"What moistens the lip, and what brightens the eye; What calls back the past like the rich pumpkin pie."

The butter for pastry should be firm and tough. For pie paste the lard should be fresh and firm, and the pastes mixed with ice water and worked up in a cool place till ready to be baked. To prevent the shrinking of puff paste, it should rest after it is made ready for the oven, and be kept in a cool place from fifteen to thirty minutes.

The baking of pastry requires a brisk heat. Puff paste hotter than pie paste or crust. Puff paste should not be baked with other articles which make steam, because this prevents rising; and when the pies and patties have risen, the heat may be decreased by opening the damper to prevent taking too much color. , To bake patties and other puff paste goods, the pans should be wet with water, and not greased. For pie paste the tins and tart forms require greasing. In pie making two kinds of paste are used. The paste for the upper crust is much richer than that used for bottom crust, because if the rich crust were used for the bottom it would become too soggy. The trimmings left over from top crust can be used for the under crust next day.

To obtain a nice deep baked crust, roll out the bottom a little thicker than usual, trim the sides, and prick the paste all over with a fork, to prevent blistering; dust with a little flour, placing an empty pie tin with a clean bottom on the top of the paste (the bottom of the tin may be greased lightly to prevent adhering to the paste). Put the bottom crust in oven and bake. When the paste which shows between the two tins begins to color, the top tin may be removed and the baking finished. Cream and lemon filling for open pies should be filled in the oven while hot.

Quick Puff Paste

One-half pound (one-half pint) cold butter, one-half pound cold flour. Chop the butter into the flour in small lumps about the size of dice; sprinkle with ice water, just enough to hold together, and mix very light. Put on flour dusted bake board, and press into a square shape; roll out half an inch thick and fold in three; give one more turn and give a rest; give three more turns (five altogether), and it is ready for use. The same mixture may be made with the addition of one teaspoon baking powder. Mix baking powder in the flour. - Contributed, Williams, Ariz.