TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE

Mix one pint flour and one egg with milk enough to make a bat* ter (like that for batter-cakes), and a little salt; grease dish well with butter, put in lamb chops, add a little water with pepper and lalt, pour batter over it, and bake for one hour.

200 MEATS.

Boiled Mutton with Caper Sauce.

Have ready a pot of boiling water, and throw in a handful of salt ; wash a leg of mutton and rub salt through it. If it is to be rare, cook about two hours; if well done, three hours or longer, according to size. Boil a pint of milk, thicken with flour well blended, add butter, salt, pepper and two table-spoons of capers, or mint sauce if preferred. — 3/r«. E. L. F,

Lamb Stewed with Pease.

Cut the neck or breast in pieces, put it in a stew-pan with some

salt pork sliced thin, and enough water to cover it; cover close and

•let stew until the meat is tender, then skim free from scum, add a

quart of green pease shelled, and more hot water, if necessary ;

cover till the pease are done tender, then add a bit of butter rolled

in flour, and pepper to taste ; let simmer for a few minutes and

Mutton Chops.

Season with salt and pepper, put in skillet, cover closely, and fiy ^Vii minutes, turning over once ; dip each chop in beaten egg, then in cracker or bread-crumbs, and fry till tender or nicely browned on each side; or put in oven in a dripping-pan, with a little water, salt and pepper; baste frequently and bake until brown. To broil lamb chop:?, trim neatly, broil over a clear fire, season with pepper and salt, and serve with green pease.

Leg of Mutton a la Venison. Remove all rough fat from a leg of mutton, lay in a deep earthen dish, and rub into the meat very thoroughly the following mixture: One table-sp(X)n salt, one each of celery, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, made mustard, allspice, and sweet herbs mixed and powdered. After these have been rubl)ed into all parts of meat, pour over it slowly a tea-cup good vinegar, cover tightly and set in a cool place for four or ^wq days, turning ham, and basting it with liquid three or four times a day. To cook, leave in a clean kettle a quart boiling water, have in kettle an inverted tin-pan or rack made for the purpose ; on it lay ham just as taken out of pickle ; cover kettle tightly, and stew for four hours. Do not allow water to touch the meat. Add a tea-cup of hot water to the pickle*

MEATS. 201

and baste the ham mth it. When ready to serve, thicken the liquid in the kettle with flour, strain through a fine strainer, and serve the meat with it and a relish of currant jelly.

Frogs may be broiled, or made into a fricassee seasoned with

tomato catsup. The hind legs alone are eaten, and are a great

Fricatelu.

Chop raw fresh pork very fine, add a little salt, plenty of pepper,

and two small onions chopped fine, half as much bread as there is

meat, soaked until soft, two eggs ; mix well together, make into

oblong patties, and fry like oysters. These are nice for breakfast;

if used for supper, serve with sliced lemon. — Mrs. W, F. WUcox.

Boned Ham.

Having soaked a well-cured ham in tepid water over night, boil

it till perfectly tender, putting it on in warm water ; take up in a

wooden tray, let cool, remove bone carefully, press the ham again

into shape, return to boiling liquor, remove pot from fire, and let

the ham remain in it till cold. Cut across and serve cold. — Miss

L. L, Richmond.

Boiled Ham.

Pour boiling water over it and let stand until cool enough to wash,

scrape clean (some have a coarse hair-brush on purpose for cleaning

hams), put in a thoroughly cleansed boiler with cold water enougn

to cover; bring to the boiling point and then place on back part of

stove to simmer steadily for six or seven hours or till tender when

pierced with a fork (if the ham weighs twelve pounds) ; be care-

ful to keep water at boiling point, and not to allow it to go much

above it Turn the ham once or twice in the water ; when done

take up and put into a baking-pan to skin ; dip the hands in cold

water, take the skin between the fingers and peel as you would an

orange; set in a moderate oven, placing the leab side of the ham

downward, and if you like, sift over pounded or rolled crackers ;

bake one hour. The baking brings out a great quantity of fat,

leaving the meat much more delicate, and in warm weather it will

keep in a dry, cool place a long time ; if there is a tendency to mold,

set it a little while into the oven again. Or, after the ham is boiled

20S MEATS,

and peeled, eover with the white of a raw egg, and sprinkle sugar or fine bread-crumrbs over it ; or eover with a regular cake-icing, plaee in the oven and brown ; or, quarter two onions, stick whole allspioe and black pepper in the quarters, with a knife make slits in the outside of the ham in which put the onions, place in dripping- pan, lay parsley around, and bake till nicely browned. Or, after boiling and peeling, dust with sugar, and pass a hot knife over it until it forms a caramel glaze, and serve without baking. A still ' nicer way is to glaze with strong meat jelly or any savory jelly at hand, boiled down rapidly (taking great care to prevent burning) until it is like glue. Brush this jelly over the ham when cool, and it makes it an elegant dish. The nicest portion of a boiled ham may be served in slices, and the ragged parts and odds and ends chopped fine for sandwiches, or by adding three eggs to one pint of chopped ham a delicious omelet may be made. If the ham is very salt, it should lie in water over night

Broiled Ham. Cut the ham in slices of medium thickness, place on a hot grid- iron, and broil until the hX readily flows out and the meat is slightly browned, take from the gridiron with a knife and fork, drop into a pan of cold water, then return again to the gridiron, repeat several times, and the ham is done ; place in a hot platter, add a few lumps of butter, and serve at once. If too fiit, trim ofi* a part ; it is almost impossible to broil the fat part without burning, but this does not impair the taste. Pickled pork and breakilEist bacon may be broiled in the same way. — Mrs. A. E. Brand,

Delicious Pried Ham. Place the slices in boiling water and cook till tender; put in fry- ing-pan and brown, and dish on a platter; fry some eggs by dripping gravy over them until done, instead of turning ; take up careAiUy and lay them on the slices of ham. — Mn. J. F. W

Baked Piq. Take a pig about six weeks old, nicely prepared, score in squares, and rub lard all over it; make a dressing of two quarts of com meal salted as if for bread, and mix to a stiff bread with boiling water; make into pans and bake. After this is baked brown, break it up, and add to it one-fourth pound of butter, pepper to taste.

