Cassell's dictionary of cookery

dripping, until the ingredients are thoroughly blended, then add two tea-spoonfuls of bakingpowder. Draw the mixture to one side of the bowl, pour a little water into the vacant space, and with four fingers work the ingredients to a soft paste. Lift the pastry out in small quantities as it acquires the proper consistency. Roll it out till sufficiently thick to spread another four ounces of lard upon it, dredge a little flour on it, give it one or two turns, and it is ready for use. This pastry requires a quick oven. Time, ten minutes to make. Probable cost, 6d. Pastry, Good Plain (another way). — Mix a tea-spoonful of salt with a pound of flour. Rub in lightly six ounces of butter or lard, or half butter and half lard, and stir water in briskly with a fork. When the mixture is smooth and compact, roll it out two or three times, and it is ready for use. Time, ten minutes to make. Probable cost, 8d. per pound. Pastry, Iced. — Iced pastry is generally used for fruit tarts and sweet dishes ; there are two or three ways of doing it. First — beat the white of an egg to a firm froth When the pastry is almost done enough take it out of the oven, brush it over with the egg, cover it with powdered sugar, sprinkle a few drops of water upon it, and return it to the oven for a few minutes to harden, taking care that it does not colour. Or — mix half a pound of powdered and sifted sugar with the white of an egg, beaten to a firm froth, and two table-spoonfula of cold water ; keep stirring until the icing is used. When the pastry has been baked, and is nearly cold, brush it over with the icing, and put it into a cool oven to harden. Or — moisten the pastry with cold water before baking it, and press a thick coating of powdered sugar lightly upon it. Pastry, Plaits of (see Plaits of Pastry). Pastry Powder, or Baking Powder. — Mix thoroughly two ounces of tartaric acid and two ounces of carbonate of soda with eight ounces of ground rice. RoU the mixture with the rolling-pin to free it from lumps, and keep it in a closely-stoppered wide-mouthed bottle untU wanted. When making common pastry, put a tea-spoonful of the powder with every pound of flour, and in making cakes allow a heaped tea-spoonful to every pound of material. This powder will make the pastry lighter, and renders it also more digestible. Time, a few minutes to prepare. Probable cost, Is. per pound. Pastry Ramakins.— RoU out evenly and thinly a quarter of a pound of good puff paste. Sprinkle over it a little finely-grated Parmesan, fold, roll it again, and sprinkle a little more cheese upon it ; then roll it out once more, stamp it into any fancy shapes, and brush over with yolk of egg. Put the ramakins on a buttered baking-tin, and bake them in a brisk oven. Serve as hot as possible. These ramakins should be served with cheese. Time, about a quarter of an hour to bake. Probable cost, 6d. Sufiicient for three or four persons. PAS (517 ) PAT