PIES, DUMPLINGS, TARTS
When making pies always have ingredients as cold as possible. Pie crust is better when made a few hours before using it, and can be kept in a close-covered dish in a cool place for several days. Always use pastry flour in making pies. For plain pie crust, lard, or a mixture of lard and butter should be used. For puff paste, butter must be used. When you use a little baking powder in making the crust, reduce the amount of lard used. Beef drippings, fat from fowl, or vegetable oil can be used in place of lard. A sprinkling of flour and sugar before filling crust prevents the leaking of juices from fruit pies. Sugar should be mixed with the fruit, not on top, as sugar will make the crust soggy. Dredge a little flour over the fruit before laying on upper crust.
When making custard pies, sift 1 tbp flour into the sugar and mix well together before adding beaten eggs, as this gives the consistency desirable in serving and does not affect the taste. The milk for custard, squash, pumpkin or lemon pies should be hot when added to other materials. Do not fill pies until ready to bake. Stewed fruit should always be cooled before using or the crust will be soggy. Do not let pies remain on tin plates when cooked; let cool and slip off on to an earthen or pasteboard plate.
A marble or slate pastry board and a glass or china rolling pin are the best for making pies on account of their coldness. Although good results can be obtained by using wooden utensils if they are kept cool.
SHORT PASTE
3 c flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp bp, 1 c lard, 1⅓ c cold water.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder; rub in lightly with fingers the lard; mix to a firm dough with ice cold water and roll out on a floured board.
FIVE-MINUTE PASTE
2 c flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp bp, ¾ c shortening, 1 egg yolk, ice cold water.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder; cream shortening in a bowl as for cake. As soon as it is light and creamy, add sifted flour, mixing it in with a knife, not touching at all with the hands. Beat the yolk of egg and add a little ice water to it—probably about ¾ c will be required—to moisten the paste. Roll out once on a floured board. The egg may be omitted, but is an improvement if used.
FLAKY PASTE
3 c flour, 1 tsp salt, 1⅓ c lard or butter and lard, ice cold water to mix.
Sift flour and salt together into a bowl, chop in shortening with a knife till well mixed with flour. Add ice cold water to form a dough, cutting and mixing the paste thoroughly while adding water. Flour a board and roll paste out thinly, rolling only lengthwise, and keeping edges straight then fold evenly into 3 layers, turn it half around and roll again. Repeat the folding and rolling twice; chill the paste if possible before baking. It is the folding and rolling that produce the flakes.
PRUNE PIE
½ lb prunes, ½ c sugar (scant), 1 tsp lemon juice, 1½ tsp butter, 1 tbp flour.
Wash prunes and soak in cold water; cook in same water until soft; remove stones, cut prunes into quarters and mix with lemon juice and sugar. Line pie plate with crust; put in prunes and 1½ tbp of water the prunes were cooked in, dot with butter and dredge with flour; put on an upper crust and bake in a moderate oven. A few pieces of lemon rind cut small can be added.
SWISS TART
1 tbp butter, ½ c sugar, ½ c milk, 1 egg, well beaten, ⅔ c flour, 1 tsp bp.
Cream butter and sugar; add milk and egg, then flour and baking powder sifted together. Line a pie plate with crust, cover it with jelly; add above filling and bake 30 min; cover with whipped cream before serving.
ENGLISH FRUIT TART
Fresh fruit, sugar to taste, short or flaky paste.
Prepare fruit and place with sugar in a deep baking dish; add a little water to make juice; roll crust thinly and cover fruit with it, wetting edge of dish to make crust stick; bake in moderate oven ½ hr; serve hot or cold, with or without cream or custard. Any fresh fruit, such as apples, plums, currants, etc., may be used.