MEATS. 208

and thyme. Fill the pig till plump, sew it up, and place it on its

knees in the pan, which fill with as much water as will cook it.

Baste it very frequently with the gravy, also two red pepper pods.

Turn while baking same as turkey, and continue to baste till done.

8ome use turkey-dressing instead of above. — Mn. M, L. Blanton,

NcuhviUe^ Tenn.

Spar£>-rib Pot-pie.

Cut the spare-ribs once across and then in strips three or four uiches wide, put on in kettle with hot water enough to cover, stew until tender, season with salt and pepper, and turn out of kettle ; replace a layer of spare-ribs in the bottom, add a layer of peeled potatoes (quartered if large), some bits of butter, some small squares of baking-powder dough rolled quite thin, season again, then another layer of spare-ribs, and so on until the kettle is two-thirds full, leaving the squares of crust for the last layer ; then add the liquor in which the spare-ribs were boiled, and hot water if needed, cover, boil half to three-quarters of an hour, being careful to add hot water BO as not to let it boil dry. The crust can be made of light biscuit dough, without egg or sugar, as follows: Boll thin, cut out, let rise, and use for pie, remembering to have plenty of water in the kettle, 80 that when the pie is made and the cover on, it need not be re- moved until dished. If, after taking up, there is not sufficient gravy, add hot water and flour and butter rubbed together ; season to taste, and serve. To warm over pot-pie, sec u in a dnppmg-pan in the oven, add lumps of butter with gravy or hot water ; more squares of dough may be laid on the top. — Mn, W. W. W.

PiGS*-PEET Souse. Cut off the homy parts of feet and toes, scrape, clean, and wash thoroughly, singe off the stray hairs, place in a kettle with plenty of water, boil, skim, pour off water and add fresh, and boil until the bones will pull out easily ; do not bone, but pack in a stone jar with pepper and salt sprinkled between each layer; cover with good cider vinegar. When wanted for the table, take out a sufficient quantity, put in a hot skillet, add more vinegar, salt, and pepper tf needed, boil until thoroughly heated, stir in a smooth thicken- ing of flour and water, and boil until flour is cooked ; serve hot as a nice breakfast dish. Or, when the feet have boiled until perfectly

204 MEATS.

tender, remove the bones and pack in stone jar as above ; slice down cold when wanted for use. Let the liquor in which the feet are boiled stand over night ; in the morning remove the fat and pre- pare and preserve for use as directed in the Medical Department

Pia's-HEAD Cheese. Having thoroughly cleaned a hog's or pig's head, split it in two, take out the eyes and the brain; clean the ears, throw scalding water over the head and ears, then scrape them well ; when very clean, put in a kettle with water to cover it, and set it over a rathei quick fire ; skim it as any scum rises ; when boiled so that the flesh leaves the bones, take it from the water with a skimmer into a larg6 wooden bowl or tray ; then take out every particle of bone, chop the meat fine, season to taste with salt and pepper (a little pounded sage may be added), spread a cloth over the colander, put the meat in, fold cloth closely over it, lay a weight on it so that it may press the whole surface equally (if it be lean use a heavy weight, if &t, a lighter one) ; when cold take off weight, remove from colander, and place in crock. Some add vinegar in proportion of one pint to a gallon crock. Clarify the &.t from the cloth, colander, and liquor of the pot, and use for frying.

Fried Porkbteaks. Fry like beefiteaks, with pepper and salt ; or sprinkle with dry powdered sage if the sausage flavor is liked. — Mr%. B. A. Fay.

Fried Salx* Pork. Cut in rather thin slices, and freshen by lettbg lie an hour or two in cold water or milk and water, roll in flour and fry till crisp (}f in a hurry, pour boiling water on the slices, let stand a few minutes, drian, roll in flour and fry as before) ; drain off most of the grease from frying-pan, sdr in while hot one or two table-spoons of flour, about half a pint new milk, a little pepper, and salt if not salt enough already from the meat ; let boil and pour into gravy dish. This makes a nice white gravy when properly made.

BoABT Pork. A small loin of pork, three table-spoons bread-crumbs, one onion, half a tea-spoob chopped sage, half tea-spoon salt, half tea-spoon pepper, one ounce chopped suety one table-spoon drippings. Sepa-

MEATS. 206

rate each joint of the loin with the chopper, and then make an in- <usion with a knife into the thick part of the pork in which to put the stuffing. Prepare the stuffing by mixing the bread-crumbs together with the onion, which must have previously been finely chopped. Add to this the sage, pepper, salt and suet, and when all is thoroughly mixed, press the mixture snugly into the incision already made in the pork, and sew together the edges of the meat with needle and thread, to confine the stuffing. Grease well a shet t of kitchen paper, with drippings, place the loin into this, securing it with a wrapping of twine. Put to bake in a dry baking-pan, in a brisk oven, basting immediately and constantly as the grease draws out, and roast a length of time, allowing twenty minutes to the pound and twenty minutes longer. Serve with apple>sauce or apple- fritters. — Miss M. L, Dods.

Roast 8par£-rib. Trim off the rough ends neatly, crack the ribs across the middle, rub with salt and sprinkle with pepper, fold over, stuff with turkey- dressing, sew up tightly, place in dripping-pan with pint of water, baste frequently, turning over once so as to bake both sides equaUy antil a rich brown.

Yankee Pork and Beans. Pick over carefully a quart of beans and let them soak over night ; in the morning wash and drain in another water, put on to boil in cold water with half a teaspoon of soda ; boil about thirty minutes (when done the skin of a bean will crack if taken out and blown upon), drain, and put in an earthen^pot first a slice of pork and then the beans, with two or three tablenspoons of molasses. When the beans are ip the pot, put in the center half or three, fi>urths of a pound of well-washed salt pork with the rind scored in slices or squares, and uppermost, season with pepper and salt if needed ; cover all with hot water, and bake six hours or longer in a moderate oven, adding hot water as needed ; they can not be baked too long. Keep covered so that they will not bum on the top, but remove cover an hour or two before serving, to brown the top and crisp the pork. This is the Yankee dish for Sunday breakiast It is often baked the day before, allowed to remain in the oven all

night, and browned in the morning. Serve in the dish in which

they are cooked, and always have enough left to know the luxury

of cold beans, or baked beans warmed over. If salt pork is too

robust for the appetites to be served, season delicately with salt,

pepper, and a little butter, and roast a fresh spare-rib to serve with

Fried Veal Cutlets.

