PASTRY MAKING.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 451, 8 December 1904, Page 7

PASTRY MAKING.

—Specially Written bymiss AMY MONRO. So many people fail in this branch of cooking, and as it is one in which so many wish to excel, I will give this "week a few hints together with a few recipes on making the ordinary kinds of pastry for family use, and which I hope will have the desired effect. The essentials are to have the quantities in the right proportions, to make it quickly, handling it as lightly as possible, aad to have a hot oven for baking. To each 1 lb. of flour use 1 teaspoonful of baking powder, J lb. of clarified fat, lard, or butter (these may bo mixed), and \ pint of water. For a richer pastry more fat may always be used, and lesson the quantity of baking powder and water. Make the pastry in a cool place, and use the fingers more than the palms of the hands. Let as much air as possible get into the pastry while making, because when it is in the oven it will expand and cause tho pastry to rise. Do not use too much flour oa tho board

or rolling pin, press lightly on pin and use a light one. RECIPE FOR MAKING BAKING POWDER. 1 lb. of rice flour, 6 ozs. of tartaric acid, i lb. of best carbonate of soda. Mix" all the ingredients well together, pound out the lumps and work through a sieve three or four times; keep in a tin with tightly covered lid. SHORT CRUST. Ingredients : £ lb, of flour, £ teaspoonful of baking powder, 1 teaspoonful of sugar (if for fruit pies), 4 ozs. of dripping, butter or fat, a little water, pinch of salt (if for meat pies. Method: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt, rub in the fat with tips of fingers, lilting it well out of the basin to admit the air, add just enough water to make it into a stiff dough (the drier the paste the shorter it wilLbe when cooked), knead lightly and roll out at once to the shape required. ' £ lb. of flour, 2 ozs. of butter*, the yolk of an egg, 2 ozs. of lard, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder, 1 small gill of milk, pinch of salt. Method : Break lard and butter into the flour and baking powder in pieces the size of a walnut, beat up yolk of egg, add water and lemon juico to it, pour into the flour and mix into a moist dough; knead till smooth, roll out square, fold in three, then in two again; roll out shape and size required. FLAKY PASTRY. Ingredients : A lb. of flour, J lb. of dripping or butter, or 2 ozs. of each, £ a teaspoonful of baking powder, 1 gill of water, pinch of salt. Method: Sift the" flour, baking powder and salt, pour the water in steadily, making the dough the same consistency as fat, then turn on to a floured board, knead it, then roll out into a thin sheet; have fat divided into three equal parts on a plate, spread J on, leaving a margin of half an inch all round, then fold it in three even folds, turn it half way round so that the open ends are opposite you, roll it out one way, from you. RAINBOW CAKE. Ingredients : £ lb. of butter, £ lb, .of sugar, 1 lb. of flour, § cup of milk, 3 eggs. 1 teaspoonful. of carbonate of soda, 2 teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, 2 ozs of chocolate, j teaspoonful of cochineal or carmine, essence. Method: Beat butter and sugar to a cream, add eggs, well beaten; then milk and sitted flour, carbonate of soda, cream of tartar; divide equally into three parts, color one pink with carmine, one with cocoa or ground chocolate,, leave one plain. Turn into three greased sandwich tins, cook in moderately hot oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sieve, join together with jam, cover with boiled icing or icing sugar.