The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-26
PIE-CRUST DEGENERATION.
Points from au Expert on the Art OF MAX
ing Fine Pastry.

Points from au Expert on tho Art OF MAX
ing Fine Pastry.
There Is an idea prevalent that the making
Of pie crust Is becoming a lost art, and the
cause is said by q correspondent Of the Eng
lish medical paper. the Lancet. to be the disuse
of the rolling pin. One OF the leading experts
In flour and pastry In this city thinks otherwise.
In the old DAYS, he says, when pastry was
considered to be so good by the mature men
and women of to-day. the great bulk Of the
wheat cror was grown in the Eastern States,
on land which had ben steadily under culti-
walton for wears and was under practically
the same climatic conditions. The result
was a uniformity In the tour which Is neither
looked for nor expected to-day. Wheat is
now grown from New York to San Francisco,
and from the great lakes nearly to the Gulf.
In some places the straw grows as high as a
mans head; In others Il, is not eighteen inches
high when ripe. The grain OF some wheat Is
large. fruity, and full; that of other wheat is
long, spare, and thin, and the chemical analy-
sis shows a great variance. All these differ
ences have due effect on the hour. The first
people to notice the fact to any extent were
the English, and as long ms thirty or more
years ago 1t Was a canon among good house
wives that for fine pun pastry 1t was not safe
to use American flour only. American -four
was therefore blended with two parts OF English
-four, generally grown right In the %nelghbor-
hood. Bakers here follow the same plan. Sam
pies of -four are procured and tested, and from
the selections the supply Is bought. Then when
until the proportions Of Nebraska, Kansas, New
York. or what not, are found which furnish
the finest pastry and pie-Crust Hour. Nothing
Is left to chance, such care Ia beyond the reach
of the home maker OF pies. and the lack of II
is one of the factors in producing poor pie
crust. The dificulty can be overcome to II
cert in extent by keeping two distinct tours
4r nHsa OF 1 iour OF for any Bread ," and d"r one f for pnstFy
only, this to be bought OF any large house as
special pastry flour" OF any leading brand.
or vice versa. The best pastry and ple-crust
iour. ii the world comes from Austria.
expert, the roiIing:pi idea is ali wrons;,i it
is born OF poetry AID ignorance. The less the
paste sstsr is 6bsi TSd' and p5l' itllbt "R Rand dpG5sa 4, w ibe DIE ths
esst ntIal TO success after the right Hour Is OBJ
tanned, and the second Is temperature, while
the third Is good butter as against olcomarga-
rlne, Take the quantity OF -four required,
sitt II through ., fairly coarse sieve lalth ugh
salt. and rub enough good utter and lard. in
about equal parts. into II to make 1t granulate
I m"ea in - m meal neal ,H N1% wia9 very s 1u G"id wa sng
lightly, and lay It near the ice for an hour. and
then use IL, and, II II is practicable, work Il
and a breeze blowing. for that Is the ideal place.
The great value Of good butter Is ut once
the oven. II the butter is good, pure. honest
butter. IL will rise with the paste, tipping 1t
with gold. and hgkinT ii He mica, but IL u
10 hfAh'N VI A'hs 'AhNH ~ 100 49,
from the paste and sink 10 the bottom, making
the lower. crust soggy and iyspeptic breeding.
eat will demonstrate the presence OF .oleo
every time, and precipitaie the pieces of fat
or suet which go "a its formation, and this is
death to good pastry. Wherever possible the
housewife should render out her, own lard
for pastry; there IL much TO tie bought for
which high claims are made, but II will all
be found to have a whit,ncss which the home
rendered lard can never have, ana that attrac'
tive appearance is paid fer ia some deteriUra-
ton of the lard product making It unsuitable
for nno pie crusts.
There Is still one element tn reckon with,
and that Is the nerves Of the woman making
the paste, Some women can never make paste
tuition and application, but all may make
good paste with proper attention.. The more
placid women, not necessarily the slow or
stupid ones, will make the better pie crust,
and that fact may have some bearing on the
much Wanted pie Crusts Of our mothers. Still
another item is scTupulOus cleanliness OF the
materials and adjuncts. The marble, slate.
or wooden rolling boards and the bowls should
be at once well scrubbed afte using and well
dried either by slow stove heat or sun heat.
and 1t Is not advisable 10 leave this To ser
wants without supervision, Great care should
be taken 10 keep the -four Stocks away from
strong-smellinR things, such as cheese, kerO-
sene, and vegetables, and IL should be an un-
devtAting rule 10 empty the nouri from the
bag into q proper Eastwood Dali As. soon as IL
is received. and each time Il II emptied % have
that pail well scrubbed out and dried before
the neat supply OF flour Is placed In II.
IF these simple rules are carefully observed
there Is no reason why pie orust or fine pastry
should be poor; 1t should be good, and some Of
II should be as near perfection as II ever was
IN the years gone BY" -