Make a batter of half pint of milk, a well-beaten egg, and flour; fry the veal brown in sweet lard or beef-drippings, dip it in the batter and fry again till brown ; drop some spoonfuls of batter in the hot lard after the veal is taken up, and serve them on top of the meat ; put a little flour paste in the gravy with salt and pepper^ let it come to a boil and pour it over the whole. The veal should be cut thin, pounded, and cooked nearly an hour. Cracker crumbs and egg may be used instead of batter, but the skillet should then be kept covered, and the veal cooked slowly for half lUi hour over a moderate fire. If a gravy is wanted sprinkle a little flour in the pan, add salt and pepper and a little water, let come to a boil, and pour over the cutlets ; or, pound well, squeeze juice of lemon over the slices, let stand an hour or two, dip in beaten egg and then in fine bread-crumbs (if no stale bread is at hand dry slices in a cool oven), plunge at once into hot fat enough to cover. The slices wiU brown before they are thoroughly cooked, and the pan should be drawn aside to a cooler place to '* finish" more slowly.

Fish may be fried in the same way; when done the meat will sep- arate readily from the bone when a knife is inserted. They may be dipped in milk and tlsn in flour, instead of in egg and bread- crumbs ; sift salt evenly over the meat or fish just before serving. The bread-crumbs should be fine; if coarse, they crumble ofi" with

the egg in cooking.

Veal Loaf.

Chop fine three pounds of leg or loin of veal and three-fourths pound salt pork, chopped finely together; roll one dozen crackers, put half of them in the veal with two eggs, season with pepper and a little salt if needed; mix all together and make into a solid fi^rm; then take the crackers that are left and spread smoothly over the outside ; bake one hour, and eat cold. — Oov. Tilden, N, Y.

MEATS. 207

Boast Loin op Veal.

Wash and rub thoroughly with salt and pepper, leaving m the iddnej, around which put plenty of salt; roll up, let stand two hours ; in the meantime make dressing of bread-crumbs, salt, pep- per, and chopped parsley or thyme moistened with a little hot water and butter — some prefer chopped salt pork — also add an egg. Unroll the veal, put the dressing well around the kidney, fold, and secure well with several yards white cotton twine, covering the meat in all directions; place in the dripping-pan with the thick aide down, put to bake in a rather hot oven, graduating it to moderate heat afterward ; in half an hour add a little hot water to the pan, baste often ; in another half hour turn over the roast, and when nearly done, dredge lightly with flour, and baste with melted batter. Before serving, carefully remove the twine. A four-pound roast thus prepared will bake thoroughly tender in about two hours. To make the gravy, skim off fat if there is too much in the drippings, dredge some flour in the pan, stir until it browns, add some hot water if necessary, boil a few moments and serve in gravy-boat. This roast is very nice to slice down cold for Sunday dinners. Serve with green pease and lemon jelly.

Stewed Kidney.

Boil kidneys the night before till very tender, turn meat and gravy into a dish and cover over. In the morning, boil for a few moments, thicken with flour and water, add part of an onion chopped very fine, pepper, salt, and a lump of butte^and pour over toasted broad well buttered. — Mrs. E. L. F.

Veal Stew.

Boil two and a half pounds of the breast of veal one hour in water enough to cover, add a dozen potatoes, and cook half an hour ; before taking off the stove, add one pint of milk and flour enough to thicken ; season to taste. If preferred, make a crust as for chicken-pie, bake in two pie-pans, place one of the crusts on tlie platter, pour over the stew, and place the other on top. — KaJte Thomp- Wij JliIiBerAurg, Ky.

208 MEATS.

Sweet-Bbeadb.

These are great delicacies. There are two in a calf, one from neck called *' throat sweet-bread," the other firom near the heart called ''heart sweet-bread." The latter is most delicate. Select the largest The color should be clear and a shade darker than the &t Before cooking let the sweet- breads lie for half an hour in lukewarm water, then throw into boiliiig water to blanch and harden, and then into cold water to cool ; after which draw off the outer casing, remove the little pipes, and cut into thin slices. Sweet- breads do not keep well, and should be fresh, and must be kept in a cold, dry place. They should be thoroughly cooked. In lard- ing sweet-bread, take deep, long stitches, or they will break out.

To broil, prepare as above, spread plenty of butter over them» and broil on a gridiron over hot coals, turning often.

To fricassee, cut up the remnant of a cooked sweet-bread in small pieces, prepare a gravy by melting two table-spoons butter and stirring in a table-spoon flour, and adding a tea-cup of soup stock or water; lay pieces of sweet-bread in pan with gravy, season with pepper and salt, and boil up once. Garnish with sliced lemon or pieces of fried bread. If sweet-breads are fresh, cut into thin slices, let simmer slowly in the gravy for three-quarters of an hour, and add a well-beaten egg, two table-spoons cream, and a spoonful chopped parsley ; stir all together for a few minutes, and serve im- mediately.

To fry, parboil five minutes, wipe dry, lard with narrow stripe of salt fat pork with a larding-needle, put a very little butter or lard into a frying-pan, lay m the sweet-breads when it is hot, and fry to a crisp brown, turning often. Or, slice thin, sprinkle over grated nutmeg and chopped parsley, dip into a batter made of one cup milk, one egg, one cup of flour, a pinch of salt, and a half tea- spoon baking-powder, and fry like fritters.

To roast, parboil large ones, and, when cold, lard yrith salt pork as above. Boast brown in a moderate oven, basting often with butter and water. Serve with white sauce or tomato sauce poured over them. For sweet-breads with green pease, lard five sweet-breads with strips of salt pork (project evenly about half an inch on the upper side), put on the fire with a half pint water, and let stew

MEA!n8. 209

alowly for half an hour, take out and put in a small dripping-pan with a little butter and a sprinkle of flour ; brown slightly, add half a gill of mingled milk and water, and sea^n with pepper ; heat a half pint of cream, and stir it in the gravy in the pan. Have pease ready boiled and seasoned, place the sweet-breads in the center of the disb, pour the gravy over them, and put pease around them.

