The flour for pastry should be of the whitest and finest quality. It should be mixed with a broad knife, as the moisture and warmth of the hand makes it heavy.
The butter should be of the best quality, as if it is a little rancid it will taste. To make puff paste it should have all the salt washed out of it.
Iron, or block tin plates are the best for baking pastry.
Always use cold water (in summer iced water) to mix pastry, and if it cannot be baked immediately, set it away in a cool place.
PUFF-PASTE.
239. One pound of butter,
One pound of flour.
Wash your butter in cold water to extract all the salt; work it well with a broad wooden spoon in order to get out all the water. Lay it between clean napkins, put it in a tin pan or plate, set it on the ice to get hard, but do not let it freeze. Sift your flour in a pan, cut the butter in four equal parts, cut one-fourth in very small pieces in the flour, but do not touch it, as the warmth of your hands will make the paste heavy. Add to the flour as much cold water as will make it a stiff dough. Turn it out on your pie-board, roll it gently into sheets, cut one-third of the remainder of the butter into small pieces, and lay over it, sprinkle on a very little flour, fold it over, roll it out again, cut one-half of the butter which is left in small pieces and lay on, put on a little flour, and fold it as before, roll it out again, and put on the remainder of the butter. It should now be set on the ice, but should not come in contact with it. When it is perfectly cold, roll it out in a sheet thinner in the centre than at the edges of your pie, cut it with a very sharp knife the size you wish it. Fill with whatever you choose, and bake in a tolerably quick oven.
PLAIN PASTE.
240. One pound of flour,
Three-quarters of butter.
Put the ingredients together in the same manner as directed for puff paste.
COMMON PASTE.
241. One pound of flour,
Half a pound of butter.
Proceed as directed for puff-paste, only the butter need not be washed, nor the paste placed upon the ice.
A very good paste may be made with the above quantity of flour, and a quarter of a pound of butter, and the same quantity of nice fresh lard.
LEMON PUDDING, No. 1.
242. Half a pound of sugar,
Half a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
The grated rind and juice of one lemon,
Half a gill of brandy.
Beat the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs and add to it the grated yellow rind and juice of one lemon, and lastly the liquor. Make a puff-paste, line your pie plates with it, and pour in the mixture. These ingredients will make three puddings.
It requires a moderate oven.
This is a very rich and expensive kind of pudding—for a plainer kind see No. 2.
In place of the liquor, a table spoonful of rose water, and a tea spoonful of grated nutmeg may be added.
LEMON PUDDING, No. 2.
243. Half a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
The grated yellow rind and juice of one lemon.
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the lemon juice and grated rind.
Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
Two table spoonsful of brandy may be added, if preferred, to flavor it.
ORANGE CHEESE-CAKE.
244. A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
Three eggs,
A wine glass of milk or cream,
Two ounces of sponge cake,
The rind of one orange grated,
Half a nutmeg,
One table spoonful of brandy, or two of rose water.
Pour the milk or cream over the sponge cake to moisten it. Then stir together your butter and sugar, whisk your eggs, mash the cake very fine, and mix all together with the liquor and spice.
Line your pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
LEMON CHEESE-CAKE.
245. A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
A wine glass of milk or cream,
Two ounces of sponge cake,
Three eggs,
The grated rind of one and juice of half a lemon.
Slice the cake, and pour over it the milk or cream. Beat the butter and sugar together, and stir into it. Mash the sponge cake very fine, and add to the above. Grate the yellow rind, and squeeze the juice of half a lemon and stir in.
Cover the pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a moderately hot oven.
CURD CHEESE-CAKE.
246. One quart of milk,
Half a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
One tea spoonful of grated nutmeg,
A quarter of a pound of currants.
Warm the milk, and turn it to a curd, with a piece of rennet, or a table spoonful of the wine in which a rennet has been soaked. As soon as the milk is a thick curd, take it out with a broad ladle or spoon, and lay it on a sieve to drain. Beat the eggs, and add the drained curd, also the sugar and butter, which must have been beaten to a cream, then the spice and fruit.
For those who would prefer it sweeter, more sugar may be added.
Line your pie plates with paste, fill them with the above mixture, and bake in a moderately hot oven.
COTTAGE CHEESE-CAKE.
247. One pint of curd,
One gill and a half of cream,
Three eggs,
Sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the taste.
Mix the curd and cream thoroughly together. Beat the eggs, add them with the sugar and spice. Make a paste, cover your pie plates, and fill them with the mixture.
Bake in a moderate oven.
INDIAN FLORENDINES.
