The pudding and pastry book

General Directions

The following American receipts are all good. Care, however, must be taken in baking that there is a good bottom heat, or the under crust will be sodden.

The pies should be made in shallow tins about 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Puff paste may be used; but No. II. pastry (see p. 125) is very satisfactory. It should be rolled very thin.

Where a covering of pastry is used, it should be slit across the centre in three places, about two inches long, to allow the steam to escape.

Apple Pie

1 lb. sour apples
7 ozs. brown sugar

Roll out pie crust No. II. very thin. Line a tin with it. Pare and core the apples and cut them in thin sections. Arrange them symmetrically on the undercrust. Add the sugar. Cover with a thin overcrust, moistening it with water at the edges and pressing down. Make three slits about two inches long in the centre of the crust to allow the steam to escape. Bake in a moderate oven.

Wellington apples should be used, if possible.

Cocoanut Pie

¹⁄₂ lb. grated cocoanut
³⁄₄ lb. powdered sugar
6 ozs. butter
5 whites of eggs
2 table-spoons rose water
1 gill white wine

Cream the butter and sugar. Beat for fifteen minutes with the rosewater and wine. Stir in the cocoanut and then the whites, beaten to a stiff froth, lightly and quickly. Pour into a tin lined with No. II. pastry or puff pastry. Serve cold, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Custard Pie

3 eggs
1 table-spoon sifted flour
3 table-spoons powdered sugar
1 tea-spoon vanilla
1 pint scalded milk

Beat the yolks till light and creamy. Sift the sugar and flour together. Add it to the yolks. Add a little salt and the vanilla. Beat the whites to a stiff froth. Whip them in. Add the cold scalded milk gradually. Put into a tin lined with puff pastry. Bake thirty minutes.

Lemon Pie—I

2 lemons
3 eggs
2 table-spoons flour
12 ozs. powdered sugar
1 pint water
1 oz. butter

Grate the rind of the lemons. Pare off with a sharp knife all the white skin. Cut the lemons into very small pieces, removing all skin and pips. Put them in an enamelled saucepan. Add the sugar, flour and two-thirds of the grated rind and the water. When hot, stir in the beaten eggs. Remove from the fire when just below boiling point. Stir in the butter. When cold, pour into a tin lined with thin pastry. Cover with pastry and bake.

Lemon Pie—II

2 lemons
1¹⁄₂ cups powdered sugar
1 table-spoon corn-flour
3 eggs
2 cups of water
Butter size of a walnut

Mix the sugar, flour and grated rind of the lemons thoroughly. Beat the yolks till light and creamy. Add to the sugar and beat well. Stir in the water. Set on the fire in a double boiler. Stir continually. When hot, add the butter. Stir till thick but do not allow it to boil. When cool pour it into a rather deep tin lined with No. II. pastry or puff pastry, and bake. Whip the whites to a froth, adding gradually three table-spoons powdered sugar. Spread on the pie when cold. Put in the oven to brown a little. Serve cold.

Mincemeat

³⁄₄ lb. meat
1 lb. suet
2 lbs. raisins
1 lb. currants
4¹⁄₂ lbs. chopped apples
1 lb. golden syrup
2¹⁄₂ lbs. brown sugar
¹⁄₂ lb. mixed peel
¹⁄₂ table-spoon salt
¹⁄₂ tea-spoon white pepper
1 nutmeg, grated
¹⁄₂ tea-spoon ground cloves
1 tea-spoon ground cinnamon
1 bottle sherry
¹⁄₂ pint brandy

Use lean beef. Chop very fine and remove all gristle and fat. Mix all well together, adding the wine and brandy last.

Bake as directed for apple pie or in small covered tarts, using No. II. pastry.

Add a little lemon-juice to the mincemeat each time it is used.

Mock Mincemeat

6 toast biscuits
¹⁄₂ pint molasses or syrup
¹⁄₂ pint brown sugar
¹⁄₂ pint cider vinegar
³⁄₄ pint melted butter
¹⁄₂ pint chopped raisins
¹⁄₂ pint currants
2 well beaten eggs
1 dessert-spoon allspice
¹⁄₂ tea-spoon grated nutmeg
¹⁄₂ tea-spoon cloves
1 tea-spoon salt
¹⁄₂ tea-spoon black pepper
1 gill brandy

Crush the biscuits. Mix all well together, adding the brandy last of all.

Pine-Apple Pie

¹⁄₂ lb. grated pine-apple
¹⁄₂ lb. powdered sugar
¹⁄₄ lb. butter
1 gill thick cream
3 eggs

Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beaten yolks, beating all till very light. Whip the cream. Add it to the grated pine-apple. Beat the whites to a stiff froth. Stir them lightly in. Mix altogether. Bake with an undercrust of puff pastry or a short crust.