The home cook book

Sift the flour into a bowl which has been thoroughly chilled, cut up one of the lumps of butter in it, then wet with a little ice water. When a dough is thus formed, turn upon a marble slab, dust with flour and roll into a strip about twelve by six inches. Flour the remaining portions of butter and roll into strips eight by five inches. Mix half a teaspoon of cream of tartar with twice its bulk of flour. Sprinkle each strip of butter with the mixture, lay one on the strip of dough and roll up. Let stand fifteen minutes in a cold place to prevent the butter from oiling, then roll out, lay on another butter strip, roll up, set aside to chill, and so proceed until all the butter is incorporated with the dough ; then roll into shape. This variety of paste is especially suitable for tarts and pies having no top crust. In summer, it should be made the day before baking, then put into a closely covered pail and stood in the ice-chest. PREPARING FRUITS FOR PIE Apples should be peeled, sliced thin and sugared to taste before being put in the piecrust. Peaches should also be peeled and sugared. But if the peaches are small they may be cooked in the pie with their pits, which give an added flavor. Raspberries, blackberries, cherries, currants should be dusted with flour as well as sweetened before being put in the crust. Gooseberries and cranberries should be stewed and sweetened before being put in their piecrust. To all these fruits a tablespoon or two of cold water should be added. In the fruit pies use fruit generously. That is, have plenty of the fruit filling, which wholesomely serves as an antidote to the rich pastry. ^ APPLE PIE Peel and slice good flavored tart apples. Judge of the quantity you will need by slicing them into the pie plate you will use, heaping them to allow for loss in cooking. After slicing rinse quickly in cold water, put in a saucepan with a little water and two tablespoons or more of sugar. Cook until the apples are a little tender. Take them off, put the apples on the lower crust, and whatever juice is required. Then put on the upper crust, and bake. When done, take out the pie and with a broad-bladed knife loosen the upper crust, and lay over entirely on to the table. Put into the pie a tablespoon of butter, and sugar to taste, and gently mix the ingredients through the apple with a silver knife. Nutmeg may be added if liked, but no other spice. Be careful not to touch or break the under crust. Return the cover to the pie, and when cold and ready for use sift powdered sugar over the top crust. If you serve the pie hot, pour cream over it; or serve it plain. CHERRY PIE Have sour, ripe cherries pitted. Pits may be left in a few to give their flavor. Prepare your crust on the pie plate, pinching the edge up high. Then lay in very gen- Cherry Fitter erously the cherries, putting in first a layer of the fruit and then sugar till you use a cupful. Over the top sprinkle a tablespoon of flour and lay on the upper crust. Pinch it down well round the edges, for cherries are juicy, and the juice boils over. Cut the upper crust in the middle to give vent to steam, and bake in a hot oven. CREAM PIE