Pastry Recipe

For a good common pie-crust allow half a pound of shortening to a pound

of flour. If liked quite short, allow three-quarters of a pound of

shortening to a pound of the flour. Pie crust looks the nicest made

entirely of lard, but it does not taste so good as it does to have some

butter used in making it. In winter, beef shortening, mixed with butter,

makes good plain pie crust. Rub half of the shortening with two-thirds

of the flour--to each pound of flour put a tea-spoonful of salt. When

the shortening is thoroughly mixed with the flour, add just sufficient

cold water to render it moist enough to roll out easily. Divide the

crust into two equal portions--lay one of them one side for the upper

crust, take the other, roll it out quite thin, flouring your

rolling-board and pin, so that the crust will not stick to them, and

line your pie plates, which should be previously buttered--fill your

plates with your fruit, then roll out the upper crust as thin as

possible, spread on the reserved shortening, sprinkle over the flour,

roll it up, and cut it into as many pieces as you have pies to cover.

Roll each one out about half an inch thick, and cover the pies--trim the

edges off neatly with a knife, and press the crust down, round the edge

of the plate, with a jagging iron, so that the juices of the fruit may

not run out while baking. Pastry, to be nice, should be baked in a quick

oven. In cold weather it is necessary to warm the shortening before

using it for pie crust, but it must not be melted, or the crust will not

be flaky.

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