Pastry

Plain Pastry for Pies

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 cup shortening—butter and lard
Ice-water

Utensils

Mixing-bowl
Palette-knife
Bread-board
Rolling-pin
Fork
Pie-pan

Directions for Making the Pastry

1.

Sift the flour into a mixing-bowl.

2.

Cut the shortening into tiny bits.

3.

Wash the hands in cold water, and dry them. With the finger-tips work the shortening into the flour as quickly as possible.

4.

When thoroughly mixed, add a little ice-water, mixing it into the flour and shortening with a palette-knife. Use barely enough water to moisten the mixture, keeping the dough as stiff as possible.

Directions for Using the Pastry

1.

Sprinkle the bread-board with flour, place the dough on the board, and cut it into two equal parts.

2.

Set one part aside, and after sprinkling flour over the rolling-pin, roll out the remaining part into a sheet a little less than a quarter of an inch thick. If the dough sticks to the board, loosen it carefully with a knife. If it breaks or tears, fold the sheet of dough over once each way, sprinkle more flour on the board and rolling-pin, and roll the dough out again. It is important that there shall be no hole in the lower crust of a pie.

3.

Lay the sheet of dough in a pie-pan, and press it down against the bottom and sides of the pan.

4.

Dip one finger into cold water and moisten the dough around the edge of the pan.

5.

Pour in the fruit or whatever pie-filling is to be used. This must always be cold.

6.

Roll out the remaining dough, as described above, for the top crust.

7.

With a sharp knife make several cuts two or three inches long through the centre of the sheet of dough, forming a design if desired. These cuts are necessary to allow the steam to escape in baking.

8.

Lay the top crust over the top of the pie, and with the tines of a fork press the top and bottom crusts together all around the edge of the pan.

9.

Hold the pie-pan on the palm of the left hand, and with a knife trim off the overhanging portions of dough close to the rim of the pan all around.

10.

Cut the pieces of dough thus removed into thin strips, and press these strips into the dough all around the edge of the top crust.

11.

Place the pie in a hot oven, and immediately reduce the heat. If uncooked fruit is used for the filling, the heat must be very slow in order to cook the fruit thoroughly.

12.

Bake from thirty to fifty minutes, the length of time depending upon the nature of the filling used.

Fresh Fruit or Berry Pies

Apples should be cut in quarters, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced.

Peaches should be peeled, cut in half, stoned, and sliced.

Cherries or plums should have the stones removed.

Strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, etc., should be thoroughly washed in cold water, and allowed to drain.

Cranberries should be cooked in accordance with the directions for Cranberry Sauce.

In using any uncooked fruits or berries above mentioned, fill the lower crust of the pie with the prepared fruit. Pour over this from ½ to a full cup of sugar, into which one tablespoon of flour has been mixed. The amount of sugar will depend upon the relative sweetness of the fruit used. In the case of apple pie, the flour should be omitted, but the pie should be flavored with ½ teaspoon of spice or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Any fruit or berry pie may be made richer by putting a few bits of butter on top of the filling before the top crust is placed over it.

Dried or Canned Fruit Pies

Any kind of dried fruit may be used for pies, after it has been prepared according to the directions for Stewed Dried Fruit.

In using canned fruits for pies, very little, if any, sugar should be added to the fruit. A tablespoon of flour should, however, be stirred into the fruit to thicken the juice.

Filling for Squash or Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

Fresh squash or pumpkin
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon clove
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
¾ cup milk

Utensils

Steamer
Colander
Potato-masher
Double-boiler
Mixing-bowl
Dover beater
Mixing-spoon

Directions

1.

Steam several pieces of peeled squash or pumpkin until tender.

2.

Put the steamed vegetable through the potato-ricer, or mash it with a potato masher through a colander.

3.

Scald the milk in a double-boiler.

4.

Beat the egg, and add it to 1 cup of the mashed vegetable in a bowl.

5.

Stir the hot milk, sugar, cinnamon, and clove into the vegetable, mixing all well together.

6.

Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly before being used in a pie.

Remarks

Squash or pumpkin pie is made with a bottom crust only. The pie should be put into a moderate oven, and the heat reduced after five minutes. Cook very slowly, until the filling thickens like custard.

Filling for Lemon Pie

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1¼ cups boiling water
4 tablespoons corn-starch
½ tablespoon butter
1 lemon
2 eggs—yolks only

Utensils

Tablespoon
Lemon-squeezer
Grater
Dover beater
Vegetable-knife
Saucepan
Bowl
Cup

Directions

1.

Grate the rind of the lemon, then cut the lemon in two and squeeze out the juice.

2.

Mix the sugar and corn-starch together in a saucepan.

3.

Pour the boiling water slowly into the saucepan with the sugar and corn-starch, stirring constantly.

4.

Place the saucepan over the fire, and allow the mixture to cook until it becomes a clear thick paste, stirring all the time.

5.

Take from the stove, add the butter, lemon juice, and grated rind, and mix well.

6.

Beat the egg-yolks until light, and stir them into the paste in the saucepan.

7.

Allow the entire mixture to cool thoroughly before being used in a pie.

Remarks

Lemon pie is made with a bottom crust only. After the pie is baked, the top is usually covered with Meringue, and the pie put back in the oven for a few minutes to brown the Meringue.

Filling for Custard Pie

Use the materials for Baked Custard and follow the first three directions for that recipe. Pour the uncooked custard into the bottom crust of the pie. Omit the top crust. Put in a moderately hot oven and reduce the heat at once, allowing the pie to bake slowly until the custard is stiff and the top well browned. A little nutmeg may be sprinkled over the top of the pie before baking.

Filling for Cocoanut Pie

Use the materials for Baked Custard and follow the first three directions for that recipe. Stir into the uncooked custard ½ cup of grated cocoanut.^[1] Make the pie without a top crust, and bake in a slow oven until the top is browned and the filling stiff.

↑ Coconut is spelled cocoanut in the original text.

Meringue for Pies or Puddings

Ingredients

2 eggs—whites only
7 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Utensils

Bowl
Dover beater
Lemon-squeezer
Knife

Directions

1.

Beat the egg-whites until very stiff.

2.

Add the sugar, a little at a time, beating continually.

3.

Add the lemon juice, a few drops at a time, still beating.

4.

Continue to beat for about fifteen minutes, or until the mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape.

Salads and Salad Dressings

The Plain Sailing Cook Book

Puddings

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BY

Book Cover The Plain Sailing Cook Book Beige Minimalistic Cookbook Digital Notebook Cover (3D) 2.png

Susanna Shanklin Browne

SOURCE

Public Domain

[1] Coconut is spelled cocoanut in the original text.

[1]

Pastry

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