APPLE DUMPLINGS
1 c flour, 2 tsp bp, ½ tsp salt, 3 tbp shortening, ½ c milk, 4 apples, 4 tbp sugar, 2 tsp butter, 1 tsp cinnamon.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; rub shortening in lightly; add just enough milk to make a dough. Roll out ⅛″ thick on floured board; divide into 4 parts; lay on each part an apple which has been washed, pared, cored and sliced; put 1 tsp sugar with ¼ tsp butter on each; wet edges of dough with cold water and fold around apple, pressing tightly together. Place in pan, sprinkle with little cinnamon, remainder of sugar, and put ¼ tsp butter on each dumpling; bake 40 min in moderate oven; serve with hard sauce. Peach dumplings may be made the same way.
WASHINGTON PIE
⅓ c butter, 1 c sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 eggs, ½ c sweet milk, 1¾ c pastry flour, 2½ tsp baking flour.
Cream butter and sugar until light; add beaten yolks of eggs and milk; then flour mixed and sifted with baking powder; last whites of eggs well beaten; pour into well greased pie pan and bake 25 min; when done let cool; split in two and fill with jam; sift powdered sugar over top.
CRANBERRY AND RAISIN PIE
1½ c cranberries, 1 c raisins, ½ c sugar.
Seed raisins and chop cranberries; add sugar; bake in shallow pie plate between 2 crusts.
PUMPKIN PIE
2 c steamed or baked pumpkin, 1 c sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1 pt scalded milk, 2 eggs.
Rub pumpkin through a sieve; add sugar, salt, spices, milk and well-beaten eggs; cool; fill large pie plate lined with paste; bake in moderate oven 40 min.
MINCE PIE FILLING
1 lb seeded raisins, 1 lb currants, 1 lb finely chopped beef suet, grated rind of 2 lemons, 1 lb sugar, 2 lb peeled, cored and chopped apples, 1½ tsp mixed spices, 1 c cider, 1 tbp salt, ½ lb candied orange peel and citron chopped fine.
Prepare fruits by seeding the raisins; wash and dry both these and currants; add suet; run the peel through food chopper or chop very fine with a knife; mix all together with sugar, spices, grated lemon rind, apples, salt and cider; keep at least a week before using, stirring occasionally. This quantity will make about 8 good-sized pies, and will keep all winter.
BOSTON CREAM PIE
2 eggs, 1 c flour, 1½ tsp bp, ¾ c sugar, ⅛ tsp salt, ½ c boiling milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract.
Add beaten egg yolks to stiffly beaten whites and gradually add flour, baking powder, sugar and salt, which have been sifted together 3 times; add hot milk very slowly; add vanilla. Bake in deep layer cake tin in moderate oven 35 min; when cool, split and put between layers the following cream filling; sprinkle powdered sugar on top of cake.
CREAM FILLING
½ c sugar, 2 tbp corn starch, ⅛ tsp salt, 2 eggs, 1 c scalded milk, 1 tsp butter, ½ tsp vanilla extract.
CUSTARD PIE
3 eggs, ¾ c sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 c milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Beat eggs; add sugar, salt and scalded milk slowly; line pie plate with pie paste; pour in custard; bake in moderate oven 25 min. The custard is baked when a knife put in center comes out dry.
COCOANUT PIE
Follow directions for Custard Pie; adding 1 c fresh grated cocoanut and using only 2 eggs; bake as above.
RHUBARB PIE
2 c rhubarb, 1 c sugar, 1 tbp corn starch or flour, ¼ tsp salt.
Cut off root, stem ends and peel; cut into small pieces; put into deep pie plate which has been lined with paste; sprinkle with corn starch, salt and sugar; cover with paste and bake in hot oven ½ hr.
APPLE CUSTARD PIE
1 c sugar, 3 tbp butter, sour apples, 2 eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon.
Peel, core and stew apples; rub through colander and to 1½ c apples add other ingredients; beat well together; bake with only 1 crust, using whites of eggs with 2 tbp sugar for meringue; brown by returning it to the oven for a short time; or to 1 c strained apple add 1 c each of sugar and cream, and 1 well-beaten egg; mix in the given order; flavor to taste; bake 30 min in moderate oven.
APPLE MERINGUE PIE
Cook tart and juicy apples; put through a colander; add sugar; flavor to taste; fill the crust and bake; when done cover the apple with meringue made of the well-beaten whites of 3 eggs and 3 tbp sugar; put in a quick oven till the meringue is set and eat cold. Can substitute peaches for apples.
