The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-12-16

Mh lES-mince, cranberry. pumpkin.
Ek~ etc.-:re an important part OF
III the Christmas dinner. Owing
TO. the many other rich ingre
dents which comprise, he Christmas
feast, heavy pastry is likely to prove
disastrous. Unless the Aousew::ff. is an
excellent pastry maker she would be
wise to buy her Christmas pies.
Only the best materials should 80 to
the making of the Christmas pastry.
Most housewives use lard instead of
butter for shortening pies because it is
cheaper. The result is not so good or
so digestibe as it would be il butter
We're used or even butter and lard to-
getller. The French use eggs in their
puff paste, but they are not really
necessary Expert cooks have half Il
dozen different kinds of pastes suitable
for various kinds of pastry. The finest
Of these is puff paste. but it is so rich
that it is best to use it only for tarts
and the upper crusta 81 pies at
Materials Should Be Good.
The following rules for pastry max
ing haze been contributed by clever
cook: One of the first essentials for
pies is to keep everything MS cool as
possible. Use the best quality of flour
and Sift it fine The butter, lard o..
other shortening slipnd be good and
used In the proper proportions When
mixing the pastry USE water sparngly.
The paste should not be sticky. a knife
should be used for mixing. When roll,
ing out use as I little -four us pos
sible. To bake the pastry yon must
have hot oven. 10 not open and shut
the oven doors often a draft will pre-
vent the pastry from rising. When
baked. cool gradually in Il warm place
This will prevent tie crust callupsing.
{ stored in Il cool place and relocated
when served pastry may be Kept for
several days. -; ~.
Plain Pie crus..
A good plain pie crust may be made
as follows: rnt one and Il lnlf cilpiuli
of tlou: in Il bowl, Il quarter cupful
each of lard and butter and Il teaspoon
full of~butter. With n choppins knife
chop the shortening into the flour ana
add about Il quarter to Il half cupful OF
ice water, Just enough to hold the in
gradients together. Chop while the
water is; being added until the dough Is
smooth. The paste should be allowed
TO stand in Il cold place II day or two
Before using.
To make puff paste take a half pound
each OF Hour and butter. the yolls of an
egg. Il teaspoonfnl Of lemon juice. Il
pinch of salt and water to mix The
puff paste should be allowed to stand
ten minutes between every other roll
ing; otherwise it will be too soft and
oily. Puff paste is better If made the
day before it is to be Cooked
A cream crust may thus lie prepared:
Mix one and one-half teacupfuls each
of graham and white flour. When
smoothly blended moisten with one
scant teacupful Of cream as lightly as
possible. making d rather stiff dough.
Roll out not quite SO thin as for white
flour crust. Use for pies rs any crust.
The lower crust of Il fruit pie should
be busted with Il little 4lour and sugar
mixed together. This will keep the
juice from soaking in.
One Crust Pies.
If pie crust is at best indigestible
then surely one crust pies are prefera
bic to those with two crusts. for each
portion contains only half as much
crust And well baked one crust pie
is considered much more tempting and
savory by many than Il pie with two
crusts III many cases the one crust
pie can be wholly or ut least partly
baked before the filling is put in
There are several ways Of baking
crusts so that they will keep their
shane. Some cooks stretch tile crusts
over the outside Of the pie plates and
stand the pie platesSlIpsde down on a
fin cup in the oven. When the crust is
brown they turn 1T gently into pie
plate and put in the filing. Other
cooks spread the crust In the pie plate.
then cover it With Il sheet of waNed
rauer ana fill it with beans or rice to
weight It down and so hold its shape
When the crust is brown the waXed
INNER and beans or rice are removed.
Making Cakes.
When about to make cake or any
other dish read over carefully the
recipe and direrti&ls,S BE sure all re-
q,iired ingredients are at hand. and
unless you are experienced do not
substitute something else as lust as
good" Have the best of everything
needed. If you can get it. and do not
siimp on butter. eggs and ilavorinS-
Poor butter and stale eggs will give Il
pod taste to the entire batch Of dough.
When baking cakes. particularly
where gas stove is used. the tin
which contains the cake should be put
inside another tin Nhh1lh has layer OF
sand laid In This will prevent it from
burning.