. Otherwise, the temperature must be sufficiently low to cook the filling so that it will be palatable, and for this reason the pastry is not baked under entirely ideal conditions. The correct temperature for most pastry is from 500 to 600 degrees; that is, the oven should be just about as hot as it can be made. The length of time required for the baking depends entirely on the heat of the oven and the contents of the pie. It should be remembered, however, that to be properly baked, the crust should be neither burned nor pale looking when taken from the oven, but should be a golden brown. Fig. 11 shows a two-crust pie that has had just the right amount of baking.

[Illustration: FIG. 9][Illustration: FIG. 10]

[Illustration: FIG. 9]

[Illustration: FIG. 10]

21.When the filling of the pie does not require so much baking as the crust, it is well to bake the crust partly before putting the filling in. This is particularly advisable in the case of custard pie, for the custard is put in as an uncooked mixture and requires the low temperature necessary for solidifying eggs without causing them to curd. On the other hand, pies containing certain kinds of filling must be baked slowly. When this condition exists, it is advisable to start the baking in a very hot oven, so that the crusts will have the benefit of the high temperature. Then the heat should be gradually reduced until the filling will cook and the crust will not burn.

[Illustration: FIG. 11]

22.Often, especially in the baking of fresh berry or cherry pie, the juice that forms inside the pie cooks out. This is a condition that must be overcome if satisfactory pies are to be the result. Various means of preventing it have been suggested, but one of the successful ones consists in rolling a small piece of paper into a funnel shape, leaving both ends open, and inserting the small end in one of the openings in the top crust. This arrangement provides a vent for the steam, and so the juice is less likely to cook out of the crust while the pie is baking.

23.In making pies, it is well to mix only the quantity of paste that is desired for the number of pies to be made. Usually, 1-1/2 cupfuls of flour will make sufficient paste for one double-crust pie, provided the pan in which it is made is not too large. In case it is necessary to make fresh pie on two consecutive days, a good plan is to make at one time enough paste for both days, for what remains after the first pie is made may be allowed to stand in the refrigerator or some other cool place. Then it may be rolled out on the second day and used in exactly the same way as on the first. However, it is a rather difficult matter to make the exact amount of paste for the pies needed. If nothing more remains, there are usually small scraps left over from the trimming of the edge. These should by all means be put to some good use, for the material is equally as good as that which has been used in the pie and there is no reason why it should be wasted.

24.TARTS.-A very good way in which to utilize these scraps is to make tarts of various kinds and shapes out of them. There are a number of attractive ways in which jam, jelly, marmalade, fruit butter, fresh fruits, apple sauce, stewed prunes, or other cooked or canned fruit may be utilized for the making of tarts. These little pastry desserts are the delight of children, most of whom may be permitted occasionally to eat such a satisfactory delicacy.

25.Before attempting to use the pastry scraps, work them together with the hands. Then roll the piece out with the rolling pin until it is the required thickness and cut it out in the shape desired. To make a simple variety of tart, cut two rounds of the paste with a cooky cutter. In one of these, whichever is to be used for the top, make three or four small holes, using a thimble or some other small cutter. Bake these shapes in the oven separately, and after baking spread the whole one with jelly or jam and over this place the one containing the holes.

[Illustration: FIG. 12]

26.Another attractive way in which to make tarts is to cut rounds of the paste, as shown in Fig. 12, cover small pans with these rounds, and then bake them. Upon taking them from the oven, remove them from the pans and fill them with any desired filling in the form of stewed fruit, jam, custards, etc. If canned or stewed fruit is used, cook it down until it is somewhat thick. These little tarts are delicious when they have had a spoonful of meringue baked on the fruit or are served with a spoonful of whipped cream.

27.Still another variety of tart may be made with very little trouble. Cut the rolled paste into pieces about 4 inches square, and, on a triangular half of the square, place several spoonfuls of fruit with additional sugar, if necessary, and add a little flour to thicken the juice that forms. Fold the other triangular half over the fruit to cover it, turn the edges of the bottom half over the edges of the top, and press them down to keep the fruit from running out. Set in the oven and bake until the paste is brown and the filling of the tart is cooked.

28. SMALL PIES.--Sometimes there may be enough paste remaining to make one crust for a small pie. In such an event, cover the pan with the paste, add a fruit filling of some kind, such as cranberries, apple sauce, marmalade, or fruit butter, and then, out of the scraps that remain, cut several narrow strips and place them over the filling. Such an arrangement makes an agreeable change in the appearance of this dessert.

29. CHEESE STRAWS.--Small pieces of pastry that are left over may also be used to make cheese straws, which are one of the accompaniments often served with salads. To make them, roll grated cheese into the mixture until it is well blended. Then roll out the paste until it is about 1/4 inch thick, cut into narrow strips of the desired length, and bake in a hot oven.

PASTRY

30.Several recipes for pastry that may be used in pie making are here given. These recipes differ as regards the ingredients used and will serve to offer variety in the making of pie crust. With the exception of the recipe for easy pastry, the principles of pastry making already set forth apply to all these recipes alike.

31. PLAIN PASTRY.--Pastry made according to the accompanying directions is the kind that is most frequently used. It requires only a medium amount of shortening, and wheat flour is used in its preparation. It is very satisfactory for any kind of pie desired.

PLAIN PASTRY

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Chop the shortening into the flour with knives. When the fat has been chopped into pieces the size of a small pea, add sufficient cold water to make all the particles adhere, mixing them together with a case knife. There should not be enough water added to make the paste stick to either the bowl or the knife. Divide the mass into halves and press each into a round piece with the fingers. Flour the board slightly and roll out about 1/8 inch thick for the pie crust.

32. ECONOMY PASTE.--When both wheat flour and fat must be saved, economy paste should be tried. Barley flour is substituted for part of the wheat flour, and this with the wheat makes an excellent combination.

ECONOMY PASTE

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Chop in the shortening until it is in particles about the size of a small pea. Add water until the mass will cling together. Roll into sheets about 1/8 inch thick for pie crust.

33. QUALITY PASTE.--The accompanying recipe gives directions for a very good quality of paste. As will be noted, the lard, which is used for part of the shortening, is added to the flour, and the butter, which forms the other part, is worked into the dough. If the directions here given are carefully followed, excellent results can be expected.

QUALITY PASTE

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the lard and chop very fine. Add enough water to make a stiff dough. This will require just a little more water than the pastes previously given. Roll the paste in a rectangular form, spread the butter evenly over the paste, and fold so as to make three layers. Turn half way round and roll out so as to make a rectangle in the opposite direction. Fold, turn, and roll in this way four times, handling the rolling pin and paste as lightly as possible. Use to cover the pan and bake in a quick oven.

34. SOUR-CREAM PASTRY.--A slightly different kind of pastry can be made by using sour cream for the liquid and adding a small quantity of soda to neutralize the acid in the cream. Besides providing a means of using up cream that has become sour, this recipe makes a pastry that appeals to most persons.

SOUR-CREAM PASTRY

Sift the flour, salt, and soda together in a mixing bowl. Chop in the shortening and add the cream. Knead the paste slightly and after taking it out on the board, divide it into halves. Proceed in the usual manner for making pastry.

35. EASY PASTRY.--A departure from the usual kind of pastry is easy pastry, directions for which are given in the accompanying recipe. It is more moist and a little more difficult to handle than pastry made in the usual way; consequently, it is more ideal for single-crust pies than for double-crust ones. Besides being easy to make, pastry of this kind will stand a great deal more handling without injury than any other kind. It may be placed on the pan and patted out where it seems too thick or patched where it pulls apart. The amounts given here will make one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies of medium size.

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