Sift one cupful of flour and one saltspoonful of baking powder together. Rub in two tablespoonfuls of shortening, mix quite stiff with ice water, using about one fourth cupful. Turn out on a floured board, pat, and roll till one fourth inch thick, then distribute one teaspoonful of butter over the surface. Sprinkle with flour and fold over and over, roll out again into a long strip, then roll like a jelly roll, and cut from end as needed, and roll out from end. The secret of good pastry is to thoroughly chill material.
For all fruit and custard pies brush bottom crust with white of egg before putting in filling. The crust will then remain dry and delicate.
A RICH PUFF PASTE.
One quart of flour and one pound of butter; sift the flour and work in the yolk of an egg well beaten; mix with ice water and roll out to the thickness of an inch or less. After the butter has been worked in cold water to extract the salt, place it on one half of the dough, folding the other half over it, set away for fifteen minutes in an ice chest, or other equally cold place, and then roll out into a long strip, which fold into three parts by turning over each end and rolling each fold; repeat this operation six or seven times. The colder the dough can be kept while being worked in this way, the better will be the results.
MINCE PIES.
To one cupful of water add one cupful of molasses, one cupful of sugar, one beaten egg, one cupful of vinegar, two and one half Boston crackers, rolled fine, one cupful of stoned raisins, butter the size of an egg, one quarter of a teaspoonful of cloves; two thirds of a teaspoonful of cinnamon; two thirds of a teaspoonful of allspice.
This will make three pies. The pies should bake slowly, taking about three quarters of an hour. A grating of nutmeg should be added to each pie before putting on upper crust. The egg, cracker, and slow baking thickens this apparently thin mixture.
FRUIT PIE.
Carefully wash two thirds of a cupful of dried currants, add equal quantity of seeded raisins; with one cupful of sugar and one cupful of water; place in saucepan and boil gently for one half hour; remove from the fire and add two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg to taste; two chopped apples, one tablespoonful of rolled crackers, half a cupful of chopped, sweet pickled peaches, or any preserved or spiced fruit; bake with two crusts. This will make two pies.