Veal with Oysters.

Fry two pounds tender veal cut in thin bits, and dredged witli

flour, in sufficient hot lard to prevent sticking ; when nearly done

add one and a half pints of fine oysters, thicken with flour, season

with salt and pepper, and cook until done. Serve hot in covered dish.

Stuffed Heart.

Take a beeFs or sheep's or veal's heart, wash deeply and thoroughly 80 as to remove all blood, make the two cells into one by cutting through the partition with a long, sharp knife, being careful not to cut through to the outside ; make a stufling of bread crumbs same as for roast turkey, fill the cavity, cover with greased paper or cloth to secure stuffing, and bake in a deep pan with plenty of water, for two hours or longer, basting and turning often, as the upper part particularly is apt to get dry. While heart is roasting, put the valves or ^* deaf ears," which must be cut ofl* after washing, into a sauce- pan, with pint of cold water and a sliced onion. Let simmer slowly one hour ; melt in saucepan tablespoon of butter, add a tablespoon flour, then the strained liquor from valves, and serve as gravy.

Veal or Chicken pot-pie.

Put two or three pounds veal (a piece widi ribs is .good), cut in a dozen pieces, in a quart of cold water ; make a quart of soda-bis- cuit dough, take two-thirds of dongh, roll to a fourth of an inch thick, cut in strips one inch wide by three long ; pare and slice six potatoes ; boil veal till tender, take out all but three or four pieces, put in two handfuls of potatoes and several strips of dough, then add pieces of veal and dough, seasoning with salt, pepper, and a little butter, until all the veal is in pot ; add boiling water enough to cover, take rest of dough, roll out to size of ])ot, cut several holes to let steam escape, and place over the whole. Put on a tight lid and boil (gently) twenty or thirty minutes mthovt uncovering.

Butter or lard for pastry should be sweet, fresh and solid. When freshly-made butter can not be had, wash well, kneading while under cold water, changing the water t\vo or three times, and then wiping dry with a napkin. The board on which the butter is rolled should be hard and smooth, and never used for any other purpose.

A very nice paste for family use may be made by reducing the quantity of shortening to even so little as a half pound to a quart of flour, especially when children or dyspeptics are to be considered. With the exception of mince-pies, which are warmed over before serving, all pies should be eaten the day they are baked. In warm weather, when not ready to bake immediately after making up paste, keep it in the ice-chest till wanted, several days if necessary, and, in any event, it is better to let it thus remain for one or two hours. Roll always with a weU-jUmred rolling-pin.

To prevent the juicf of pies from soaking into the under crust, beat an egg well, and with a bit of cloth dipped into the egg, rub over the crust before filling the pies.

For a more wholesome pie-crust shortening, boil beans or potatoes until soft, make into a broth, work through a colander, mix as much into the flour as can be done and preserve suflicient tenacity in the dough. Knead moderately stifl*, and roll a little thicker than crust shortened with lard. It is a good plan to make a puif-paste for the top crust, and for the under crust use less shortening.

When using green currants, pie-plant, gooseberries, or other fruitd" which require the juice to be thickened, fill the lower crust, sprinkle

PAJSTRY. 211

com starch evenly over, and put on the upper crust. This pre- vents the juice from running over, and, when cold, forms a nice jelly. Do not sprinkle with sugar uutil the fruit is placed in the crust, as the sugar sets the juice free. In all pies with top crust, make air-holes, or the crust will burst. These may be arranged in any fanciful shape, and are best made by the point of the bowl of an inverted teanspoon pressed through the crust while on the board, and gently drawn apart when taken up to put over the fire. Mer- ingue, for pies or puddings, is made in the proportion of one table- spoon sugar to white of one egg, with flavoring added. Never fill pies until just before putting tliem iu the oven. Always use tin pie-pans, since, in earthen pans, the under crust is not likely to be well baked. Just before putting on the upper crust, wet the rim of the lower with the finger dipped in water, or with a thick paste of flour and water, or egg and flour, and press the two crusts firmly together; this will prevent that bane of all pastry cooks — a burst pie. Bake fruit pies in a moderate oven, having a better heat at the bottom than at the top of the oven, or the lower crust will be clammy and raw. When done, the crust will separate from the pan, so that the pie may be easily removed. Remove at once frx)m the tins, or the crust will become ** soggy.**

The secret of success in making pufl'-paste is to secure the great- est possible number of layers of butter and dough (alternately) as the result of folding and rolling. This is best accomplished, as will readily be perceived, by increasing the quantity of butter; the more you use, the greater the number of layers before the butter is ex- hausted by absorption into the dough. Ob the other hand, too much butter produces equally bad results; a quantity of butter equal to the flour is the most, and three-fourths pound of butter to a pound of flour the least, that can be used in pufl'-paste with good results. For pastry for the family table the proportion of butter may be reduced to one-fourth as much butter as flour, and lard or suet may be substituted for butter.

In making pufl-paste, it is a mistake to suppose that lessening the quantity of butter is economical. For instance, tartlets cut one- fourth of an inch thick from paste made with half a pound of but- ter to a pound of flour, will not be any thicker or higher when

212 PASTRY,

baked than thoee cut from paste half as thick made with three-fourths pound butter to a pound of flour. Thus, bj using one- fourth more butter double the bulk results, besides the satisfaction of having good light pastry. In washing or egging pastry, be care- ful not to allow the egg or milk, or whatever \a used, to run down over the edges, or, as it sets by the heat of the oven, it will bind the edges and prevent them from opening fully. lu rolling, use the rolling-pin as lightly as possible, and take care that the pressure is even. The layers will be even or uneven just in proportion as the pressure is even or uneven. Be careful not to break the dough, or the butter will be forced through, and thus destroy the evenness of the layers. K the dough breaks, cover it with a piece of '' plain dough," dust it well with flour, and continue rolling. (It is well to keep a piece of plain dough in reserve for this purpose.)

