is done exactly in same way, only all in one. Cut out the whole of the
paste round, oval or square, and with a sharp-pointed knife mark half-way
through all round about an inch from the edge. Bake as for patties, but the
larger piece of pastry will require longer to bake through and through.
Remove lid carefully, put in filling and replace lid.
Raised Pie Crust.
This paste is most wholesome and economical. For a good-sized pie take
3/4lb. flour and 3 ozs. butter or Nut Butter. Put the flour in a basin.
Bring the butter to boiling point with a teacupful water. Pour in among the
flour, stirring all the time till thoroughly mixed, then knead well. When
nearly cold take off about a third and make the rest into a ball, flatten
and work up by hand till the case is about 2-1/2 inches high, and slightly
narrower at the top--Melton-Mowbray shape. Slip on to greased oven-plate,
and when quite firm, fill rather more than half-full with haricots,
tomatoes, &c. Roll out the bit of paste remaining, cut out lid, wet the
edges of it and the pie-case and pinch together. Brush all over with egg.
Ornament with the trimmings, brush again and bake in good steady oven for at
least three-quarters of an hour. When ready, pour in some more gravy, or if
to be used cold, some dissolved savoury jelly.
Should there be difficulty at first in raising this entirely by hand, it
might be moulded round a jar or round tin. Another way is to use a tart
ring, but a very simple and handy way, which finds favour especially with
children, is to make bridies. Divide the paste into ten or twelve pieces.
Roll out a nice oval, put some savoury mixture on one half, wet edges with
egg or water, press together and pinch into neat flutes, brush over with egg
and bake.
Suet Paste.
Allow 3 ozs. vegetable suet to 8 ozs. flour. Chop the suet or run through
nut-mill. Add to flour along with salt and pepper, and if liked, a little
grated onion and chopped parsley. Make into a firm paste with water, which
may have a little ketchup or "Extract" diluted in it.
This is, of course, for savoury pies, &c. If for sweet dishes--roly-poly,
apple dumpling, &c.--omit all seasonings and add sugar and any flavouring
preferred, such as clove, ginger, or cinnamon.
CAKES, SCONES, &c.
Only a few cakes, &c., are given here, as there are a number of excellent
ones among the contributed recipes in last section, under heading of Bazaar
contributions, and, besides, there is nothing about them peculiar to food
reformers. Those who are studying wholesomeness and digestibility, however,
will avoid as far as possible the use of chemicals for raising, and fats of
doubtful purity such as hog's lard. The injurious character of carbonate of
soda, tartaric acid, &c., if used at all to excess, is now fully recognised,
and those whose health is not quite normal should avoid them entirely. When
such cannot be dispensed with, use very sparingly and in the exact
quantities and proportions of acid and alkali, which will neutralise each
other by converting into a gas which passes off in baking, if the oven, &c.,
is all right. But the latter point is rather a big and very essential "if,"
and many cooks try to make up for deficiencies in mixing and firing, by
putting in an extra allowance of baking powder. There is considerable
diversity of opinion still as to the exact nature and place of these
chemicals in the economy of the body, and where "doctors differ" the amateur
cook or hygienist dare hardly dogmatise, but all are agreed that the
slightest excess is hurtful. Cakes, scones, pastry and the like, should
depend rather for lightness upon cool, deft handling, and skilful management
of the various details which contribute to successful baking.
A fine essential is to have good, reliable flour. See that it is perfectly
dry, and pass several times through a fine sieve to aerate and loosen it.
Try to bake in a cool, airy place, and be provided with all the necessary
tools for accomplishing the work in expert and expeditious fashion, for the
success of many things depends upon the celerity with which the process is
performed. Have the oven at just the right heat, at the right time. A cake
which would otherwise be excellent may be heavy or tough by having to wait
till the oven cools down or heats up to the proper temperature. With a gas
oven, one can regulate at will, and a safe general rule is to have the oven
thoroughly hot _before_ the cakes are put in, and then to moderate the
heat very considerably. With a coal fire, if the oven is too hot, put on a
quantity of small coal.
Artox Gingerbread.
One and a half pounds Artox wholemeal, 10 oz. golden syrup, 9 oz. butter,
4 oz. sugar, 1/2 oz. carbonate of soda, 1/2 oz. ginger, 2 eggs, little
milk. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs, well beaten, and
the syrup, stir until dissolved. Add the Artox wholemeal with the soda and
ginger previously sifted in, and a little milk if necessary, to make a stiff
batter. Put into greased tins, and bake in a moderate oven.
Artox Seed Cake.
Beat 10 ozs. of fresh butter to a cream, add 6 ozs. sugar and beat into
the butter. Separate yokes and whites of 4 eggs and beat each mass
separately. Then mix well with the butter and sugar, adding the yokes first
and the whites last. Add 1 teaspoonful carraway seeds and 10 ozs. Artox
wholemeal. Mix thoroughly, put into butter papered tins and bake in a quick
oven.
Artox Shortbread.
One and a quarter pounds Artox wholemeal, 10 ozs. butter, 4 ozs. sugar, 1
egg, 1/4 oz. baking powder. Rub the Artox wholemeal, sugar, and butter
together, add the baking powder, and make into a stiff paste with the egg.
Mould it into cakes, crimp the edges, and bake in a moderate oven.
French Layer Cake.
1/4 lb. butter or fine nut butter. Four eggs, 1/2 lb. flour, 6 ozs. fine
sugar, 1/2 teaspoonful baking powder, 1/2 teaspoonful essence vanilla, 4
ozs. grated chocolate, 2 ozs. icing sugar.
Butter 3 sandwich tins. Dissolve 1 oz. chocolate in pan, with 1
tablespoonful milk, over the fire. Beat butter and sugar to a cream. Beat
up eggs very light, laying aside one white for icing, and add. Sift flour
and baking powder, and mix in, then flavouring. Put a third in one tin,
another in pan with chocolate, and put a few drops carmine in that left in
bowl. Put these into the different tins and place at once in hot oven.
They should be ready in 10 minutes. Put remaining chocolate with the icing
sugar in pan with a tablespoonful water. Boil a minute with constant
stirring. Turn out cakes on a towel. Put half of chocolate mixture on one,
put another on the top, then the rest of chocolate, and, last, the third
cake. Coat with the following
Icing.
Beat up white of 1 egg till quite stiff. Mix in 6 ozs. icing sugar. Put
on very smoothly with a broad knife dipped in water. Sprinkle over with
grated cocoanut, or decorate with pink icing put through a forcing-bag.