Strawberry Pie
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
4 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup cold water
1 quart strawberries
Sift dry ingredients together; rub in shortening very lightly with finger tips; add water slowly to make a stiff dough. Roll out on floured board and use for bottom crust of pie, being careful to fold the paste well over the edge of pie plate. Bake in hot oven 12 to 15 minutes.
If glazed crust is desired, brush edges after baking with boiling hot syrup (2 tablespoons syrup and 1 tablespoon water) and return to oven for 1 or 2 minutes until syrup hardens. Fill the baked crust with fresh selected hulled strawberries and cover with syrup made as follows:
Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup strawberries to 2 cups boiling water; bring to a boil and strain; add 1 tablespoon 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.
Mince Pie
Mince Pie should always be made with two crusts. Line pie plate with paste, [page 26], fill with mince meat, cover with paste and bake in hot oven 25 minutes.
Mince Meat
2 lbs. fresh lean beef, boiled and chopped fine when cold
1 lb. suet chopped very fine
5 lbs. chopped apples
1 lb. seeded raisins
2 lbs. currants
3/4 lb. sliced citron
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground mace
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon fine salt
2-1/2 lbs. brown sugar
1 qt. sherry or 1 qt. boiled cider
1 pt. brandy
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pack in jars. Store in cold, dry place. Allow to stand 24 hours before using.
Custard Pie
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat eggs; add sugar, salt and scalded milk slowly. Line pie plate with paste, [page 26], pour in custard. Bake in moderate oven 25 to 30 minutes. The custard is baked when a knife put in center comes out dry.
Cocoanut Pie is made the same way, adding 1 cup fresh grated cocoanut, and using only 2 eggs. Bake as above.
Pumpkin Pie
2 cups stewed and strained pumpkin
2 cups rich milk or cream
3/4 cup brown or granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix pumpkin with milk, sugar, beaten eggs, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and beat 2 minutes. Pour into pie tin which has been lined with pastry. Place in hot oven for fifteen minutes, then reduce heat and bake 45 minutes in moderate oven.
Rhubarb Pie
2 cups rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch or flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cut off root, stem ends and peel; cut into small pieces; put into deep pie plate which has been lined with paste, [page 26], sprinkle with corn starch, salt and sugar. Cover with paste and bake in hot oven about one-half hour.
Berry Pies
3 cups blueberries, huckleberries, or blackberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon butter
Line a pie plate with plain paste, [page 26], 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 about 45 minutes in moderate oven.
Other fruit pies can be made in the same way.