Show ideas on mixing pastry flour proper Pro proportions port ons conic come first ind and the rest Is mere knack tills this article Is devoted to the subject of pastry which has nn an undeserved reputation for being difficult to make first there Is the flour elthier bread or pastry flour floar can be used for plain pastry for purt pastry a quick puff paste bread flour must be used then there Is the shortening lord lard or one of tile hardened vegetable fats make pastry tonder tender hutter butter of course gives more flavor and in some recipes you see a combination of it with the other inore onoro bland fats what whatever ever fat Is used must he be hard find and that means cold the flour and salt are sifted to together gether all the abor shortening t enin g Is added nt at once arid and thin it Is cut into the flour with alth two knives A chopping knife may bo it aed ted it if yon have a smooth wooden bowl in which the pastry y may bo be mixed the fat should not be cut too tine fine ns as fiall particles of fat make pastry MIRY you may sen see some cooks use their hands to mix pastry but it if hands are warm the fat will ill not combine with tho the flow flour in the right way the proportion of flour to fat which makes a pastry rich enough to be tender but which at the same time will roll easily Is three to one after the fat Is cut in the writer water la Is lidded added tills this Is the only special point in making pastry care must be taken to add just enough for if 1 the dough gets too wet wo we cannot add extra flour without making the final product tough I 1 make a hole nt at one side of tile the mixed flour and fat and add one tablespoon of water and stir into that with a stilt stiff knife enough writer water to make a stift stiff dough I 1 do the rame at two other places in the dough tills this will leave some rome loose flour so I 1 then take inko my fingers and press the halls brills of dough douch and the extra flour together it if I 1 need a little more moisture I 1 add ft a few drops of water at n time tho the water used in mixing pastry must of course be very cold after the mixing Is done it Is a good idea to chill the tough dough before rolling ns as it will he bo much easier to handle then I 1 usually wrap it tightly in a piece of waxed paper it will keep indefinitely in the ref riger ator so BO it can on when I 1 am ready to make up lip my pie I 1 take the dough out cut off a piece to roll on 11 board or a table top lusted dusted very lightly with flour pastry should he be rolled gently starting from the center and rolling in each direction so ris ns to make tile sheet somewhat the shape 0 of the pie pan the sheet of tough dough should be lifted hiring during the rolling to prevent its sticking the rolling should be lone done gently for it a pastry hell the dough should be pressed over the edges and anil cut off for a double crust pie it sheild be allowed to t extend over the edge after the filling la Is put in the hie eige e ige should ho he moistened before the top crust Is put plit over and a 1 I pressed to the lower crust the edges may be trimmed with tile the scissors and turned over or bound with on an extra strip of crust tn in either case tile the edges should be pressed flat with tho the fingers or montines tines of a fork slits should be made in the echter center to let out the steam of the bolling boiling filling to prevent the crust of a fruit pie from soaking use one tablespoon of flour with the same amount of sugar and sprinkle over the bottom of the lined pan before filling A fruit pie needs a hot oven for ten minutes after which the temperature should be lowered A pastry shell should have a hot oven I 1 throughout the baking small tarts are prepared in the same sam 1 e way as a large pie but with a little shorter time for baking tho the tart S shells 1 e 1 IS can be filled with fresh fruit or berries or with a crust and topped either with whipped brearn or a meringue to give tile the finishing touch when a pie la Is covered with meringue it must go bade to the oven to set and brown the lie meringue A slow blow oven to degrees V F for ten to fifteen minutes gives tile the best results butterscotch pie ua U cup butter scup I 1 cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons table flour 2 egg yolks 1 cup clip milk 2 egg whites 4 tablespoons sugar A teaspoon va vanilla nills cream together the butter sugar and flour scold tile the milk and stir in slowly cook over hot water until it thickens and pour over the PER egg yolks slightly beaten cook one minute longer then pour in a baked pie crust cover with n merln guo made from the beaten egg whites sugar rind and vanilla place in a slow oven degrees fahrenheit until the meringue la Is brown 0 1933 nell bell syndicate service |