248. One quart of milk,
Three eggs,
One ounce of butter,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
Sugar to the taste,
As much Indian meal as will make the milk as thick as pap.
When the milk boils, stir in the Indian meal till it is thickened about like pap, then add the butter.
Set it off to cool. When cold stir in the eggs, which must have been well beaten, then the sugar and brandy.
They are very good without brandy.
Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the above mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
RICE FLORENDINES.
249. One quart of milk,
Eight eggs,
Sugar to the taste,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
One tea spoonful of nutmeg,
Brandy, or rose-water to the taste,
Rice flour enough to thicken the milk.
Boil the milk, and stir in enough rice flour mixed with cold milk, to thicken it about as stiff as thick molasses. Add the butter while it is hot. Beat the eggs, stir them in when it gets cold, and add the other ingredients, bake in pie plates, with an under crust only.
ORANGE PUDDING.
250. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
The rind of an orange.
Lay the rind of an orange to soak over night. The next day boil it and mash it fine. It must be boiled in fresh water.
Beat the butter and sugar as for cake. Whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the liquor and orange.
Cover your pie plates with rich paste, fill them and bake in a moderate oven.
ALMOND PUDDING.
251. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Six ounces of sweet almonds,
Two ounces of bitter almonds,
Half a gill of rose-water.
Blanch the almonds, pound them in a mortar to a paste with a little rose-water. Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs, mix all the ingredients together, line your pie plates with paste, fill them, and bake them as directed for other puddings.
COCOA-NUT PUDDING, No. 1.
252. A quarter of a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of cocoa-nut,
Three ounces of butter,
The whites of six eggs,
Half a glass of wine and brandy mixed,
One table spoonful of rose-water.
Beat the butter and sugar smooth, whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the grated nut and liquor.
Cover your pie plates with rich crust, fill them with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.
COCOA-NUT PUDDING, No. 2.
253. Half a pound of sugar,
Half a pound of butter,
One pound of nut,
Eight eggs, the whites only,
Half a gill of wine and brandy mixed,
One table spoonful of rose-water.
Peel off the outer skin of the cocoa-nut, grate it and stir it into the butter and sugar, which must be beaten to a cream. Add the brandy, wine, and rose-water, then the whites of the eggs, which must be whisked till they are dry.
Bake in a puff paste.
APPLE PUDDING, No. 1.
254. Half a pound of the mashed apple,
Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Half a nutmeg,
Two table spoonsful of brandy, or rose-water if preferred.
Peel the apples and core them; cut them in small pieces, and stew them in very little water till they are soft. Pass them through a sieve to free them from lumps.
Beat the butter and sugar smooth, whisk the eggs and add to it; then stir in the apples, (which should be half a pound when mashed,) brandy or rose-water and nutmeg. Cover your pie plates with a rich crust and bake in a moderate oven.
These are very rich.
APPLE PUDDING, No. 2.
255. One pound of grated apple,
Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Six eggs,
Half a pint of cream,
The juice and grated rind of one lemon.
Grate your apples; beat the butter and sugar very light, whisk the eggs and add to it, add the apples, cream and lemon. Stir all together, line your pie plates with rich paste, pour in the mixture and bake it.
A few currants may be added.
PLAIN APPLE PUDDING, No. 3.
256. One pound of the mashed apples,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Sugar to the taste,
Six eggs,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
Half a nutmeg,
Brandy or rose-water to the taste.
Peel the apples, cut them in slices, and stew them in a very little water till they are tender. Mash them fine, and while they are hot add the butter. Set them away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the apples are cold add the eggs and sugar, liquor and spice. Cover your pie plates with plain paste, fill them and bake in a moderate oven.
A quarter of a pound of dried currants may be added if preferred.
PUMPKIN PUDDING, No. 1.
257. A quarter of a pound of butter,
Sugar to the taste,
Eight eggs,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
One tea spoonful of grated nutmeg,
One pint of mashed pumpkin.
Stew the pumpkin in very little water, mash it fine, and add the butter to it whilst it is hot; whisk the eggs and stir into the pumpkin when it is cool enough, and add the other ingredients. Bake in a light paste.
PUMPKIN PUDDING, No. 2.
258. Eight eggs,
One pint of stewed pumpkin,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
One tea cupful of cream,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
One tea spoonful of nutmeg.
Stew the pumpkin in very little water, mash it very fine, add the butter and stand it away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the pumpkin is cool add them and the other ingredients. Line your pie-plates with paste, pour in the pumpkin, and bake in a moderately hot oven.
