Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-02-21

Csrsspesdspcs on topics Of Interest 70 ths ladiee
n sofcited. Address, Editor HonEnAKHns'
COLUMN. oxford Democrat. Paris. Maine.
PUFF PASTE.
n one ID to indulge In the use OF rich
puddings and pastry ut any time, It
should be during the winter season,
when more food Of q heating nature Ii
required by the system, and can be more
easily digested.
Both at luncheons and dinner parties,
puff paste may be used In great variety
Of forms, but to have It In perfection
much care must be used.
Many people say, "0h! never In
dulge In puff paste, 1t Il 30 rich" and
they never for q moment consider how
much more harmful Il may be to par
take Of underdone, plain pie crust, or
soggy, slack baked bread and hot bis
cults. Truth to tell, pun paste, proper
| ly made and baked, Is a. dIgestible %
two-thirds of the food ordinarily served
to well people; and 10 fat OF some Kind
Ia needed In cold weather, pastry, In
moderation, may be occasionally In
dulged In.
The making Of puff paste Is not easily
taught on paper. Many professional
cooks, successful In almost everything
else, fall 10 this, possibly because they
do not understand the underlying prin-
ciple. They fall to understand that the
addition of too much butter will injure
rather than improve the paste, and OBJ
tain, as the result of their labor, Q rich,
faky crust, rather than q light, puffy
one, delicate to the touch, and delicious
In flavor.
For pastry Of any kind, be sure that
YOU have the right kind OF -four. a
good bread -four will not make delicate,
tender pastry. Buy either st. Louis
pastry -four, or, II that Ii not to be OBJ
tained, use straight winter wheat fiour.
| Il Is also necessary to have the materials
very cold, and II the paste becomes
warm at any time during the process OF
making, place 1t Immediately between
two pans of Ice, and chill thoroughly
before attempting to handle II.
The proportions to be used are:
| One pound of -four, one pound OF but
ter, one tesspoonful OF salt, the unbeaten
yolk of one egg, one teaspoonful OF
lemon Juice, and enough Ice water to
make stiff dough. II the paste Is to be
made In warm weather, or 10 warm
room, 8 or 10 pounds Of cracked Ice will
also be needed.
Place the -four, salt, egg, and lemon
juice In q bowl, mix to q tlffdough with
Ice water, and knead on sllghtly -four
ed board until smooth. Pat out rather
thin, and lay II In q napkin between two
pans Of Ice. Scald a large bowl, and
dip the insides of your hands In very
hot water; now throw out the hot
water and rinse both the bowl and hands
with cold water. Put a piece OF Ice ln
the bowl, MI two-thlrds full with cold
water, and put the pound OF butter 10
this. Break It into four equal parts, and
squeeze and work with the hands until
all the buttermilk Is worked out and the
butter Is pliable as wax. Pat each part
out into thin, rectangular cake, and
place In napkin between two pans OF
Ice. Il is well to do this some time be-
fore making the paste, but not absolute.
" necessary, AS II will become chilled
sufficiently to use In few moments II
necessary.
Now place the dough on the mOldlng
board, pat II quite thin with the rolling
pln, and lift frequently from the board
to keep II from sticking; roll into a
rectangular shape, and lay 1t on one
side of the board. Dredge about four
inches In width of the other side OF the
board thoroughly with -four, then roll
out with the rolling pin until about the
length Of the paste; free 1t from the
board with knife, and lay 1t on the
middle Of the paste; fold the edges OF
the latter over to almost meet, then
bring the ends over In the same way.
fold together In book form, turn the
paste halfway round, and pat and roll
out again. Repeat the process until all
the butter Is In, and four times more.
BE careful to keep the paste so cold
that Il will not stick, and use but very
little -four on the board, which must be
kept perfectly dry and smooth with n
clean napkin. II the rolling pin be-
comes sticky, wipe II of ut once.
After the paste Is made, place 1t be
tween the Ice to chill thoroughly before
baking, then give your attention to the
oven.
This must be very hot on the bottom
when the paste Is put In. Remember
the putting Is caused by the expansion
of the air enclosed In the folding, and II
the patties are scared over the top too
soon the paste will not have chance to
rise. Reduce the heat after the first ten
minutes, and then put the little centre
rounds In to bake, that were cut out oil
the UPPER circles. These Will be used to
cover the patties after filling.
A frequent cause Of failure find to be
10 careless washing Of the butter, or In
hurrying the making Of the paste with
out stopping to chill 1t II 1t becomes
warm, or In beginning to bake In too
slow an oven, when the butter will sure
ly try out and the pastry rise unevenly.
IL does seem waste Of time to make
puff paste for ordinary pies. l only use
II for outside rims on these, but there Is
nothing SO satisfactory for vOl-au-yent
or patties, aud It IL simply delicious
baked In rounds or triangles, and served
individually with border Of stewed and
seasoned apple or other fruit. :.
BuRCIIIEs A La REINE.-Cut small
rounds from puff paste; cut cne-quarter
of nm inch thick, with smaller cutter
remove the centres from half OF them.
Wet the upper edges Of the whole ones
with Ice water and put on the rims.
Chill before baking, and when cooked
remove the underdOne paste from the
centres, I'LL with either Of the following
mixtures, and serve hot.
FILLING FOR A VoL-AU-VENT OR
EIGHT PATTIEs.-Sprlnkle one pint OF
cold cooked chicken or sweetbreads, cut
Into dice, with half teaspoonful OF salt
and n tablespoonful Of white pepper.
Make one cup of sauce with one table
spoonful Of butter, one rounding table
spoonful Of -four, a quarter OF a tea
spoonful OF salt, a quarter OF q salt
spoonful OF pepper, aud one cup OF hot
white stock. milk or cream. To this hot
sauce, add the prepared meat, or equsl
proportions of meat or canned mush-
rooms cut In thin slices, or In quarters.
III cold fish Is to be used, break Into
small flakes with silver fork. II Oys.
tiers are desired, parboil slightly, and
drain before using. A teaspOonful OF
lemon juice will improve the sauce Tor
any fish. IL brown sauce Is desired,
brown the butter before adding the
-four, use heaping tablespoonful OF
-four, and brown II In the butter before
adding any liquid, then use either brown
stock. water or oyster liquor. The nd.
ditlon Of one tablespoonful OF essence OF
anchovies to the brown oyster Filings is
. great Improvement.
For yellow filling add the slightly
beaten yOlks Of two eggs to either white
sauce lust before serving, being es-