Original White House Cookbook

Grate the rind of one and use the juice of two large oranges. Stir together a large cupful of sugar and a heaping tablespoonful of flour ; add to this the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Keserve the whites for frosting. Turn this into a pie-pan lined with pie paste and bake in a quick oven. When done so as to resemble a finely baked custard, spread on the top of it the beaten whites, which must be sweetened with two tablespoonfuls of sugar ; spread evenly and return to the oven and brown slightly. The addition of the juice of half a lemon improves it, if convenient to have it. BAKERS’ CUSTARD PIE. Beat up the yolks of three eggs to a cream. Stir thoroughly a tablespoonful of sifted flour into three tablespoonfuls of sugar ; this separates the particles of flour so that there will be no lumps ; then add it to the beaten yolks, put in a pinch of salt, a teaspoonful of vanilla and a little grated nutmeg; next the well-beaten whites of the eggs; and, lastly, a pint of scalded milk (not boiled) which has been cooled; mix this in by degrees and turn all into a deep pie-pan lined with puff paste, and bake from twenty-five to thirty minutes. I received this recipe from a celebrated cook in one of our best New York bakeries. I inquired of him “ why it was that their custard pies had that look of solidity and smoothness that our home-made pies have not.” He replied, “The secret is the addition of this hit of jiour — not that it thickens the custard any to speak of, but prevents the custard from breaking or wheying and gives that smooth appearance when cut.” CREAM PIE. Pour a pint of cream upon one and a half cupfuls of sugar ; let it stand until the whites of three eggs have been beaten to a stiff froth ; add this to the cream and beat up thoroughly ; grate a little nutmeg over the mixture and bake without an upper crust. If a tablespoonful of sifted flour is added to it, as the above Custard Pie recipe, It would improve it. WHIPPED CREAM PIE. Line a pie plate with a rich crust and bake quickly in a hot oven. When done, spread with a thin layer of jelly or jam, then whip one cupful of thick sweet cream until it is as light as possible ; sweeten with powdered sugar and flavor with vanilla ; spread over the jelly or jam ; set the cream where it will get very cold before whipping. CUSTARD PIE. Beat together until very light the yolks of four eggs and four tablespoonfuls of sugar, flavor with nutmeg or vanilla ; then add the four beaten whites, a pinch of salt and, lastly, a quart of sweet milk ; mix well and pour into tins lined with paste. Bake until firm. BOSTON CREAM PIE. Cream PaH. — Put on a pint of milk to boil. Break two eggs into a dish and add one cup of sugar and half a cup of flour previously mixed ; after beating well, stir it into the milk just as the milk commences to boil ; add an ounce of butter and keep on stirring one way until it thickens ; flavor with vanilla or lemon.