The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-02

from heating properly. Have the fire
we'll raked down. glowing. steady and
clear To the end of the baking. Do not
use earthen pie plates or you run the
risk of having soggy pie crust. Tin is
best even for juicy pies. for the contents
of the pie should not escape in baking.
Dust the tins with fIour-do not grease
them When pies are baked Immediate
y slip them from the pie tins TO heated
plates from which they may be served
oven Thermometers are very cOnven-
lent, but those TO whom they would be
OF most service cannot always obtain
them An Old-fashioned test may be
tried TO gauge heat of the oveIl- If your
hand is accustomed to heat. hold il in
the oven and slowly count twenty If
at the end OF that time you must with
draw your hand because of the excessive
heat. the oven is about right for pies.
One pie does not require as hot an oven
at first as does an OVen-fuu OF pies.
as the large quantity OF cold pastry
lowers the oven heat very considerably
and the pastry must be ice cold until
II goes into the oven If possible let
all pie crust stand until thoroughly
chilled before baking Puff paste cannot
be baked satisfactorily on the day il is
made. as it must be thoroughly chilled
after mixing Even after your pie tins
are lined with paste it should be al
lowed TO stand in a very cold place for
some time This will often prevent the
the juices in pies from soaking into the
crust more effectuaIiy than any other
precaution-
Brushing the crust with white of egg
viii also protect the under crust
Most failures in making ordinary
paStrys are due to the kind ana quail
ity Of flour used. too much handling.
not having all materials chilled. or the
oven properly heated While il Is pos
sible to get a blend Of -four which will
answer for all kinds of baking. 90 not
imagine that an superior bread four
will answer equally well for pastry
Flour YT7r1ef h, SffTa7 before
uring and repeated sif1ings after meas
uring viii improve all pastry, cake OF
bread made from it.
PUFF PASTE
Take half a pound OF butter and wash
il in a bowl OF ice water until IT be-
comes smooth and elastic. Then place
il in napkin and knead il free from
moisture; pat il cut into a little fat
Measure two cupsful of sifted -four and
sifu again with a half teaspoonful OF
salt. heaping il in center of molding
board or on a marble slab which i to
be preferred Make a well in the cents--
and put in a teaSpoolful OF sugar ana
half the white OF an egg. and 4 piece or
Tire washed butter the size OF z large
egg. With the tops OF the fingers work
these materials around gradually fncir-
pCrating the flour and adding a littfe
ice water from time To time. using
CROUCH ice water as you work IN the
-four TO make a smooth paste The e.
viii absorb more moisture at certain
times than at others but from one-Quas
ter to half cup viii be required. Whe-
you have q dough that can be worked
knead IL until il IS q smooth ball then
place II on a dish and place il on ice
TO get thoroughly cold about fifteen
minutes Then divide the dough even
" and roll out one piece into a SQUARE
spread one-half with the butter that has
been standing on ice break il quickly
into bits dredge little -four over the
butter. place the other portion OF paste
on tsp and press down lightly with the
rolling pin; then roll lightly from you
into d long. narrow strip. keeping II as
even as possible Then fold IL over 10
the center from either ends, then fold
again making three layers Give the
square Of dough one turn towards you
and roll out and fold as before: then set
on ice for fifteen minutes. Repeat the
rolling and folding until you have given
the paste eight turns ii order to give
the paste the greatest lightnesS- If after
each rolling the paste shows signs Of
softening and ''creeps up" place il on
Ice and let il remain for twenty or
thirty minutes. Always roll from YOU
not to break the air bubbles which are
needed 70 give 1ighTnesS- After the paste
is completed II may be rolled IN any
direction
PLAIN PIE CRUST
Measure one quart OF sifted -four and
STU again Win one IedSDCGnLul OF SAT-
reserving a little OF the -four for the
board Then with flexible knife cut in
through the -four a cup of chilled butter
Add 4 cup Of ice cold water, q little at
a time. mixing il lightly with the knife:
as soon as II will hold together turn IL
out on the Toured board and roll QUE
lightly, fold it in at the sides and the
ends and turn il around on the board
and roll out and fold again Put il IN
the ice box for an hour AT least before
using and keep II covered so that Il will
not dry on the outside. this viii keep
for several days and improve with age
If you wish 10 have the top crust richer
than the given quantity Of shortening
will make il. take part of the paste
after it has bean rolled the first time.
put bits Of washed butter over the TOP.
dust with -four. fold over and roll il out
several times then chill on ice
SUET PASTE
This is an excellent paste for meat
pies. baked or boiled. dumplings or
fruit buildings. All the ingredients
must be very cold when mixing Put
a teaspoonfUI of baking powder and a
teaspoonful Of salt into two and a half
cups Of sifted -four and sift again. add
a cup of best beef suet chopped very
fine freed from all skin and dredgsd
with -four, then mix to a smooth. soft
dough with a cupfuI of ice water and
roII out When trimming the edge of
the pie paste after covering the tins.
allow for the shrinkage in baking Do
not touch the edge Of the pun paste
dough of pies OF patties with the nm
gers, as it viii prevent that part from