Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-05-26
In Behalf of the PIE.

pie, ana many uoucowNoc So
pie and all pastries belonging to the pie
family are never seen upon their tables.
there is just now re-
naissance of the pie, because 1t mas oeen
proved that the pie can be made delicious,
delicate and digestible. The following
recipe for plain paste has been evolved
after several trials, and the result proves
that a pie can be made to be, not only
delicious, but wholesome and digestioie.
The secret is partly in the thinness OF the
crust, and partly in the careful and cool
handling it receives from start to finish.
II really takes several days to make
digestible pie, and yet the few minutes
that are giveDt to it at different times DO |
not count at all, not even in the over.
loaded DAYS of the busy housewife. Az
odd moments. while watching and wait
ing for something else to cook, the pies
can be made; little planning anead Is
all that is necessary.
PLAIN PIECRUsT.
Have the best OF lard very cold, ana
use none but pastry flour, and rather
dry pastry flour at that. When ready TO
begin have on hand three glass jars with
tin covers. For an ordinary family OF
four or six, the size of tho pan TO De
used is nine inches in diameter and one
and one-half inches deep, of tin or agate.
A deep pie is always better than shall,
low one, as there is so much filling and
but little crust, and the filling is rarely
guilty of being indigestible. For three
small but deep pies, take three and one
half cups of flour, one teaspoon OF oak-
ing powder and one teaspoon OF salt:
Sift these together in bowl and AID
three-quarters Of cup of cold lard. Cut
this with knife into chunks, then with
very clean, Toured hands rub into the
smallest of crumbs. Now fill the three
jars, put on covers and put in the re-
frigerator for day. 1t will keep for
weeks. The morning of the day pie Is
to be made, wash one tablespoon of but
ter with cold water until it is waxy and
let it get soft but not warm, then empty
the contents of one jar into bowl and
add just enough very cold water to make
it stick together-using a knife and not
the fingers. Now take half of this out
on to a Toured board or pastry cloth.
This, like the covered rolling pin, is used
by many cooks now, and is the best thing
for the purpose. Dust a little flour on
to the lump of dough, roll it out about
ten inches long and four inches wide, dust
a little flour in the middle third of the
piece, spread on this half of the prepared
butter, dust with little more -four, fold
over the upper side and repeat the proc
ess with the remainder of the butter,
folding over the lower side this time.
Put it, together with the unbuttered
lump of paste, on Toured plate back on
the ice for at least an hour. A days
waiting will not hurt it. When ready to
bake the pie, prepare the filling first, as
piecrust in the making should not remain
long in a warm atmosphere, or receive
much handling. In fact, it takes dainty,
dry and well-manicured fingers to make
good pastry.
Roll out the unbuttered paste and
cover the pan. If a very wet filling Is to
be put in and eggs are cheap, the lower
crust can be brushed with the white OF
egg. Roll out the square of upper crust,
cut curved line in the centre and two
or three gashes on each side. Let this
stand while you fill the pie and wet the
edges, at the same time wetting a narrow
strip of cotton cloth with which to bind
the edges. Fold back the cover and put
it on the pie, press the edges together
slightly and bind. With a pastry brush
give the crust delicate coating OF milk,
prick six places near the edge with a
fork, and put into very hot oven.
Watch carefully that the upper crust
does not bake too brown, but the hot
oven is needed u bake quickly the under
crust. Reduce THE oven heat, and if
necessary, cover pie with thick paper
to keep it from becoming too brown.
This pie should look like puff paste
smooth, shiny, and light delicate
brown. Apples or any fruit that re-
quires long cooking will bake in a pie
from half to three quarters of an hour.
To ascertain If the fruit be sufficiently
cooked, take out the pie and insert a
knife in one of the Sits. II soft the pie
is done. A very convenient utensil is
wire pie grasper with which one can
carry the pie to and from the oven with
out burning the hands. The binder
should be pulled off while the pie is hot.
II very plain paste is desirable, the
butter may be left out of the upper crust
This makes tender, tlaky, thin, white
crust, which is very good indeed.
Following are few filings little out
of the ordinary:
RHUBARB FILLING.
Peel and cut in one-half inch pieces
two cups of rhubarb, pour over it two
cups of boiling water in which one tea
spoon of soda has been dissolved, drain
Immediately. cool and add one beaten
egg, one-quarter teaspoon of salt, one
and one-half cups of sugar, two table
spoons of fine bread crumbs from toast
ed or dried bread, a little nutmeg, a
grating of lemon peel and one teaspoon
of the lemon juice. Make lattice up
per crust by cutting the paste in strips,
and putting it on crisscross, or use two
egg yolks in filling and make meringue
for covering. The meringue is made by
adding one cup of powdered sugar to
each beaten white and slightly browning
| it in hot oven.
sTAwBERRY PIE.
Sweeten fresh strawberries, or use the
preserved berry and fill pie plate. Put
on an upper crust, making it rather
thick, and do not pinch or bind the
edges. When baked lift the upper crust
and cover fruit with the following Gus
tard: Cook one cup creamy milk, add two
egg whites beaten, one tablespoon oil
sugar and one-half teaspoon of corn
starch wet in cold milk. Cook three
minutes. Replace upper crust and dust
with powdered sugar. A red raspberry
pie may be made in the same way.
PINEAPPLE FILLING.
Cream one.third cup of butter with
one-half cup of sugar, add two cups OF
grated or shredded pineapple. The
pineapple should be heated to boiling
point. Now add two beaten egg yolks
mixed with one-half cup of cream or rich
milk and add one tablespoon of lemon
juice and grating of the peel. Fill the
pie and bake. Cover with a meringue
made of the egg whites.
FRUIT cUsTARD.
This is excellent, although it is really
winter pie, as it may be made with
canned fruit. Cream three tablespoons
of butter with four of sugar, add two
yolks beaten, and one-quarter cup OF
| flour mixed with one-half teaspoon OF
baking powder. Flavor with one table
spoon of the juice from canned peaches
or cherries. Fill crusts and bake, then
Al hs4h thn infn q