ONE-CRUST PIES

50. Many varieties of pies are made with only one crust, and these usually prove more attractive than those having two crusts. As a rule, the filling is a custard or a corn-starch mixture, but often fruits of various kinds, as well as pumpkin and squash, are used in the making of pies of this kind. Frequently, meringue is used as a covering for one-crust pies; or, if an especially delicious dessert is desired, a thick layer of stiffly beaten and sweetened whipped cream is often added to the pie just before serving. Again, a partly open pie is sometimes made, this being done by putting strips or pieces of paste over the filling before the pie is baked. Individual pies of this kind are attractive for special occasions and may be made to advantage if small pie pans are in supply.

The crust for one-crust pies is often placed over the back of the pan and baked. It is then removed, filled with the desired filling, and returned to the oven to complete the baking. Whether the lower crust should not be baked or should be partly or entirely baked before the filling is put into it depends on the character of the filling and the degree of temperature required to cook it.

51. MERINGUE FOR ONE-CRUST PIES.--Since meringue is often used as a garnish for one-crust pies, the housewife should understand its nature and the proper procedure in its making. When it is correctly made and properly baked, it is very attractive and improves the appearance of the dessert, but failure in these respects is likely to result in a tough, shrunken meringue, which had better be omitted, as it detracts from the appearance of the pie and is not agreeable to the taste.

If an attractive, appetizing meringue is to be the result, the eggs that are used must be in good condition and very cold; also, they must be properly beaten so that there will be no loss of air in manipulating the whites when they are placed on top of the pie mixture. The baking is important, too, both the length of time the meringue remains in the oven and the temperature to which it is subjected having a direct bearing on the finished meringue.

52. To make meringue, first separate the whites from the yolks and chill them thoroughly. Beat them with a fork or an egg whip until they are almost stiff, that is, until they will hold their shape fairly well but will drop from the fork or whip when it is raised. At this point, begin to add the sugar, which, if possible, should be either confectioner's or pulverized, although granulated sugar may be used if the others cannot be obtained. Add the sugar slowly and continue the beating until all of it has been incorporated. The meringue is then ready to place on the filling. It should be remembered that the filling must be partly or entirely cooked before the meringue is applied, so that when the pie is returned to the oven nothing but the meringue will require cooking.

53. The manner in which meringue is placed on pie has much to do with the appearance of the pie. If it is spread on the filling in an even layer, the pie will invariably look stiff and unattractive. By far the better way is to drop it by spoonfuls roughly over the top of the filling, or first to spread a thin layer over the top in order to cover the entire surface and then to drop the remainder of the meringue over this by spoonfuls. Or, it may be forced through a pastry tube into rosettes or frills of any preferred design. The advantage of applying it unevenly rather than in a thin layer is that the rough surface will brown where the spots are high and the depressions will be a lighter brown or white. When the pie has been covered with meringue, set it in a moderate oven and let it bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is properly browned, when it will appear as in Fig. 13. By no means allow the meringue to remain in the oven longer than this, for as soon as the baking is completed, it will immediately begin to shrink and toughen.

MERINGUE FOR PIES

Beat the egg whites according to the directions given, add the sugar slowly, and continue the beating. Then add the flavoring. Cover the filling, place in a moderate oven, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

54. BUTTERSCOTCH PIE.--A sweet dessert that is usually a favorite may be had by making butterscotch pie. The necessary ingredients for this kind of pie are few and simple. When served with whipped cream in place of meringue, it makes a very rich and delicious dessert.

BUTTERSCOTCH PIE

Mix the sugar, corn starch, and salt, and add the boiling water to them. Cook until the mixture has thickened and in the meantime heat the milk. Stir in the butter, add the milk, and cook the entire mixture in a double boiler for 15 minutes. Add the vanilla. Pour into the baked pie crust, cover with meringue, and bake in a moderate oven, or cook without the meringue, then cool and cover with whipped cream before serving.

55. CHOCOLATE PIE.--Chocolate corn-starch pudding or chocolate blanc mange thickened with any starchy material and poured into a baked crust makes chocolate pie. This may be made as strong with chocolate as desired, but care should be taken not to make it too stiff or it will be pasty.

CHOCOLATE PIE

Heat the milk to scalding in a double boiler. Mix the sugar, flour, and salt and add to the milk. Cook over the flame until the flour has thickened. Return to the double boiler and cook for 10 or 15 minutes longer. Melt the chocolate over hot water and add to the mixture. Beat the egg and add slowly to the mixture, remove from the fire, and add the vanilla. Pour into a baked pie crust, cover with meringue, if desired, and bake in a moderate oven for 10 to 15 minutes. If the meringue is omitted, cool and cover with whipped cream just before serving.