When they are to be sent to the table sift sugar over them.
QUINCE PUDDING.
259. Six ounces of mashed quinces,
Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
A table spoonful of brandy.
Stew the quinces, mash them very fine, and when nearly cold add to them the butter and sugar beaten to a cream. Whisk the eggs very light and stir in with the other ingredients. Cover your pie-plates with a nice paste, pour in the mixture and bake it.
FRENCH CUSTARD PUDDING.
260. One pint of milk,
One table-spoonful of flour,
Three eggs,
Sugar to the taste,
Flavored with rose-water, essence of lemon, or brandy.
Put on the milk to boil, mix the flour smoothly with a little cold milk; as soon as the milk boils stir in the mixture of flour and milk. Let it boil one minute, take it off and set away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the milk is cool add them to it with the sugar, then the spice and rose-water, or whatever it is to be flavored with. Line your pie plates with paste, pour in the above mixture, and bake it in a moderate oven.
POTATO PUDDING.
261. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Half a pound of mashed potatoes,
Half a gill of cream,
Five eggs,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
The grated peel of one orange,
One tea spoonful of nutmeg,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon.
Mash the boiled potatoes with the cream, and when cool, add to it the butter and sugar beaten to a cream, the eggs well whisked, and all the other ingredients. Bake in a puff paste.
SWEET POTATO PUDDING.
262. Made as the white potato.
CRANBERRY TARTS.
263. Stew your cranberries with sugar in the proportion of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, and merely enough water to melt the sugar. When they are done set them away to get cold. Make some shells of puff paste and fill with the fruit.
RHUBARB TARTS.
264. Cut your fruit in pieces, strew over it plenty of sugar, and stew it till it is soft, then mash it fine. Line your pie plates with good light paste, bake it, and when the shells are cold fill them with the stewed fruit.
RIPE PEACH PIE.
265. Pare your peaches, cut them in halves or quarters according to their size; lay them in a dish, and between every layer of peaches strew sugar according to the acidity of the peach. Line your pie plates with a paste, then put in the fruit and cover with a lid of paste, leaving a small opening in the centre for the steam to escape.
Ripe peach pie may be made without any sugar; when the pie is baked take off the top crust, mash the fruit, and add as much sugar as will sweeten it. Be careful not to break the crust as it will disfigure the pie.
PEACH POT PIE.
266. Line the sides of a deep pot with a paste made in the proportion of half a pound of butter to one pound of flour. Then pare and slice some peaches, sugar them to your taste, and fill up the pot and cover the top with the paste, leaving an opening in the middle of the crust to permit the steam to escape while the pie is baking. Bake it in a moderately hot oven, and when cold serve it with cream.
QUINCE PIE.
267. The quinces are prepared in the same manner as for quince marmalade. Make your paste, line your pie plates, fill them with the marmalade, cover with a lid of paste and bake them.
Quince pies made in this way, are excellent during the winter when fruits are scarce.
PLUM PIE.
268. Cut your plums in two, and take out the stones. Make a paste, line your pie plates, put in a layer of fruit and one of sugar, in the proportion of three-quarters of a pound of sugar to one pound of fruit. Roll out some paste, cover the pies and bake them in a moderate oven. Leave an opening in the centre of the lid to allow the steam to escape while they are baking.
QUINCE DUMPLINGS.
269. Pare and core your quinces, put them in a sauce-pan with very little water, and as soon as they begin to get tender take them out. Make a paste of six ounces of butter to a pound of flour, cover the fruit, tie them in dumpling cloths and boil them.
PEACH DUMPLINGS.
270. Choose large free-stone peaches; peel them, make a paste of six ounces of butter to one pound of flour; cover each peach with this paste, and boil them in cloths or nets till the fruit is tender. They are very nice. Serve with sugar and cream.
APPLE DUMPLINGS.
271. Make a paste of six ounces of butter to a pound of flour. Pare your apples, take out the cores, and cover them with the paste; tie them in cloths and boil them till the apples are tender. Serve with sugar and cream, or molasses and butter.
CHERRY PIE.
272. Stew your cherries with sugar, in the proportion of a pound of cherries to half a pound of sugar, and stir in a little flour to thicken the syrup. Make a paste, as rich as you like, line your pie plates, fill with the fruit, and cover with a lid of the paste.
RHUBARB PIES.
273. Cut the young stalks in pieces about half an inch in length. Make a paste, cover the bottom of your pie plate, put in the fruit with a great deal of sugar, about four table spoonsful to each pie: put on a cover and bake them till the fruit is soft.
