Читать книгу Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book - Mary A. Wilson - Страница 195

Sift

Three cups of flour,

One teaspoon of salt,

Three teaspoons of baking powder,

together twice, and then cut or rub into this two-thirds cup of shortening. If you cut it in, use your griddle-cake turner or spatula and chop it in rather coarse. Now mix to a dough with one-half cup of ice-cold water, using the cake-turner to mix the water in; just keep chopping and turning over until the mixture is formed into a ball of dough. Do not knead or pat with the hand. You cannot hurt this dough if you will just mix it as a man does when mixing mortar with a hoe. Keep working it back and forth, chopping it each time until well mixed. This amount will make the tops and the bottoms for two pies.

To roll the dough, divide it into four parts and then lift one piece on a slightly floured board and roll out the dough, working the rolling pin to and from you and turning the dough as often as necessary to secure the size and shape desired.

Should the dough tear, or not come to the desired shape, just fold it into squares or oblongs and then roll again.

Place on the tin and then trim the edges. Proceed in the same manner with the top crust, and then when ready to place on the pie, fold from corner to corner, making a bias fold and then cut quarter-inch gashes with a knife in centre to allow steam to escape. Lift and cover the pie and then trim to shape. Now do not form the trimmings into a ball, but lay them one piece upon the other in a pile and flatten them with the rolling pin. Roll and fold into shape, and roll as desired.

You can re-roll pastry as often as desired by this method. Keep in the mind the fact that kneading or squeezing the pastry forms it into a sticky mass. This method will give you a delicious, flaky crust. You may spread two tablespoons of shortening upon the top crust and then fold and roll. Fold again and roll; then use as desired.

Sufficient pastry may be made at one time to last for two or three days. Just wrap the dough in wax-paper so that it does not dry out. Various fillings may be used. Fresh or canned fruits, custards, mince meat, etc. If you use fresh fruits place

One-half cup of sugar,

Three level tablespoons of cornstarch,

in a bowl and rub between the hands to thoroughly mix and then use this by sprinkling over the fruit. This will prevent the juice from boiling out of the pie while it is cooking and it will form into a jelly when cold.

To use canned fruit, drain the fruit free from the liquid and then cut into thin slices. Measure the liquid and then add

Four level tablespoons of cornstarch,

Eight tablespoons of sugar,

to each cupful. Dissolve the starch and sugar in the cold liquid and then bring to a boil. Cook for three minutes and then add the prepared fruit. Cool before placing in the pastry.

To prevent the lower crust from becoming soggy just before putting in the filling, brush it well with a good salad oil, or shortening, taking care that each part is covered. This will give you a tender, flaky lower crust.

Just before the pie is ready to put into the oven brush it well with a wash of egg and milk, using

Yolk of one egg,

One-half cup of milk,

Two teaspoons of sugar.

Stir to dissolve the sugar and mix in the egg. Then wash the pie. This will keep a week in a cool place.

The correct temperature to bake a pie is 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This means a moderate oven. Too much heat will brown the crust before the filling inside has had the time to cook. Custard pies—this includes those made of eggs, milk, lemon meringes, sweet potato and pumpkin—require a slow oven—250 degrees Fahrenheit.