Evening star., 1903-08-18
KIND MOTHER" BAKED
FLAKY CRUST Is, OF COURSE
FIRST ESSENTIAL.
An Apple Custard is Not Seen Very
Often, but It is Deli
cious.


The American pie is as much national
| institution as the nickel and the Fourth Of
July. And who can say that it is not Sc
ductfve, enticing. Notwithstanding all that
the old dyspeptic may say against the ma
tional pie habit. put before him a lucious.
deep dish pie of apple. currant. raspberry
or plum. with its fiaky crust and juicy in
terror. and If 1t does not make his mouth
water. his eye sparkle and his face broaden
into a genial smile. then his soul must be
as atrophied as his digestive organs
There few pies among the many
like mother used to make that l never
find now. One which appealed more strong
ly to my youthful appetite than any other
was the apple custard. To make this prop
erly tart juicy apples should be chosen
Peel core and stew them to a soft pulp.
then strain through colander to remove
all Jumps. To each pint of apple sauce
thus prepared add pint of milk and two
eggs. Sweeten to taste and flavor slightly
with lemon or vanilla and bake in a deep
plate with only an under crust.
Then there was one constructed little
differently Of rhubarb and custard Stew
and sweeten the rhubarb. half fill your
crust and add enough custard. made in the
proportion of three eggs to pint OF milk
sweetened and favored. to fill up the crust
This pie can be made also OF many varfe-
ties Of stewed or canned fruits. 1nc!udlns
peach. plum. blackberry and cherry. Then
comes the pumpkin pie. OF which there Is
great diversity of quality. The best l haVa
ever eaten were made in the following way:
First, the pumpkin was sliced. pared and
cut in pieces and then tied loosely In
piece Of muslin or cheese cloth and boiled
till quite tender. After cooking. 1t was
lifted from the kettle and hung on pro
jecting peg to drip until it was cool enough
to handle Then 1t was squeezed dry or all
water and pressed through fine colander
to remove any Jumps. But the true secret
of It's creamy consistency lay in the fact
that less egg and more pumpkin entered
into its composition than is generally the
case Very rich milk was used. and this.
together with the fact that all the water
had been pressed out. gave 1t that denclous
| richness which caused 1t to melt away
down red lane like dream of bliss one
| egg to a cup of the pressed pumpkin and a
| pint Of milk is about the right formula 1or
| pie Beat the egg, add the milk ana SUIT
| in the pumpkin Mix well and SWeeten TO
| taste. favor with ginger only and eat
warm. Squash pies may be made eXacty
the same way, and there will be very little
difference in the two.
Care in Baking.
These pies must be very carefully baked
| or they will be ruined. To cook custaro
| Of any kind too long gives 1t that disagree
| able hard-egg taste which requires care1ni
watching to avoid. 1t Is time to remove
| this kind of pie from the oven when the
crust is cooked and the top OF the pie IS a
| light brown in color. But an apple custaIo
does not brown. and If cooked too long the
eop separates and wheys and the pie Is
spoiled.
with ice cold water and kept as cool as
| possible until 1t Is placed in the oven.
which should be quite hot. The cold air
| inclosed in the paste then expands quickly,
| making 1t light and fiaky. Good pie makers
have a marble slab to roll the paste on.
while one particular expert whom know
| always retires to the cool depths or the
| cellar in warm weather to make her pies.
| It is a good plan to put the butter and
| flour in the ice box several hours before
| using them, having first sifted the flour.
After removing them from the ice mix as
quickly as possible Use glass rolling
pin il obtainable A good undercrust IS
| made with three cups OF pastry Hour and
| one cup Of butter. Put the flour into
mixing bowl, place the butter in the middle.
| then with sharp knife cut and mix the
butter with the -four. Now add the Ice
water carefully and mix as quickly and
with as little handling as possible. For
| top crust roll out the paste. spread 1t with
| butter fold twice and roll out again. 1t
| is we'll also to brush the top Of the pie with
| butter after 1t Is ready for the oven. A
| tart pie should be brushed with butter
| around the edges.
With Dates or Prunes.
| A delicious pie can be made from dates
| or prunes To make a date pie remove the
| stones from a large cupful Of dates and
stew in a little water until soft enough to
beat to a pulp. There should be cup and
| a half Of pulp. Add a beaten egg. a cup
| and a half of milk and dust Of cinnamon
| or mixed spice and bake with an undercrust
| only. If prunes are used they must be
| stewed soft before attempting to remove
| the stones then proceed in the same way.
| While on this subject must say a word
| or two concerning puddings. for although
| the pie reaches the height of perfection In
| our country the pudding seems to be some
| what neglected. When you find 1t at all It
is generally rice. tapioca. cottage or cabinet
| pudding, not very tempting at best, varied
| occasionally by tipsy pudding which Is
only fairly good. TO make really dainty
| tipsy pudding cut the cake into pieces about
| two and a half inches square and little
more than a half inch thick.
Where Title is Gained.
| Wet each piece with little cooking
| brandy and place in the bottom of pud-
ding dish. On each piece place little bit
Of jelly or a candied cherry, or even a dab
| of raspberry jam. Have ready a delicate
| boiled custard made with three eggs and a
pint of milk, sweetened and favored with
| extract of bitter almond. Pour this over
| the cake. Cover the whole with a meringue
| made of the whites of two eggs beaten as
| stiff possible with a heaping tablespoon
full of sugar and dash of almond flavor
| ing. Sprinkle a few blanched almonds, cut
| In strips. cover the top and brown very
| delicately in the Oven This is one Of the
l daintiest puddings. and 1t can be made from
| any stale cake. Another way to use stale
| cake Is to crumb 1t into a deep pudding dish
| OF bowl and to every cup of cake crumbs
| add beaten egg or the yolks of two (re-
| serving the whites for a meringue). nearly
! q cup and a half of milk. sugar according
l tn fha nj ha ka 40