COOK with Elizabeth

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28385, 18 September 1957, Page 2

COOK with Elizabeth

Pear Butterscotch , Pie Being a working wife and still having to cope with catering problems for entertaining or feeding a family has its own special difficulties, shared these days by a very wide circle of women. Time is the main worry and the preparation of menus has to be streamlined wherever possible. It is still pleasant to entertain, even if we have not endless leisure for the preparation of special dishes. Even if we have the leisure we often want to spend it more profitably than in the kitchen.

So a few recipes which turn out a glamorous-looking dish with very little preparation time are a decided asset. Here packet foods can be a boon, and the clever cook of today accepts all the help she can from \ the manufacturers, giving the dishes a personality twist of her own. Here’s one tu try that is very nice, and will serve eight to 10 people. Pear Butterscotch Pie: £lb gingernut biscuits, 4oz butter, 1 tin or bottle of pears, juice of half lemon, 1 dessertspoon arrowroot. 1 pint milk, 1 packet butterscotch cold mix dessert.

Mince and crush half a pound of gingernut biscuits and combine with 4oz melted butter. Press out to cover bottom and sides of a large open oven-glass dish, or two medium pie plates. Chill until firm. Drain the pears and arrange half of them on the crust. Whisk packet of butterscotch mix and milk. Pour over the pears and chill again for a few minutes until the filling is set. Put the juice on to heat. Mix the juice of half a lemon with a dessertspoon of arrowroot and a little cold water. Stir into the boiling juice and stir until boiling and clear. Allow to become quite cold. Arrange the remaining pear halves on the butterscotch filling and spoon the cold glaze carefully over the pears to make a clear film of glaze over the pie. Decorate with whipped cream if desired.