56. COCONUT PIE.--The flavor of coconut added to an already delicious corn-starch custard makes a pie that never fails to tempt the appetite of every one. The crust for a pie of this kind should always be baked in a deep pan.

COCONUT PIE

Put the milk in a double boiler and steep the coconut in it until the milk is hot. Mix the sugar, corn starch, and salt, add to the milk, and cook directly over the flame until the mixture has thickened. Return to the double boiler and cook for 10 or 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, and pour into a baked pie crust. Cover with meringue, if desired.

57. CRANBERRY PIE.--Persons who are fond of cranberries are always pleased when cranberry pie is served. As these berries are somewhat tart in flavor, more sugar than is generally used for pie is needed. Before the berries are put on to cook, they should be cleaned according to the directions given in Fruit and Fruit Desserts.

CRANBERRY PIE

Cook the cranberries and water in a closed vessel until the skins have cracked and then add the sugar. Cook for a few minutes longer to allow the sugar to dissolve. Pour into an unbaked pie crust and cover with half-inch strips of paste placed over the top to form a lattice effect. Place in a moderate oven and bake until the crust is nicely browned.

58. CREAM PIE.--The plain corn-starch custard mixture used for cream pie may be flavored as desired. The combination of lemon and vanilla is suggested here to give something a little unusual. If the pie is to be eaten at once upon being made, a layer of sliced bananas or other fresh fruit may be placed on the crust and the custard poured over it after being cooked sufficiently not to affect the fruit. In such an event, the meringue must be baked very quickly, or whipped cream may be used in place of it. This pie may be made with one egg if desired.

CREAM PIE

Scald the milk in a double boiler. Mix the sugar, flour, and salt and stir into the hot milk. Cook over the fire until the flour has thickened. Place in a double boiler and cook for 10 or 15 minutes longer. Beat the yolks of the eggs and add them to the mixture. Remove from the heat, add the flavoring, and pour into the baked crust of a pie. Make meringue of the whites of the eggs, cover the mixture, place in a moderate oven, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

59. CUSTARD PIE.--Custard pie is made with the usual proportion of milk and eggs necessary for thickening. A dash of nutmeg is considered to improve the flavor and it also makes the surface of the pie a little more attractive.

CUSTARD PIE

Beat the eggs slightly and add the milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Partly bake the crust for the custard, but remove it from the oven before it has begun to get crisp. Pour in the custard, place in a moderate oven, and bake until a knife will come out clean when inserted. The custard should by no means be overbaked, as the result will be the same curding that occurs in an ordinary baked custard.

60. DATE CREAM PIE.--Using dates for pie is a rather unusual means of adding them to the diet, but it is a very good one and produces an excellent dessert. If desired, more of the date purée may be added to the mixture that is given in the recipe. The result will be a filling that has more of the date flavor.

DATE CREAM PIE

Steam the dates in the water in a double boiler until they are soft. Rub through a sieve. Beat the eggs slightly and add them with the milk to the dates. Add the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour into a partly baked pie crust, place in a moderate oven, and continue the baking as for custard pie.

61. LEMON PIE NO. 1.--A plain lemon pie that is comparatively inexpensive may be made by following the directions given here. More eggs, of course, will make a better pie and they may be added if desired. Grating the rind of the lemon adds flavor to the filling, but too much will give a bitter taste. Lemon juice should never be cooked with the corn starch, as the filling will gradually become thinner and the starch will lose its value as a thickening agent.

LEMON PIE NO. 1

Bring the water to the boiling point. Mix the sugar, salt, and corn starch and add to the water. Cook directly over the flame until the mixture is thickened and then place in a double boiler. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, and to them add the lemon juice and the grated rind of the lemon. Beat all well and add to the corn-starch mixture. Remove from the fire and pour into the baked crust of a pie. Make meringue of the egg whites and place on top of the filling. Brown in the oven, cool, and serve.

62. LEMON PIE NO. 2.--The accompanying recipe is similar to lemon pie No. 1, except that it contains some butter and in quantity is a larger recipe. If more than one pie is desired at a time, it is easy to multiply the quantities given.

LEMON PIE NO. 2

Mix the sugar, salt, and corn starch and add to the boiling water. Cook directly over the flame until the mixture becomes thick. Then place in a double boiler. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, and add to them the grated rind of lemon and the lemon juice. Stir all into the corn-starch mixture. Add the butter, and when it has melted remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into the baked crust of a pie. Make meringue of the egg whites, cover the filling with the meringue, and bake in a moderate oven until a delicate brown.

63. ORANGE PIE.--An orange pie is similar to a lemon pie, except that orange juice, together with grated orange rind, is used to give flavor and a little lemon juice is added for acidity. Pie of this kind makes a pleasing change from the desserts usually served.

