Lovers of Chocolate, in any and every form, can make this addition to a common custard pie. Beat 1 egg to a stiff froth, then add pulverized sugar and grated chocolate with ½ teaspoon extract vanilla; spread this on the top of the pie and let it harden for a moment in the oven. Or you may prepare it in still another way. Put the chocolate in a basin on the back of the stove, and let it melt (do not put a drop of water with it); when melted beat 1 egg and some sugar in with it. In the latter case it will be a regular chocolate brown in color, and in the other a sort of gray.
Mince Pie.—Paste, 3, 2 cups mince-meat.
Mince-meat.—7 pounds currants, 3½ pounds peeled and cored apples, 3½ pounds beef, 3½ pounds suet, ½ pound each citron, lemon, and orange peel, 2½ pounds coffee sugar, 2 pounds raisins, 4 nutmegs, 1 ounce cinnamon, ½ ounce each cloves and mace, 1 pint brandy, and 1 pint white wine. Wash currants, dry, pick them; stone the raisins; remove skin and sinews from beef and suet. Chop each ingredient, separately, very fine; put into large pan as they are finished, finally adding spices, brandy, and wine; thoroughly mix together; pack in jars; store in cold, dry place. This mince-meat will keep from 12 to 18 months. The fruit should never be floured in making mince pie.
Mince-meat, 2.—2 pounds currants, 5 pounds peeled and cored apples, 2 pounds lean boiled beef, 1 pound beef suet, ¾ pound citron, 2½ pounds coffee sugar, 2 pounds raisins, 1 pound seedless raisins, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 nutmeg, 1 tablespoon each mace, cloves, and allspice, 1 pint each Madeira wine and brandy. Wash currants, dry, pick them; stone the raisins; remove skin and sinews from the beef. Chop each ingredient up, separately, very fine; place as soon as done in large pan, finally adding spices, Madeira, and brandy; mix thoroughly; pack in jars; keep in cold place.
Peach Tart.—For each large peach allow 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Fill baking-dish with sliced peaches, add sugar and water. Cover with pie crust, 6, bake in moderate oven about 30 minutes. Serve hot with cream.
Plum Pie.—Paste, 5, 3 cups plums; simmer in water, cover with 1½ cups sugar, until tender. Line pie-plate with the paste; wet edges; cover; wash with egg; bake in quick oven 20 minutes.
Pumpkin or Squash Pie.—Use pie crust,4 or 6. Mix 3 cups thick stewed and sieved pumpkin or squash, 2 cups milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, pinch cloves. Line 2 pie-plates as for custard pie; bake in moderate oven.
Rhubarb Pie.—Paste, 4, 1½ bunches rhubarb, 1½ cups sugar. Cut fruit in small pieces after stripping off skin, cook it very fast in shallow stewpan, with sugar. Line pie-plate with the paste; wet rim; add rhubarb, cold; lay 3 bars paste across, fastening ends; lay 3 more across, forming diamond-shaped spaces; lay round a rim, wash over with egg, and bake in quick oven 15 minutes.
Tarts: Gooseberry, Currant, Apple, or any other Fruit.—Time to bake, from ¾ to 1 hour. 1 quart gooseberries, rather more than ½ pound paste, moist sugar to taste. Cut off tops and tails from gooseberries, or pick currants from their stems, or pare and quarter the apples or peaches; put them into pie-dish with sugar, line edge of dish with paste, pour in a little Water, put on cover, ornament edge of paste in the usual manner, and bake it in a brisk oven.
Tartlets.—Time to bake, ¼ hour. Line some patty-pans with puff paste, fill them with any jam or preserve, and bake lightly.