STRAWBERRY PIE
1 c flour, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp bp, 4 tbp shortening, ¼ c cold water, 1 qt strawberries.
Sift dry ingredients together; rub in shortening very lightly with finger tips; add water slowly to make stiff dough; roll out on floured board and use for bottom crust of pie, being careful to fold paste well over edge of pie plate; bake in hot oven 15 min.
If glazed crust is desired, brush edges after baking with boiling hot syrup (2 tbp syrup and 1 tbp water) and return to oven for 1 or 2 min until syrup hardens. Fill baked crust with fresh selected hulled strawberries and cover with syrup made as follows:
Add ½ c sugar and ½ c strawberries to 2 c boiling water; bring to a boil and strain; add 1 tbp corn starch which has been mixed with little cold water; cook over hot fire for a minute or two, stirring constantly; remove from fire and beat hard; return to slow fire, cook very gently until thick; pour while hot over strawberries; serve either hot or cold.
BERRY PIES
3 c blueberries, huckleberries or blackberries, ⅔ c sugar, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp flour, 1 tsp butter.
Line a pie plate with plain paste; fill heaping with berries; dredge with flour, salt and sugar; dot with small pieces of butter; cover with top crust or strips of pastry across top; bake 45 min in moderate oven. Other fruit pies can be made in the same way.
RASPBERRY PIE
1 pt raspberries, little flour, ⅔ c sugar, 1 tbp butter.
Line the pan with good crust and fill with berries; spread over them sugar, flour and small bits of butter; wet the edge of the crust; put on the upper crust and pinch the edges closely together; cut holes in the upper crust to allow air to escape; bake ½ hr.
LEMON WHIP PIE
3 eggs, 4 tbp lemon juice, grated lemon rind, 1 c sugar.
Beat egg yolks until light; add ½ c sugar slowly, beat all time; cook in db until very thick or “jellied”; remove from heat; when slightly cooled add lemon juice and grated rind; cool; beat egg whites stiff; add remaining ½ c sugar and fold into yellow mixture blending thoroughly; line a medium-sized pie plate with pastry; heap mixture in pastry shell; bake very slowly until set and slightly brown on top.
CREAM PIE
1½ c milk, ¼ c sugar, 2 tbp corn starch, 2 tbp flour, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp vanilla, 2 or 3 egg yolks.
Mix sugar, corn starch, flour and salt together; heat milk (but do not boil); stir this into dry ingredients slowly; mix until real smooth; boil and stir until thick or “jellied”; then cook over water for 15 min; remove from fire; beat in beaten egg yolks and flavoring; cool this mixture and pour in pastry shell; cover with meringue made from whites of eggs; bake until set and slightly brown on top.
LEMON CREAM PIE
1½ c sugar, ¼ c flour, ¼ c corn starch, ½ tsp salt, 2 c boiling water, 3 egg yolks, ⅓ c lemon juice, 2 tsp butter, grated rind of 1 lemon.
Follow directions for Cream Pie; add butter when you mix in egg yolks and flour.
ORANGE CREAM PIE
Follow directions for Lemon Cream Pie, except use juice of 2 small oranges and grated rind of 1 orange instead of lemon.
CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE
1½ c milk, scalded, 1 c sugar, 3 tbp corn starch, ½ tsp salt, 2 oz melted chocolate, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp butter, ½ tsp vanilla.
Follow directions for Cream Pie. Butter and chocolate (or 2 tbp cocoa) are added with egg yolks.
BUTTER SCOTCH PIE
1 egg, 1 c dark brown sugar, 1 c milk, 3 tbp flour, 2 tbp fat, 3 tbp water, 1 tbp powdered sugar, ½ tsp vanilla, ¼ tsp salt.
Put yolk of egg into saucepan; add brown sugar, flour, milk, water, fat, and salt; stir over fire till mixture thickens and comes to boiling point, but do not boil; add vanilla; pour into baked pie shell; beat white of egg stiff, then beat into it powdered sugar; spread meringue on top of pie and brown slightly in moderate oven.