ORANGE PIE

Bring the water to the boiling point. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and salt and add to the water. Cook directly over the flame until the corn starch has thickened. Place in a double boiler. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, and to them add the grated rind of the orange and the orange and lemon juice. Beat well and add to the corn-starch mixture. Remove from the heat and pour into a baked crust of a pie. Make meringue of the egg whites, cover the filling, and bake until a delicate brown in a moderate oven.

64. PINEAPPLE PIE.--Nothing more delicious in the way of a one-crust pie can be made than pineapple pie. It is similar to lemon pie, but differs in that a certain amount of the fruit is used in the filling. Therefore, unless the fruit is cut very fine, the pie will be difficult to cut.

PINEAPPLE PIE

Bring the water to the boiling point. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and salt and add to the boiling water. Cook directly over the flame until the mixture has thickened. Separate the egg, beat the yolk, and add to the pineapple and lemon juice. Stir this into the corn-starch mixture, remove from the heat, and add the pineapple. Fill a baked crust of a pie, make meringue of the egg white, cover the filling, and bake in a moderate oven until delicately browned.

65. PUMPKIN PIE NO. 1.--There are very few persons with whom pumpkin pie is not a favorite. While it is especially popular in the autumn, it may be made at any time of the year. Sometimes pumpkin is dried or canned in the household or commercially for this purpose. Then, too, pumpkins may be kept all winter if they are stored in a cool, dry place and are not bruised when put away.

PUMPKIN PIE NO. 1

The preparation of the pumpkin is the first step in the making of pumpkin pie. First chop the pumpkin into 3- or 4-inch pieces, remove the seeds, and peel off the skin. Cut the peeled pulp into cubes about 1 inch square and cook with just enough water to start the cooking or steam until the pumpkin is soft. When it has become soft, mash thoroughly or force through a sieve, and then cook again, stirring frequently to prevent the pumpkin from burning. Cook until as much water as possible has been evaporated and the mass of pumpkin seems quite dry. With the pumpkin prepared, mix the milk with it and add the beaten egg. Stir in the sugar, salt, spices, and corn starch. Fill partly baked pie crust with this mixture and bake in a moderate oven until the filling is cooked thoroughly and the crust is baked.

66. PUMPKIN PIE NO. 2.--Pumpkin pie is in reality a form of custard to which spice is added, but much of the original flavor of the pumpkin is lost if too much spice is used. The finished product should not be dark in color, but a golden brown. This dessert becomes much more delicious by adding a layer of whipped cream to it just before serving.

PUMPKIN PIE NO. 2

Prepare the pumpkin as directed in Art. 65 and add the milk to it. Beat the eggs and add to them the sugar, salt, and spices. Stir this into the mixture. Fill partly baked pie crust and bake in a moderate oven until the mixture is set and the crust is baked. Serve plain or spread a layer of whipped cream over the pie when it has cooled.

67. SQUASH PIE.--Pie that is similar to pumpkin pie may be made by using winter squash instead of pumpkin. It is somewhat finer in texture than pumpkin, and most persons consider it to be superior in flavor. When squash is desired for pies, it should be prepared in the same way as pumpkin.

SQUASH PIE

Mix the squash and milk and add the beaten egg, sugar, salt, and spices. Fill an unbaked pie crust, place in a moderate oven, and bake until the mixture is set and the crust is brown.

68. STRAWBERRY PIE.--The season for strawberries being short, it is usually desired to use them in as many ways as possible. Strawberry pie is offered as one of the more unusual ways. Made into individual pies or tarts and served with whipped cream, this furnishes a very attractive dessert.

STRAWBERRY PIE

Spread the strawberries on a single unbaked crust of a pie. Mix the sugar and flour and sprinkle over the berries. Put half-inch strips of paste across the top in the form of a lattice. Place in the oven and bake until the crust is brown, the strawberries are well cooked, and the juice is thick.

69. SWEET-POTATO PIE.--The amount of milk needed for making sweet-potato pie varies according to the dryness of the potatoes. Before they can be used for pie, the sweet potatoes must be cooked until they are tender and then mashed. The quantities given in the accompanying recipe will make enough filling for two pies.

SWEET-POTATO PIE

To the sweet potatoes add the dry ingredients and the unbeaten eggs, and then beat the mixture thoroughly. Pour in the milk and stir well. Turn into a partly baked pie crust, place in a moderate oven, and bake until the filling is set.

70. OPEN PEACH PIE.--Pare sufficient peaches to cover a single-crust pie. Cut them into halves, remove the seeds, and place in a single layer over an unbaked pie crust. Cover with 1 cupful of sugar to which have been added 3 tablespoonfuls of flour. Dot well with butter, add 1/4 cupful of water, and place in the oven. Bake until the crust is brown and the peaches are well cooked. Apples used in the same way make a delicious dessert.