Everything You Should Know About Pies
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Everything You Should Know About Pies 


RECIPES FOR PASTRY
Several recipes for pastry that may be used in pie making are given here. These recipes differ as regards the ingredients used and will serve to offer variety in the making of pie crust. With the exception of the recipe for easy pastry, the principles of pastry making already set forth apply to all recipes in this Section.
PLAIN PASTRY
ECONOMY PASTE
QUALITY PASTE
SOUR-CREAM PASTRY
EASY PASTRY
UTILIZING LEFT-OVER PASTRY
MAKING AND BAKING PASTRY FOR PIES

PLAIN PASTRY
Pastry made according to the accompanying directions is the kind that is most frequently used. It requires only a medium amount of shortening, and wheat flour is used in its preparation. It is very satisfactory for any kind of pie desired.

PLAIN PASTRY

  • 1-1/2 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 c. shortening
  • 1/4 to 3/8 c. water
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Chop the shortening into the flour with knives. When the fat has been chopped into pieces the size of a small pea, add sufficient cold water to make all the particles adhere, mixing them together with a case knife. There should not be enough water added to make the paste stick to either the bowl or the knife. Divide the mass into halves and press each into a round piece with the fingers. Flour the board slightly and roll out about 1/8 inch thick for the pie crust.

ECONOMY PASTE
When both wheat flour and fat must be saved, economy paste should be tried. Barley flour is substituted for part of the wheat flour, and this with the wheat makes an excellent combination.
ECONOMY PASTE
  • 1 c. wheat flour
  • 1/2 c. barley flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 c. shortening
  • 1/4 to 3/8 c. water
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Chop in the shortening until it is in particles about the size of a small pea. Add water until the mass will cling together. Roll into sheets about 1/8 inch thick for pie crust.

QUALITY PASTE
The accompanying recipe gives directions for a very good quality of paste. As will be noted, the lard, which is used for part of the shortening, is added to the flour, and the butter, which forms the other part, is worked into the dough. If the directions here given are carefully followed, excellent results can be expected.

QUALITY PASTE

  • 2 c. flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 c. lard
  • 1/3 to 1/2 c. water
  • 1/2 c. butter
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the lard and chop very fine. Add enough water to make a stiff dough. This will require just a little more water than the pastes previously given. Roll the paste in a rectangular form, spread the butter evenly over the paste, and fold so as to make three layers. Turn half way round and roll out so as to make a rectangle in the opposite direction. Fold, turn, and roll in this way four times, handling the rolling pin and paste as lightly as possible. Use to cover the pan and bake in a quick oven.

SOUR-CREAM PASTRY
A slightly different kind of pastry can be made by using sour cream for the liquid and adding a small quantity of soda to neutralize the acid in the cream. Besides providing a means of using up cream that has become sour, this recipe makes a pastry that appeals to most persons.

SOUR-CREAM PASTRY

  • 1 1/4 c. flour
  • 1/3 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. soda
  • 3 Tb. shortening
  • 1/4 to 3/4 c. thick sour cream
Sift the flour, salt, and soda together in a mixing bowl. Chop in the shortening and add the cream. Knead the paste slightly and after taking it out on the board, divide it into halves. Proceed in the usual manner for making pastry.

EASY PASTRY
A departure from the usual kind of pastry is easy pastry, directions for which are given in the accompanying recipe. It is more moist and a little more difficult to handle than pastry made in the usual way; consequently, it is more ideal for single-crust pies than for double-crust ones. Besides being easy to make, pastry of this kind will stand a great deal more handling without injury than any other kind. It may be placed on the pan and patted out where it seems too thick or patched where it pulls apart. The amounts given here will make one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies of medium size.

EASY PASTRY

  • 1/2 c. fat
  • 1/4 c. boiling water
  • 1 3/4 c. flour
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
Measure the fat into a mixing bowl, pour the boiling water over it, and stir until all the fat is softened and melted. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the water and fat. Divide into two portions and roll for crusts. If the crusts are to be baked before they are filled, prick them well with a fork to prevent the formation of bubbles.
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Baking Tips
Often, especially in the baking of fresh berry or cherry pie, the juice that forms inside the pie cooks out. This can be prevented by rolling a small piece of paper into a funnel shape, leaving both ends open, and inserting the small end in one of the openings in the top crust. This arrangement provides a vent for the steam, and so the juice is less likely to cook out of the crust while the pie is baking. MORE...
Mixing Pastry
Variety of methods exist in preparing and mixing the ingredients used in pastry making. Each method is producing a different effect in the finished product.
Some of these methods are explained and illustrated here in detail, so that the people interested in this subject will not have any difficulty in producing splendid results. Familiarity with all of them will insure success with it. MORE
Bake-and-Serve Stoneware Pan - 10-inch
Liquid For Pastry
Water is the only liquid used in pastry making. 
Water should be as cold as possible, or cold water in which small pieces of ice are allowed to melt is especially desirable for this purpose.
Shortening For Pastry
A solid fat, that is, one that will remain solid at ordinary room temperature, is the best shortening for pastry making. Oils of various kinds may be used, but in most cases the results are not so successful. If pastry is to have the desired flakiness, the shortening must not be broken into such minute particles and the flour must not be saturated with fat, as is more likely to be the case if oil is used in place of solid fat. In addition to being solid, the fat should be just as cold as possible.
Butter is the fat that is used for puff paste, but for other varieties of pastry almost any desirable fat may be utilized. Lard has always been a particular favorite for pastry making; still, for ordinary pastry making, there are various combinations of fat of both animal and vegetable origin which serve the purpose
Pie à la Mode
A very attractive as well as appetizing way in which to serve pie is known as pie à la mode. This method of serving, which is often resorted to when something extra is desired, consists in placing a spoonful or two of ice cream of any flavor on each serving of apple or other fruit pie. Pie served in this way is high in food value and is a general favorite with persons who are fond of both ice cream and pie. MORE...
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