EGGLESS PUMPKIN PIE
In selecting a pumpkin choose a deep colored one, as these are generally the best. Cut in half, take out seeds, then cut up in thick slices, pare outside and cut again in small pieces. Add a very little water and cook slowly until tender, then set back on stove where it will not burn and cook slowly, stirring often until moisture is dried out and pumpkin looks dark. The more time taken in cooking the richer; when cool, press through a colander.
To 1 qt of pumpkin add enough good rich milk, sufficient to moisten it enough to fill 2 deep pie plates, 1 tsp of salt, ½ c molasses or brown sugar, 1 tbp ginger, 1 tsp of cinnamon or nutmeg. Bake in moderately slow oven ¾ of an hr or until thoroughly set.
CHOCOLATE PIE
Grate 1 sq of unsweetened chocolate, put in a db with 2 c milk and let it come to boiling point; mix well together ½ c sugar and 3 level tbp corn starch and add 1 egg, well beaten, with 2 tbp cold milk; when well blended pour into this the milk and chocolate mixture; return to db, cook until thick, stirring continually; cool; flavor with a few drops of vanilla; chill and serve in a baked pie shell; not very expensive; this is delicious if served ice cold.
MOCK MINCEMEAT
½ lb of fat pork ground, ⅔ qt of ground apples, 1 lb of raisins, 3 c molasses, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon.
RAISIN PIE
1 large c of raisins, boil for about ½ hr, cover with water; add juice of half a lemon, ⅓ c sugar and large tbp corn starch; dissolve in a little cold water; boil until it thickens.
PINEAPPLE PIE
1 can of grated pineapple, ¾ c sugar, 1 egg well beaten; brown or white sugar may be used in both recipes with very good results.
CHOCOLATE PIE (2)
1 pt boiling water, 2 tbp melted butter, 3 tsp grated chocolate, 3 large tbp pastry flour, 1 c sugar, 1 tsp vanilla; cook in db until flour is well cooked; make a rich pie shell and when mixture is cold put in shell; cover with 1 c cream, whipped stiff; sweeten and flavor with vanilla.
BUTTER SCOTCH PIE
Line a deep pan with pastry and fill with a mixture made as follows: Melt together 2 large tbp butter and a c of brown sugar; cook till a rich brown, then add a large c of scalded milk; simmer for a few min, or until the sugar is dissolved, and whip in the yolk of 1 egg beaten to a cream with a tbp of corn starch; bake till the custard is set and spread with a meringue made of the egg white whipped with 1 tbp of powdered sugar; flavor both pie and meringue with a few drops of vanilla.
MARLBOROUGH PIE
Take ½ doz good-sized juicy apples and after stewing them, rub them through sieve; add to this a piece of butter size of a small walnut and sugar to taste; stir thoroughly; add the juice of ½ lemon and the grated rind, the beaten yolks of 2 eggs and ½ c of sweet cream; line a shallow baking dish with pastry, brush with white of egg, sprinkle with 2 heaping tbp of raisins and the same amount of chopped walnuts; pour in the filling and bake in a moderate oven; remove, cover with meringue and brown.
LEMON SPONGE PIE
Cream together 3 tbp of butter and 1½ c of sugar; when very light add the yolks of 3 eggs beaten until lemon colored and the grated yellow rind of 1 lemon with the strained juice; blend together 3 rounding tbp flour, ¼ of a tsp of salt and ½ c milk; then mix with the first ingredients; add an additional c milk and the stiffly whipped egg whites; turn quickly into a large pie plate that has been lined with pastry and bake as custard pie; serve cold.
BUTTER PIE
1 egg, 1 c sugar, 1½ tbp of flour, 1½ c milk, salt, vanilla, butter as large as a small egg; cut in bits and dropped over top of pie; bake slowly; crust the same as custard.
RICE PIE
2 tbp rice, boiled in a pt of milk; when tender add a scant c sugar and 1 tsp corn starch dissolved in a little milk; flavor with vanilla and add well-beaten whites of 2 eggs; bake in one crust.