PLAIN PASTRY

In plain pastry the shortening is mixed into the flour by chopping or with tips of fingers. All ingredients and utensils should be cold. When the lard is thoroughly chilled a large amount of ice-water can be incorporated, which, when converted into steam, acts as a leavening agent and makes the pastry light and fluffy.

PUFF PASTE

In puff paste the shortening is worked into a paste of flour and water by folding and rolling. Equal parts by weight of flour and shortening are used.

MATERIALS

Pure leaf lard is the ideal shortening for pastry making. It makes a light colored, soft, tender crust. Pure leaf lard is made only of leaf fat rendered in open kettles by a special process which makes the resulting product extremely rich and delicate.

Vegetole may be successfully used, following the same methods as with lard. Vegetole is an absolutely pure vegetable fat, processed to proper cooking consistency without anything being added. It may be secured in a sanitary pail in convenient size for home use.

Butter and oleomargarine are especially desirable for puff paste. A fine pastry or cake flour will absorb moisture least and is therefore one of the first requisites to pastry making. A small quantity of baking powder insures lightness to pie paste, but is not an essential to the product of an expert.

Everything must be cold, handled lightly and quickly and baked in a hot oven, to assure delicate pastry. To prevent escape of juice, mix cornstarch or flour with sugar and sprinkle lightly over the fruit before covering with the top crust. Press the edges of the upper and lower crusts tightly together. A cone of paper or piece of macaroni may be put into the slit of the crust to allow the escape of steam.

FRENCH PASTRY

French pastries are nationally popular and are very attractive for tea or fancy dessert service. The maker has wide scope for the display of individuality in devising and decorating pastries. Slices of jelly roll, loaf or sponge cake may be spread with mocha frosting to form individual cakes. Fruit-filled tarts, topped with a bit of meringue, are always popular. The real French pastry is made of puff paste, very tender and flaky, and filled with fruit.

CAKE MAKING (Continued from page 36)

LEAVENING AGENTS

Baking powder, soda and eggs are used as leavening agents; this is to make the cake light. If the number of eggs is increased in the cake recipe, decrease the amount of baking powder. One egg is equivalent to one teaspoon baking powder in leavening. Egg and milk together should not exceed 1½ cups liquid with three cups flour.

SHORTENING

A large amount of fat makes a cake close-grained; a small amount makes it porous, but it dries out easily. With too much fat, the cake crumbles and it maybe heavy. If melted fat is used in a cake, add it cool. If added hot, the cake will be tough, coarse in grain and less light.

LIQUID

If water is substituted for milk, use seven-eighths cup of water where one cup of milk is called for. If Veribest Evaporated Milk is substituted for whole milk, use one-third cup of evaporated milk and two-thirds cup of water. If cream is substituted for milk, lessen the shortening and use more cream than the milk called for.

USE OF SOUR OR SWEET MILK

Soda and acid both act on gluten and tend to make it tender, so cakes made with sour milk or buttermilk will be more tender than those made with water or sweet milk. One scant teaspoonful of soda is necessary to neutralize a cup of buttermilk or milk of the same sourness as buttermilk. An excess of soda gives the product an unpleasant flavor and, if present in too large a quantity, is injurious as well.

Sour evaporated milk is very useful in cookery. Dilute it as when sweet and add the necessary amount of soda to the product in which it is to be used.

Muffins, griddle cakes and biscuits are better made with sour milk than with sweet milk. Every bit of sour evaporated milk may be used in this way.

Evaporated milk does not sour quickly because of the thorough sterilization in heating to the temperature necessary for evaporation.

A quality grade of evaporated milk will keep after being open some four days before souring in warm weather and over a week in cold weather.

Foods made with sour milk are characterized by a particular softness of texture.