The American Pictorial Home Book
or Housekeeper's Encyclopedia - online book

A reference manual of household management in Victorian times.

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298
PASTRY FOR PIES,
half and fold the other over like a puff. Pinch neatly around and fry a nice brown. An excellent way to save fragments of cold meat
Excellent Short Crusts.—To every pound of well-dried flour allow 2 oz. of pounded and sifted white sugar; rub into it 3 oz. of fresh butter so fine as not to be seen ; into some cream put the yolks of 2 eggs beaten and mixed into a smooth paste. Roll it thin and bake in a moderate oven.
A Superior Short Crust.—To every pound of flour allow 1-2 lb. of butter, the yolks of 2 eggs, 2 oz. sifted sugar, 1 gill of milk ; rub the butter into the flour, add the sugar and mix the whole as well as possible to a smooth paste, with the yolks of eggs well beaten in the milk. The proportion of the latter ingredient must be judged of by the size of the eggs; if these are large, so much will not be re­quired, and more if the eggs are smaller.
Dripping Crust for Puddings, Pies, Tarts, Etc.—To every pound of flour allow 6 oz. of clarified beef dripping, 1-2 pint of wa­ter. After having clarified the dripping (which should be done by putting the dripping into a.clean saucepan and letting it boil for a few moments over a slow fire, and be careful to skim it well, let it stand to cool a little, then strain it through a piece of muslin into jars for use), weigh it, and to every pound of flour allow the above pro­portion of time for dripping. With a knife work the flour into a smooth paste with the water, rolling it three times each time, placing on the crust 2 oz. of the dripping, broken into small pieces. If this paste is properly made, and if good dripping is used, and not too much of it, it will be found good; and by the addition of 2 tablespoonfuls of fine sugar k may be converted into a common short crust for fruit pies.