Evening star., 1901-09-28
Table and Kitchen.
Puff Paste Requires the Best Materials
and SkilIfuI Handling.

the half-baked bread and biscuits. Puff
paste is the least injurious of the pastries
or pie crusts, and when skillfuly made and
wholesome and proper material used, it Is
light, tender and not necessarily harmful
to one enjoying ordinary good digestion
w hile the amount of butter used, which
must be of the freshest and sweetest quail
ity, puts it in the class of luxuries for
those in moderate circumstances, 1t were
wiser, even under such conditions, to in
dulge in this, if you must have pie acca-
Sionally, rather than in the ordinary pastry
found on tables
1t is not the amount of shortening used
that makes the pastry indigestible so much
as the inferior quality of the shortening
and the ignorant handling of the pastry
that renders it tough and unfit to eat. Ran
cid butter is quite as Objectionable as i'm
pure fats.
Why Puff Paste is More DigestibIe.
Puff paste when properly made has
light -four that has been well dried and
sifted to separate the particles, a sweet
wholesome fat in the form of fresh, un-
salted butter, and by it's construction is
made very light and fiaky. The flakes be-
ing exceedingly thin, separated by the air
that is folded into the paste in the process
of rolling, are SO delicate that the slightest
touch will crush them, and this allows the
gastric fluids to very readily separate the
particles.
How to Proceed.
AS we have stated the first important
point is to have the best materials. An
other feature equally important is that from
the beginning until the pastry goes into the
oven it must be very cold.
Unsalted butter is best to use if you can
get it; If not, the salt must be washed out
in Ice water.
1t Is a little difficult to make puff paste,
not having seen the process, but when I'M
derstood it is really simple. One other
point to remember is that you cannot use
the puff paste soon as made. 1t should
stand at least twelve hours in a cold, dry
place.
An ordinary pastry board can be used,
but it is much better to have stone pas
try slab, as it is always smooth and will
keep the pastry cooler Have smooth
hardwood roller or glass or porcelain pm;
this should be also chilled. Fill large
china mixing bowl with boiling water and
let stand till cool; then fill with ice water
to chill; this prevents the butter from
sticking Pour out this water and Ealt
fill the bowl with ice water and small
piece of ice. Take half pound of butter,
put it in the bowl of ice water and, holding
it under the water, work it thoroughly
with both hands until it is smooth and
elastic. Break off about an ounce of the
butter and fold the rest in a Toured cloth
and lay on ice to chill. Have your slab
well chilled and dry; heap half pound of
flour, suitable for pastry, in the center of
the slab. Make a well in the center and
put in this the small piece of butter, white
of one egg and scant half teaspoOntul of
salt if butter Is fresh, unsalted Now, with
the tips of the fingers and thumb, work
these together round and round, incorpor-
ating the flour gradually and moistening
with enough ice water from time to time
to make dough about the consistency of
ShOrtcake (about cup of water Will be
required). Continue working in the flour.
gradually in this until all the
flour is in, and then knead or work the
paste about on the slab until it is smooth
and leaves the slab clean and free and
does not stick to the fingers. This should
be done without using any more flour than
what was first placed on the slab. Now
dust the slab lightly with -four then form
ing the paste into ball knead it like
bread for five minutes Now separate the
paste into two equal parts, dust the slab
lightly with flour, roll out each piece of
paste into a round about quarter of an
inch thick. Take the large piece of butter
from the ice and quickly breaking it into
small pieces dot them over one section CT
the paste, but not too near the edge Dust
with little flour; lay the other portion of
paste over the butter; beat it down lightly
with the roller it will not push off in
rolling; then, starting gently at the edge
nearest you, roll out from you, in one di-
rection, into long, narrow, thin sheet.
Do not press down heavily, and use knife
and not the hands or fingers for handling
the paste: fold the sides of the paste in
evenly toward the center; then each end CT
the paste entirely over to the center; then
fold over evenly once more. Now you have
a square; turn this around half way and
roll out again, always from you; fold
again; lay on plate and set on Ice for
fifteen minutes; take out, roll and fold
twice again, and put back on the ice. Do
this four times. rolling and folding eight
times in all. Fold in a dry napkin and
place in the refrigerator until the next
day. This will keep for some time and the
"ripening process improves it. In rolling
the paste be careful not to break any of
the air bubbles you depend on the air
folded in the paste to make it light and
fiaky. The heat of the oven expands the
air, which, of course, pushes up the dough,
separating it into the many thin layers
1t is really a method of leavening without
using yeast or baking powder. This paste
may be used for many purposes-pies, patty
cases, tarts. vol-au-vents and cannelons
or cream horns, also known lady locks.
Before beginning to work the salt and
buttermilk from the butter, first wash your
hands in hot, soapy water; then rinse them
in cold water, but do not dry them. This
prevents the butter sticking to the hands.
CanneIons.
With revival of many of the old-time
dishes comes a fancy for those formerly
known as lady-locks. Cut strips of paste
about an inch wide and roll around the
Toured stick or tin form made for the
purpose. The edge of the pastry strip must
overlap and be fastened at the lower end
by brushing the end of strip with a little
white of egg, but do not press down with
the finger; when the paste is pressed to-
gether with the fingers 1t will not RISE
The cannelons are placed In baking pan
with the end Of form resting on edge of
pan, and bakes delicate brown AS
soon as they are cool they will slip off the
forms and the centers are filled with sweet
ened whipped cream, preserves or jelly,
Whipped cream and fruit pulp makes a
nice filling; Strawberries and whipped
cream are delicious.
Devil Cake.
Cream half cup Of butter with three
quarters of a cup of sugar until very
light. Separate two eggs and beat the
yolks light and add to sugar and butter;
then add a teaspoonful of vanilla Mix
half a cup of cream with half a cup of
cocoa or grated chocolate and dissolve:
then stir into the other ingredients. Meas
two cups of sifted flour; add a tea
spoonful of baking powder and sift again.
Then add to cake mixture. Beat the bat
ter until smooth; add the stitfiy beaten
whites. Bake in a loaf and Ice with choco-
late icing, or it can be baked in two layers
and chopped raisins added to the icing
Boiled Icing.