Pastry
Reading edition
Home made pies “like mother used to make”! Doesn’t that anticipation make your mouth water? And really, pastry making is not such a difficult culinary task if the following precautions are observed.
Keep all ingredients as cold as possible. If the fat is rubbed into the flour with the fingers, use quick and light motion for if the fat is melted the crust will be tough. Use the minimum amount of water needed to hold the dough together. Chilling the dough before rolling makes it easier to handle and also lighter. Roll just enough dough for one crust at a time. Use quick light motion, from the center outward so as to keep the shape round.
Do not grease the pie tin. Fit dough smoothly to pie tin so no air is enclosed. If crust is to be baked before the filling is added, the pie tin may be inverted and the dough fitted on the outside. Handle dough as little as possible. Bake in hot oven (450°F).
PLAIN PASTRY
2 cups pastry flour or 1¾ cups bread flour ½ cup cold fat 1 tsp. salt Approximately ⅓ cup cold water
Sift flour and salt; cut or rub in shortening; add the cold water gradually, adding just enough to hold the dough together. Let chill for 20 minutes. Divide dough in two parts and roll out to ⅛ inch thickness on a slightly floured board. Line pie tin, crimp edge with thumb and finger; prick sides and bottom with fork to preserve the shape. Bake in a hot oven (450°F) for 12 to 20 minutes. For a two crust pie, line the pie tin with pastry, moisten rim with cold water, add filling and cover with top crust which has incisions cut in it to allow the escape of steam. Press edges of upper and lower dough together, trim off excess and bake in a hot oven (450°F). This recipe makes 2 crusts.
PUMPKIN PIE
1¼ cups steamed pumpkin ⅞ cup brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ginger 2 tbsp. orange juice ½ tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 cup Carnation Milk ¼ cup water
Mix materials in order given and pour into an unbaked pastry shell. Place in a hot (450°F) oven to set the crust. After 10 minutes reduce the temperature to 250°F for the rest of the period. Bake about 1 hour. Makes 1 pie.
BUTTERSCOTCH PIE
1½ cups brown sugar ½ cup flour ½ tsp. salt 1¾ cups Carnation Milk ⅞ cup water 3 tbsp. butter 3 eggs
Mix sugar, flour, and salt thoroughly; scald Carnation and water together; add milk to dry mixture stirring until well blended. Return to the double boiler and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally; add to well beaten egg yolks and continue cooking for 2 minutes; add butter. Pour filling into baked pastry shell. Cover with meringue made by folding 4 tbsp. sugar and ¼ tsp. baking powder into 3 stiffly beaten egg whites. Brown in a slow oven (300°F). Makes 1 large pie. To make RAISIN BUTTERSCOTCH PIE use the same recipe, adding 1 cup of raisins to the filling.
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LEMON CREAM PIE
1½ cups sugar 4½ tbsp. flour Few grains salt ¾ cup Carnation Milk 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 5 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp. butter 2 eggs ¾ cup water
Mix sugar, flour, and salt thoroughly; scald Carnation with the water; add milk to dry mixture, stirring until well blended. Return to the double boiler and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally; add to well beaten egg yolks and continue cooking for 2 minutes; add butter, lemon juice and rind. Pour filling into baked pastry shell. Cover with meringue made by folding 2 tbsp. powdered sugar or granulated sugar and ⅛ tsp. baking powder into 2 stiffly beaten egg whites. Brown in a slow (300°F) oven. Makes 1 pie.
PINEAPPLE PIE
4 tbsp. flour ⅔ cup sugar ⅛ tsp. salt 1⅓ cups crushed pineapple 1 cup Carnation Milk 1 cup water ⅔ tsp. vanilla 3 eggs
Follow method given for lemon pie, adding vanilla and well drained pineapple in place of the lemon. Use 4 tbsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. baking powder and 3 egg whites for the meringue. Makes 1 large pie.
CHOCOLATE PIE
2 squares chocolate 1 cup boiling water 1 cup Carnation Milk 4 tbsp. flour ⅞ cup sugar ¼ tsp. salt 3 eggs 1 tbsp. butter ½ tsp. vanilla
Melt the chocolate, add the boiling water and milk and continue heating until the mixture is smooth. Mix flour, sugar, and salt and add the hot chocolate mixture gradually, stirring so as to prevent lumping. Return to double boiler and cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over the well beaten egg yolks beating constantly. Return to double boiler and cook 2 minutes longer. Add flavoring and pour into baked pastry shell. Cover with meringue made by folding 4 tbsp. sugar and ¼ tsp. baking powder into stiffly beaten egg whites. Brown in a slow (300°F) oven. Makes 1 pie.
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