Aunty Phelps' Pie Crust. To one pint of sifted flour, add one even tea-spoon baking powder, and sweet cream enough to wet the flour, leaving crust a little stiff This is enough for two pies.

Good Common Paste. One cofiee-cup lard, three of sifted flour, and a little salt. In winter soften the lard a little (but not in summer), cut it well into the flour with a knife, then mix' with cold water quickly into a moderately stiff dough, handling as little as possible. This makes four common-sized covered pies. Take a new slice of paste each time for top crust Aft»r rolling spread with a tea-spoon, butter, fold and roll again, using the trimmings, etc., for under crust— Jlfi88 KaJty Rupp,

Graham Paste.

Mix lightly half a pound Graham flour, half a pint sweet cream, half a teaspoon salt, roll, and bake like other pastry.

Puff Paste. Take three-fourths pound of butter (be sure that it is of the best quality), free it from salt (by working it in water), form it in a square lump, and place it in flour for half an hour to harden ; place one pound of flour in a bowl, take two ounces of butter and rub it ''fine" into the flour, wet the flour into dough with cold water.

PASTRY. 213

tnaking it a& neai at> po68ible the same consistency as the butter (so that ihkj two will roll out evenly together) ; now place the dough on the pastry board, dust it under and over with flour, and rdll it out in a piece 3ay twelve inches long and six wide ; now flour butter well, and roll that out in a sheet about eight inches long and five wide, (this will cover about three-fourths of the dough, leaving one- fourth of the dough, and about half an inch around the sides and top edge, without butter). Place the sheet of butter on the dough as described ; take half a ^ea-spoon cream tartar, mix it with twice its bulk of flour, and sprinkle it evenly over the butter ; now fold the one-fourth not covered with butter, over on the butter, then fold the other part with the butter on it over on that, and you will then have three layers of dough and two of butter. Boll out to its original size, dust with flour, fold it as before, roll out again, dust with flour, and fold again ; repeat twice more, giving it four rollings and. foldings ; when rolled out for the last time, cut it through in two even pieces, and place one on the other, and the paste is ready to roll in any shape desired.

In warm weather it is necessary to place it in a cool place after every second rolling ; in very warm weather after each rolling, and sometimes on ice. A good, firm, tough butter is best for the pur- pose. Take care not to use carbonate of soda or saleratus instead of cream tartar ; use a sharp cutter to cut out tartlets ; give a rapid downward cut so that it will cut, not drag through, so that the layera may not be pressed together, so as to prevent their opening leadily when baking, thus preventing the tartlets from raising fully. Afker they are cut, place them on the pans or in the patty-pans upside down, because the cutter in dividing the paste presses down- ward toward the board, closing the layers, and if placed in oven right side up, the edges pressed somewhat closely together can not open fully, consequently do not rise well, but, if inverted, the layers open more evenly at the edges. — C. H, King, Orange, N. J,

PuFP Paste.

One heaping pound superfine sifted flour, one of butter, which has first been folded in a napkin and gently pressed to remove all

214 PASTRY.

moisture; place the flour on board (or marble slab is better), make a well in center, squeeze in juice of half a lemon, and add yolk of one egg, beaten with a little ice- water; stir with one hand and drop in ice-water with the other, until the paste is as hard as the butter ; roll paste out in a smooth square an inch thick, smooth sides with a rolling-pin, spread the butter over half the paste; lay the other half over like an old-fashioned turn -over, leave it for fifteen min< utes in a cold place, then roll out in a long strip, keeping the edges smooth, and double it in three parts, as follows: Fold one-third over on the middle third, roll it down, then fold over the other outside third, roll out in a long strip and repeat the folding process — ^rolling across this time so that the butter may not run ''in streaks" by being always rolled the same way ; let it lie for fifteen minutes, and repeat this six times, allowing fifteen minutes between each rolling to cooj, otherwise the butter will " oil," and the paste is ready for use. Handle as little as possible through the whole process. All the flour used must be of the very best quality, and thoroughly sifted. The quantity of water depends on the capacity of the flour toabserb it, which is quite- variable. Too little makes the paste toug\, and too much makes it thin, and prevents the flakiness so desirable. Rich paste requires a quick oven. This may be made in one-fourth the quantity given above, and is then much more easily handled. — Jlrs. Fl Cr. Hmliy MiiuieapoliSy Minn,

Paste with Suet. Roll a half-pound of the best suet, with very little membrane running through it, on a board for several minutes, removing all the skin and fibers that appear when rolling ; the suet will be a pure and sweet shortening, looking like butter; or the suet may be chop})ed fine and the fibers removed. Rub the suet into a pouHrd of flour, add a tea-spoon salt,- and mix it with a half pint of ice-water ; roll out for the plates, and put on a little butter in flakes, rolling it in as usual. Some add a tea-spoon baking- powder.

Apple Meringue Pie.

Pare, slice, stew and sweeten ripe, tart and juicy apples, mash and season with nutmeg, (or stew lemon peel with them for flavor), fill crust and bake till done ; spread over the apple a thick meringue

PASTRY. 215

made bj whipping to froth whites of three eggs for each pie, sweet- ening with three table-spoons powdered sugar ; flavor with vanilla, beat until it will stand alone, and cover pie three-quarters of an inch thick. Set back in a quick oven till well '' set/' and eat cold. In their season substitute peaches for apples.

Apple Custard Pie. Peel sour apples and stew until soft, and not much water is left in them, and rub through a colander. Beat three eggs for each pie. Put in in proportion of one cup butter, and one of sugar for three pies. Season with nutmeg. — Mrs, D. G, Oroas,

Dried Apple Pie.

Very good pies may be made of the ** Alden " dried apples, by

stewing in a very little water ; sweeten and make like any other.

The home dried apples are best when stewed very soft, and mashed

through a colander. When stewing put in two or three small pieces

of lemon or orange peel (previously dried and saved for cooking

purposes); flavor with a very little spice of any kind. Sweeten and

season before putting into the pie-pan. A beaten egg may be stirred

m. Bake with two crusts, rolled thin, and warm slightly before

Sliced- APPLE Pie.

