New Royal Cook Book Part 15

1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder 4 tablespoons shortening 1/4 cup cold water 1 quart strawberries

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in shortening very lightly with finger tips; add water slowly to make a stiff dough. Roll out on floured board and use for bottom crust of pie, being careful to fold the paste well over the edge of pie plate. Bake in hot oven 12 to 15 minutes.

If glazed crust is desired, brush edges after baking with boiling hot syrup (2 tablespoons syrup and 1 tablespoon water) and return to oven for 1 or 2 minutes until syrup hardens. Fill the baked crust with fresh selected hulled strawberries and cover with syrup made as follows:

Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup strawberries to 2 cups boiling water; bring to a boil and strain; add 1 tablespoon corn starch which has been mixed with little cold water. Cook over hot fire for a minute or two, stirring constantly; remove from fire and beat hard; return to slow fire, cook very gently until thick. Pour while hot over strawberries.

Serve either hot or cold.

Mince Pie

Mince Pie should always be made with two crusts. Line pie plate with paste, page 26, fill with mince meat, cover with paste and bake in hot oven 25 minutes.

Mince Meat

2 lbs. fresh lean beef, boiled and chopped fine when cold 1 lb. suet chopped very fine 5 lbs. chopped apples 1 lb. seeded raisins 2 lbs. currants 3/4 lb. sliced citron 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons ground mace 1 tablespoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon allspice 1 tablespoon fine salt 2-1/2 lbs. brown sugar 1 qt. sherry or 1 qt. boiled cider 1 pt. brandy

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pack in jars. Store in cold, dry place.

Allow to stand 24 hours before using.

Custard Pie

3 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat eggs; add sugar, salt and scalded milk slowly. Line pie plate with paste, page 26, pour in custard. Bake in moderate oven 25 to 30 minutes.

The custard is baked when a knife put in center comes out dry.

Cocoanut Pie is made the same way, adding 1 cup fresh grated cocoanut, and using only 2 eggs. Bake as above.

Pumpkin Pie

2 cups stewed and strained pumpkin 2 cups rich milk or cream 3/4 cup brown or granulated sugar 2 eggs 1/4 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix pumpkin with milk, sugar, beaten eggs, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and beat 2 minutes. Pour into pie tin which has been lined with pastry.

Place in hot oven for fifteen minutes, then reduce heat and bake 45 minutes in moderate oven.

Rhubarb Pie

2 cups rhubarb 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon corn starch or flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut off root, stem ends and peel; cut into small pieces; put into deep pie plate which has been lined with paste, page 26, sprinkle with corn starch, salt and sugar. Cover with paste and bake in hot oven about one-half hour.

Berry Pies

3 cups blueberries, huckleberries, or blackberries 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon flour 1 teaspoon b.u.t.ter

Line a pie plate with plain paste, page 26, fill heaping with berries; dredge with flour, salt and sugar; dot with small pieces of b.u.t.ter; cover with top crust or strips of pastry across top. Bake about 45 minutes in moderate oven.

Other fruit pies can be made in the same way.

Cherry Tarts

1-1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder 6 tablespoons shortening 1/3 cup cold water 1 quart pitted cherries

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in shortening very lightly with fingertips; add water slowly, just enough to make stiff dough; roll out very thin on floured board and line patty pans, being very careful to have pastry come well over the edges of pans. Bake in hot oven about 12 or 15 minutes. Fill with cherries. Cover with hot syrup made as for strawberry pie, page 27, using 1/2 cup juice from the cherries instead of strawberries.

Other fruit can be used in place of cherries.

Frozen Desserts

How to Freeze

Scald can, cover and dasher, adjust can in freezer; put in dasher; pour in the mixture to be frozen and fasten cover (the can should never be more than 3/4 full); adjust crank and turn once or twice. Fill s.p.a.ce around can to within an inch of top with ice and salt (three parts crushed ice to one part salt), packing hard. Turn slowly at first, increasing speed when mixture begins to stiffen. Add more ice and salt as required. When mixture is very firm, wipe off cover, open can and remove dasher; sc.r.a.pe frozen mixture from dasher and sides of can, and pack down solidly; cover with paper and replace can cover. Put cork in opening in cover. Pour off salt water if there is danger of its getting into the can. Fill up over top of can with ice and salt (four parts ice to one part salt). Cover freezer with heavy blanket and keep in cool place until ready to serve.

Philadelphia Ice Cream

1 quart cream 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Scald half pint of cream; add sugar and stir until dissolved. Cool and add remainder of cream and vanilla. Freeze as above.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Add to Philadelphia Ice Cream before freezing one quart of berries which have been washed, hulled, crushed and slightly sweetened.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Melt 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate with half pint cream and proceed as for Philadelphia Ice Cream.

French Ice Cream

1 cup milk yolks of 4 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 quart cream

Scald milk and add to beaten egg yolks; add sugar, salt, vanilla and cream which has been whipped. Freeze as above.

Frozen Pudding