PASTRY MADE WITH DRIPPING
Well made, digestible pastry should have a minimum of fat to make a crisp flaky crust. It should be crisp, not brittle; firm, not crumbly. Pastry may be made in large amounts, kept in refrigerator for several days and used as needed. Roll out only enough for one crust at a time as the less pastry is handled, the better.
PLAIN PASTRY
1 cup flour
⅓ cup fat
½ teaspoon salt
About ¼ cup cold or ice water
Mix flour and salt. Cut in fat and add just enough cold or ice water to make the mixture into a stiff dough. Roll out. This recipe makes one crust.
MEAT OR FISH PIE CRUST
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
⅓ cup any kind of dripping
1 cup meat stock or milk
1 teaspoon salt
Sift dry ingredients. Cut in fat if solid, or add if liquid. Stir in meat stock or milk to make a soft dough. Place on top of meat or fish with gravy in greased baking dish and bake 30 to 40 minutes in moderately hot oven.