Line pie-pan with crust, sprinkle with sugar, fill with tart apples sliced very thin, sprinkle sugar and a very little cinnamon over them, and add a few small bits of butter, and a table-spoon water; dredge in flour, .cover with the top crust, and bake half to three-quarters of an hour ; allow four or five table-spoons sugar to one pie. Or, line pans with crurt, fill with sliced apples, put on top crust and bake ; take ofl* top crust, put in sugar, bits of butter and seasoning, replace crust and serve warm. It is delicious with sweetened cream. Crab-apple pie, if made of '' Transcend- ents," will fully equal those made of larger varieties of the apple. —

ifrg. D. Buxton.

Banana Pie.

Slice raw bananas, add butter, sugar, allspice and vinegar, or

boiled cider, or diluted jelly; bake with two crusts. Cold boiled

sweet potatoes may be used instead of bananas, and are very nice.

216 PASTRY.

Corn Starch Pies. One quart milk, yolks of two eggs, two table-spoons com starch, two cups sugar; mix starch in a little milk, boil the rest of the milk to a thick cream, beat the yolks and add starch, put in the boiled milk and add sugar ; bake with an under crust, beat whites with two table-spoons sugar, and put on top of pies, and, when done, return to oven and brown. — Mrs. J. W. Grubba, Riclvnwnd^

Cream Pie.

Beat thoroughly together the white of one egg, half tea-cup sugar,

and table-spoon of flour; then add tea-cup rich milk (some use part

cream), bake with a bottom crust, and grate nutmeg on top. — Mn.

Luiher Liggett.

Cream Pie.

Pour a pint cream upon a cup and a half powdered sugar; let

stand until the whites of three eggs have been beaten to a stiff

froth ; add this to the cream, and beat up thoroughly, grate a little

nutmeg over the mixture, and bake in two pies without upper

crusts. — Mrs. Henry C. Meredith.

Whipped Cream Pie. Bweeten with white sugar one tea-cup very thick sweet cream, made as cold as possible without freezing, and flavor with lemon or vanilla to taste; beat until as light as eggs for frosting, and keep cool until the crust is ready ; make crust moderately rich, prick well with a fork to prevent blistering, bake, spread on the cream, and to add finish put bits of jelly over the top. The above will make two pies. — Mrs, A. M. Alexander y HarrUburg.

Crumb Pie.

Soak in a little warm water one tea-cup bread-crumbs half an hour, add three table-spoons sugar, half a table-spoon butter, half a cup of cold water, a little vinegar, and nutmeg to suit the taste ; bake with two crusts, made the same as for other pies. — Miss Syl- via J. Courier.

Cocoa-nut Pie.

One pint milk, a cocoa-nut, tea-cup sugar, three eggs ; grate cocoa- nut, mix with the yolks of the eggs and sugar, stir in the milk, filling the pan even full, and bake. Beat whites of eggs to frothy

PASTRY, 217

BtirriDg in three table-spoons pulverized sugar, pour over pie and hake to a light brown. If prepared coooarnut is used, one heaping tea-cup is required. — ^Rs8 N. B. jBroim, WashingUm City.

Custard Pie.

Heat one quart good rich milk in n tin-pan set in a skillet of hot

water; take five eggs," four large table-spoons sugar, and a little

salt, beat sugar and eggs a little, and pour in the milk ; flavor to

Bnit the taste and have oven hot when put in to bake. Then cook

bIowIj so as not to boil, as that spoils it ; test with a knife, when

done it will not stick to blade. Without the crust, this makes a

delicious baked custard. Bake in a deep tin — Mrs, C. B, Boody,

Custard Pie.

For a large pie, take three eggs, one pint of milk, half cup sugar,

and flavor. The crust for custard pies may be baked (not too hard)

before putting in the custard ; prick it before putting it in oven to

prevent blistering. This prevents it from becoming soggy, — Mrs,

N. S. Long.

Chess Pie.

Three ^gs, two-thirds cup sugar, half cup butter (half cup milk

may be added if not wanted so rich) ; beat butter to a cream, then

add yolks and si|gar beaten to a froth with the flavoring ; stir all

together rapidly, and bake in a nice crust. When done, spread

with the beaten whites, and three table-spoons sugar and a little

flavoring. Return to oven, and brown slightly. This makes one

pie, which should be served immediately. — Mrs. J. Canon, Olendale.

Green Currant Pie. Line an inch pie-dish with good pie-crust, sprinkle over the bot- tom two heaping table-spoons sugar and two of flour (or one of corn starch) mixed ; then pour in one pint green currants washed clean, and two table-spoons currant jelly; sprinkle with four heaping table-spoons sugar, and add two table-spoons cold water ; cover and bake fifteen or twenty minutes. — Mm S. Alice Mdching.

Ripe Currant Pie. One cup mashed ripe currants, one of sugar, two table-spoons Water, one of flour beaten with the yolks of two eggs ; bake, frost

318 PASTRY.

the top with the beaten whites of the eggs and two tabl^^-spoons powdered sugar, and brown in oven.— Jfr«. W. E, JI,

Cherry Pie. Line a pie-tin with rich crust ; nearly fill with the carefuUj seeded finiit, sweeten to taste, and sprinkle evenly with a tea-spoon corn-starch or a table-spoon flour, add a table-spoon of butter cut into small bits and scattered over the top ; wet edge of crust, put on upper crust, and press the edges closely together, taking care to pro- vide holes in the center for the escape of the air. Pies from black* berries, raspberries, etc., are all made in the same way, regulating the quantity of the sugar by the tartness of the fruit.

Lemon Pie. One lemon grated, one cup sugar, the yolks of three eggs, small pieces butter, three table-spoons milk, two tea-spoons com starch ; beat all together and bake in a rich crust; beat the whites with three table-spoons sugar, place on the pie when done, and then brown in the oven. — Mrs. W. E. Scobey,

Lemon Pie. Four eggs, one and a half cups sugar, two-thirds cups water, two table-spoons flour, one lemon. Beat the yolks of eggs until very smooth (beat the yolks a long time and whip the whites well), add the grated peel of lemon and the sugar, beat well, stir in the flour, and add the lemon juice (if lemons are small two may be necessary), and lastly the water; stir well, and pour in pie-pans lined with paste. When baked, take from oven, and spread over them the whites of the eggs beaten dry and smooth with four table-spoons pulverized sugar ; return to oven and brown slightly. The above recipe is for two pies. — Mrs. Virginia C. Meredith.

