Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-25
'DNIY HOUSEHOLD COLUMN.
Palatabls Dishes at Minimum Expense
and Easy Of Preparation.
BY MRS. MARY J. LINCOLN.
Copyright, 1888 by Walter B. Guild.)
HINTS FOR OUR THANKSGIVING
PIES


HINTS FOR OUR THANKSGIVING
PIES.
However much we may disapprove OF
pastry both for hygenic reasons and
because the, time spent in making it
might better be otherwise employed,
there is a time when the menu for the
day would not seem complete without
at least three varieties of this favorite
branch Of our grandmother's culinary
skill. As that day is now approaching
we win devote some time to a detailed
consideration of some Of the many
points essential to success in this art,
and which are not usually explained in
a brief recipe.
1t is desirable that the upper crusts
of pies should be both tender, faky and
puffy. Pastry may be tender and rich
in fat, without having any of the pecu-
liar characteristics which are fouid in
faky crust, and it may be both tender
and faky, yet if there be sufficient air
imprisoned between the flakes it will
not rise to double and treble its height
as will a well-roIled and folded puff
paste. To be rich yet not greasy, to be
tender and crisp without being hard, to
have well defined layers of the thinnest
possible fakes, each one pulled up
apart from its mates, is the desideratum
in puff paste.
The under crusts of pies need not be
puffy, for the weight of the filling
would prevent this, not matter how
much labor be spent in the making, but
they should always be tender. No mat
ter how easily the upper crust brushes
and divides under the knife, if there is
the least resistance with the lower crust
you instinctiveiy feel that the pastry is
not first-class Therefore make plain
but tender paste for lining the plates,
and use the puff paste for the rims and
covers, and always for patties and
tarts.
For apple and pumpkin pies puff
paste is not essential, for crust which
is tender and (if properly folded and
rolled), one which may be sufficiently
fiakey, may be made with much less
labor than is required for puff paste.
And for such pies it is not worth while
to make any difference in the quality
of the two crusts.
Pastry -four is the most satisfactory
in the end, but very good crust may be
made from bread -four by using more
shortening and more water.
Lard makes a white and tender crust,
and butter brown, tough and richer
favored crust, therefore mixture of
the two is desirable Butter alone is
generally used in puff paste but some
cooks prefer to use small portion of
lard in making the dough, and then
roll in the butter.
T to1z ;nR not, fo n
pastry we'll baked, particularly the
lower crusts. There are many ways of
accomplishing this, even if your oven
be uncertain.
For squash, pumpkin, cuStard and
other pies which must have an under
crust and the filling cooked in pie,
try the plan OF partially baking the
crust first, with mock filling of crusts
of clean rags to keep it in shape.
Pies which are to be filled with
cooked mixture like cranberry, stewed
apple, etc, may have the under crust
laid over the inserted pie plate and af-
ter baking it in this way slip it off on
to a plate for serving and fill with the
prepared material. A lattice work COW
er may be baked on tin by itself and
put on the top.
The two crusts are sometimes put to-
gether with mock filing, and baked;
then opened and filled with a cooked
mixture. All of these methods will
give a different favor from that where
the filing and crust are baked together
and each person must decide for herself
which she prefers; the soggy UNDERGONE
crust which retains the filing, and
gives you a shapely segment or the
more hygenic mixture Of crust and fruit
even without a regular shape.
The butter and lard should be hard
and cold and finely crumbled or faxed,
so they will simply be coated with
flour, but they should not in any sense
moisten the -four Then the water will
form them into dough.
Pastry is often made with the short
ening so soft that it makes a dough
with the -four Immediately, needing but
a trife of water to complete the union,
and while this is tender it is not deli
cate and flakey like the best pastry.
MARY ]. LINCOLN.