The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-03
HOUSEHOLD.
PIE MAKING.

PIE AKIN
Nothing can be more thoroughly
satisfying chan a good home made pie.
In fact, it is a great treat. The max
ing of a cool pie is not a difficult mat
ter, but requires a certain l1ghtness L
handling, a dizziness in the putting
together of the ingredients: Like mil
1inery, the more quickly. pastery
is tossed together, the lighter and
better the effect.
First give yourself plenty of elbow
room. Then get together all the in
gradients and utensils; let the fire be
in such a state that you will not have
to give it a second thought; then, one
-twO-three-and begin!
1t is out of the question to do good
baking of any kind with inferior flour.
It is really economy to get the best
brand of family flour; and be sure you
keep it in a dry place.
Sfft the -four well, and then mix the
salt well through it. IF you should use
all butter for shortening, you will not
require so much salt. Where lard only
is used, half a t~easpoonful of salt will
be necessary to a pint and a half of
flour.
It is considered advisable to make
pastry in a cold room, and using ice
water. But the most tempting pies L
have ever seen were made 1 a hot
kitchen on a hot summer day, and
with water that was anything but ice
cold.
In putting on the upper crust of a
pie, first mOisten with q mere brush
ing of milk or white of egg the edge of
the lower. The two crusts will then
adhere, and the juice and flavor then
be retained.
To give a nice brown surface to pies,
brush them over with white of egg
while hot, or with a very little milk,
before they are baked.
French Puff Paste.-Sift into a bowl
one pound of -four. Divide three quar-
tiers of a pound of butter into two equal
parts. Cut up into the flour One-half
of the butter. Beat the yOlk of one
egg. and then stir it into half a cup of
ice water, or water that is quite cold,
and mix this with the flour, making q
stiff dough. Roll the dough out very
thin. and spread it with One-third of
the remaining half of the butter.
sprinkle very lightly with flour, fold
up and roll out again, and spread again
with butter, repeating this process till
all the butter is used up. When the
pies are baked, brush the tops with the
white of the egg, which must be
beaten.
Transparent Crust.-Melt one pound
of butter in a saucepan which has been
set in another vessel with boiling water,
and stir to keep it from boiling. When
we'll melted, remOve the salty scum
beat up the butter, little by little, with
the beaten white of one egg. When
thoroughly beaten, work in n pound
of flour. Roll out twice, sprinkling
lightly with flour before folding up.
Let it remain folded in a cold place for
about ten minutes before using. This
crust should only be used for tarts and
pates, and not for large pies.
Plain Pie Crust.-IntO three cups of
-four cut up one cup Of shortening
half lard, half butter. Rub the short
ening lightly through the flour, and
wet with cold water till it will roll out.
If the quantity of butter will not give
the flour a sufficiently salt taste, add
the fourth of a teaspoonful of salt. Roll
out lightly and quickly. This quantity
will make two pies.
In preparing apples for pie, use only
those which will cook quickly andcook
clear. Use as little water as will serve.
To apple enough for each pie add a tea
spoonful of butter, sugar, and grated
nutmeg or grated lemon rind. Boiled
custard-each goblet containing half a
dozen blanched almOnds-is a delight
full addition to serve with apple pie.
For pumkin pie, bake the pumpkin
instead of stewing it. 1t will be much
richer and drier. While you, scald a
pint of milk, scoop out a quart of the
baked pumpkin. Mix the milk with it,
add three well beaten eggs, a teaspoon
full and a half of rose water, one table
spoonful of butter, a teaspOonful and
half of ginger, a teaspoonful of CHINA
mon. Scalding the milk enriches the
pumpkin, and thus fewer eggs are re-
quired.
For apple meringue stew green ap-
pies very dry; sweeten thoroughly
d the beaten yolks of two eggs, the
grated rind of a lemon, one tablespoon
full of butter, and one teaspoonful of
mace. Bake OF a bottom crust. Beat
the whites with sugar to a stiff froth,
pile it on the meringue, and set it in
the oven to color the icing lightly.
EMMA M. JOHNSTON.