Appleless Mince-Meat. Chop fine eight pounds green tomatoes, add six pounds sugar, one ounce each of cloves, cinnamon and allspice, simmer slowly till tomatoes are clear, then put away in a covered jar. For pies in winter, take in the proportion of two-thirds tomatoes and one-third meat, and season with butter, boiled cider, sugar if needed, etc.. ai regular mince pies would be seasoned.

PASTRY. 219

Mince-Meat.

Take five or six pounds scraggy beef — a neck piece will do — and put to boil in water enough to cover it; take off the scum that rises when it reaches the boUing point, add hot water irom time to time until it is tender, then remove the lid from the pot, salt, let boil till almost dry, turning the meat over occasionally in the liquor, take from the fire, and let stand over night to get thoroughly cold ; pick bones, gristle, or stringy bits from the meat, chop very fine, mincing at the same time three pounds of nice beef suet ; seed and cut four pounds raisins, wash and dry four pounds currants, slice thin a pound of citron, chop fine four quarts good-cooking tart ap- ples; put into a large pan together, add two ounces cinnamon, one of cloves, one of giiiger, four nutmegs, the juice and grated rhids of two lemons, one table-spoon salt, oue tea-spoon pepper, and two pounds sugar. Put in a porcelain kettle one quart boiled cider, or, better still, one quart currant or gmpe juice (canned when grapes are turning from green to purple), one quart nice molasses or syrup, and, if you have any syrup left from sweet pickles, add some of that, also a good lump of butter ; let it come to boiling point, and pour over the ingredients in the pan after having first mixed them well, then mix again thoroughly. Pack in jars and put in a cool place, and, when cold, pour molasses over the top an eighth of an inch in thickness, and cover tightly. This will keep two months. For baking, take some out of a jar, if not moist enough add a little hot water, and strew a few whole raisins over each pie. Instead of boiled beef, a beef Vheart or roast meat may be used ; and a good proportion for a few pies is

The above is a good formula to use, but, of course, may be varied to suit diflTerent tastes or the material at hand. If too rich, add more chopped apples ; in lieu of cider, vinegar and water in equal proportions may be used ; good preserves, marmalades, spiced pickles, currant or grape jelly, canned fruit, dried cherries, etc., may take the place of raisins, currants and citrons. Wine or brandy is considered by many a great improvement, but if " it causeth thy brother to offend " do not use it. Lemon and vanilla extracts are often used, also preserved lemon or orange peel. The

220 PASTRY.

minoe-meat is better to stand over night, or several days, before baking into pies, as the materials will be more thoroughly incorpo- rated. Many prefer to freeze their pies after baking, heating them as

Mince-Meat.

Two bowls chopped apples, one of chopped meat, with one-fourth pound suet, grated rind and juice of one lemon, two tea-cups mo* lasses, one large tea-spoon each of cinnamon and cloves, one nut- meg, one poimd raisins, half pound currants, one-fourth pound citron cut fine, one quart cider, and sugar and salt to taste. — Mrs. J. R, WUooXy New Haven^

Mock Mince-Pie. Twelve crackers rolled fine, one cup hot water, half cup vinegar, one cup molasses, one of sugar, one of curiunts, one of raisins, spice to taste ; measure with a tea-cup. Some use one cup dried bread- crumbs, and also add a small cup butter. This is for four pies. — Mrs. Annie E, Gillespie,

Orange Pie. Grated rind and juice of two oranges, four eggs, four table-spoons sugar, and one of butter; cream the butter and sugar, add the beaten eggs, then the rind and juice of the oranges, and, lastly, the whites beaten to a froth, and mixed in lightly. Bake with an under crust. — Oov. Steams, Florida,

Pie-plant Pie.

Mix half tea-cup white sugar and one heaping tea-spoon flour

together, sprinkle over the bottom crust, then add the pie-plant cut

up fine ; sprinkle over this another half tea-cup sugar and heaping

tea-spoon flour ; bake fully three-quarters of an hour in a slow oven.

Or, stew the pie-plant, sweeten, add grated rind and juice of a

lemon and yolks of two eggs, and bake and frost like lemon pie. —

Mrs, D. Buxton,

Peach Pie.

Bake in two separate tins an under and upper crust in a quick oven

fifteen minutes ; when done place in the lower crust one quart peaches

prepared by slicing, and adding three table-spoons each of sugar and

cream, cover with the top crust, and place in oven for five minutea.

PASTRY, 221

Treat Btrawberries, raBpberries, etc., in the same way. — Mn. F. L.

T., New Orleans.

Peach Pie.

Liine a pie-tin with puff-paste, fill with pared peaches in halves

or quarters, well covered with sugar ; put on upper crust and bake ;

or noake as above without upper crust, bake until done, remove

from the oven, and cover with a meringue made of the whites of

two ^gs, beaten to a stiff froth with two table-spoons powdered

sugar; return to oven and brown slightly. Canned peaches may

be used instead of fresh, in the same way.

Dried-feach Pie. Stew peaches until perfectly soil, mash fine, and add, for two pies, half tea-cup sweet cream, and one tea-cup sugar; bake with two crusts. Or, omit cream, and add half tearcup boiling water, and butter size of a hickory-nut.

Potato Pie.

A common-sized tea-cup of grated raw potato, a quart sweet milk ; let milk boil and stir in grated potato ; when cool add two or three ^gs well beaten, sugar and nutmeg to taste ; bake without upper crust; eat the day it is baked. This recipe is for two pies. — Mm Sarah Thomson^ Delaware.

Potato Pie.

Boil either Irish or sweet potatoes until well done, mash and rub through a sieve ; to a pint of pulp, add three pints sweet milk, table-spoon melted butter, tea-cup sugar, three eggs, pinch of salt, and nutm^ or lemon to flavor. Use rich paste for under crust — Mn. R. C. Carwn, Harridmrg,

Pumpkin Pie. Stew pumpkin, cut into small pieces, in a half pint water ; and, when soft, mash with potato-masher very fine, let the water dry away, watching closely to prevent burning or scorching ; for each pie take one well-beaten egg, half cup sugar, two table-spoons pumpi km, half pint rich milk (a little cream will improve it), a little salt; stir well together, and season with cinnamon or nutmeg; bake with under crust in a hot oven. Some steam pumpkin instead of fltewipg it. — Mrs. A. B. Merey.

222 PjlSTBr.

Pine-apple Pie. A cup of sugar, a half cup butter, one of sweet cream, five eggs, one pine-apple grated ; beat butter and sugar to a cream, add beaten yolks of eggs, then the pine-apple and cream, and, laatly, the beaten whites whipped in lightly. Bake with under crust only, — Mrs. Wm, Smith, JacksonvUle, Florida.

Preserve Puffs.

Boll out puff-paste very thin, cut into round pieces, and lay jam on each, fold over the paste, wet edges with white of an egg, and close them ; lay them on a baking sheet, ice them, and bake about fifteen minutes. — Mrs. H. A. E.

Plum Cobbler.

Take one quart of flour, four table-spoons melted lard, half tea- spoon salt, two tea-spoons baking-powder; mix a£ for biscuit, with either sweet milk or water, roll thin, and line a pudding-dish or dripping-pan, nine by eighteen inches ; mix three table-spoons flour and two of sugar together, and sprinkle over the crust; then poiur in three pints canned damson plums, and sprinkle over them one coffee-cup sugar ; wet the edges with a little flour and water mixed, put on upper crust, press the edges together, make two openings by cutting two incisions at right angles an inch in length, and bake in a quick oven half an hour. Peaches, apples, or any kind of fresh or canned fruit, can be made in the same wav. — Miss 8. Alice Mdcldng.

Southern Tomato Pie.

For one pie, peel and slice green tomatoes, add four tablenspoons vinegar, one of butter, three of sugar ; flavor with nutmeg or cinnamon ; bake with two crusts slowly. This tastes very much like a green apple pie. — Mrs. Ceba Hull.

Vixeqar Pie.

One Qgg, one heaping table-spoon flour, one tea-cup sugar; beat all well together, and add one table-spoon sharp vin^ar, and one tea-cup cold water ; flavor with nutmeg and bake with two crusta. — Mrs. B. A. Fay.

PASTRY. 223

Bina's Strawberry Shortcake. Two heaping tea-spoons baking powder sifted into one quart flour, Bcant half tea-cup butter, two table-spoons sugar, a little salt, oiough sweet milk (or water) to make a sofl dough ; roll out almost 88 thin as pie-crust, place one layer in a baking-pan, and spread with a very little butter, upon which sprinkle some flour, then add another layer of crust and spread as before, and so on until crust is all used. This makes four layei*s in a pan fourteen inches by seven. Bake about fifteen minutes in a quick oven, turn out upside down, take ofi* the top layer (the bottom when baking), place on a dish, spiesid plentifully with strawberries (not mashed) previously sweet- ened with pulverized sugar, place layer upon layer, treating each one in the same way ; and when done you will have a handsome cake, to be served warm with sugar and cream. The secret of having light dough is to handle it as little and mix it as quickly as possible. Shortcake is delicious served with charlotte-russe or whipped cream. Easpberry and peach shortcakes may be made in

the same way.

Orange Shortcake.

One quart flour, two table-spoons butter, two tea-spoons baking powder thoroughly mixed with the flour ; mix (not very stifi*) with cold water, work as little as possible, bake, split open, and lay sliced oranges between ; cut in squares and serve with pudding sauce. Berries may be used instead of oranges. — Mr8. Canby, BeUe- fontaine.

Apple Tarts.

Pare, quarter, core, and boil in a half tea-cup of water until very soft, ten large tart apples ; beat till very smooth, then add the yolks of six eggs or three whole eggs, juice and grated rind of two lemons, half cup butter, one and a half cups sugar, or more if not sweet enough; beat all thoroughly, line little tart-tins with puff*-paste, and fill with the mixture, bake five minutes in a hot oven. If wanted very nice, take the whites of the six eggs (when the yolks of six are used), mix with six table-spoons pulverized sugar, spread on the top of the tarts, return to oven and brown slightly.

For almond tarts, beat to a cream the yolks of three eggs and a quarter of a pound of sugar, add half a pound of shelled almonds

•i24 PAjSTEY.

pounded slightly, put in tart-tins lined with puff-paste; bake eight minutes.

For cocoa-nuts, dissolve half pound sugar in quarter of a pint water, add half a grated cocoa-nut, let this boil slowly for a few minutes, and when cold, add the well-beaten yolks of three eggs and the white of one ; beat all well together, and pour into pattj* pans lined with a rich crust ; bake a few minutes.

When removed from oven, cover the tarts with a meringue made 01 the whites of the three eggs, mixed with three table-spoons sugar ; return to oven, and brown delicately. '

Tart Shells.

Roll out thin a nice puff-paste, cut out with a glass or biscuit cutter, with a wine-glass or smaller cup cut out the center of two out of three of these, lay the rings thus made on the third, and bake immediately ; or shells may be made by lining patty-pans with paste. If the paste is light, the shells will be fine, and may be used for tarts or oyster patties. Filled with jelly and covered with meringue (table-spoon sugar to white of one egg), and browned in oven, they are very nice to serve for tea.

A Kentucky Girl's Pumpkin Pie.

Gut pumpkin in halves, remove seeds, bake in a dripping-pan (skin side of pumpkin downward), with a aUno fire, until pulp can readily be scraped from skin ; mash fine, and while hot add to each quart pumpkin two table-spoons butter; when cold, sweeten to taste ; add one pint cream or new milk, yolks of three eggs, well beaten and strained^ cinnamon and allspice to taste (ginger, if pre- ferred), one wine-glass of brandy; stir weU, and just at the last add whites of eggs, well whipped. The brandy can be omitted and not injure recipe. Many like a table-spoon of lemon extract and less spice. If lemon is used, omit brandy. Bake in deep pie- plates in a quick oven. — L. A* B. (X, LexmgUm, Ky.