This section is from the book "The Cook's Guide", by Semper Fidelis Circle. Also available from Amazon: The Cook's Guide.
Lard must be hard and the water very cold to make good pastry. Handle as little as possible. If you desire the upper crust very flaky, save 2 tablespoons of shortening for top crust. Roll thin and spread evenly, adding a pinch of salt. Cut in 4 pieces, placing each on top of the other. Roll and cut again. Repeat for 3 times at least. When pie is ready for oven, wipe top over with milk and just before it is done remove from oven and wipe over again. Return to oven and finish baking. For a juicy pie take a strip of cloth about 1 1/2 inches wide, wet and bind on the edge of crust. This will prevent juice from running out. Remove soon as pie is baked.
Three cups flour, 1 cup lard or 3/4 cup cottolene, 1 teaspoon salt, pinch of soda. Chop lard into flour with knife as much as possible. Add just as litle water as is possible to hold together. This recipe makes pastry enough for 2 large pies.
Peel and chop nice tart apples, 3/4 cup sugar, sprinkle of flour, small teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of salt. Stir well together and fill crust and put bits of butter over apples before adding top crust.
If the rhubarb be tender, it is not necessary to remove all the skin. Cut into small pieces. Turn boiling water over it and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain off the water, and place fruit in pan already lined with crust. Add 1/2 cup raisins, plenty of sugar, brown is preferred, a litle nutmeg, sprinkling of flour, pinch of salt and bits of butter. Bake with top crust.
Remove the skin and cut rhubarb into inch pieces. Mix well with 1 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon flour. Put small bits of butter over top before adding top crust. Bake in moderate oven.
One cup strained, well-cooked squash, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger, little nutmeg, 2 well-beaten eggs. Quantity for 1 pie.
Steam pumpkin and rub through colander. Take 2 cups of the pumpkin, a little salt; add small piece butter, 1 teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon, 2 scant cups sugar, 3 well-beaten eggs and 3 cups hot milk. This quantity is sufficient for 2 pies.
Take ordinary pie crust and roll thin. Cover with sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon and bits of butter. Roll up and slice into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in hot oven.
Make a good pastry and fill with any preferred berries. Add sugar, 1/2 cup for strawberries, 3/4 cup for raspberries, 3-4 cup for huckleberries, 1 cup for wild blackberries, 1 1/2 cups for gooseberries, 1 1/2 cups for currants, 1 tablespoon flour. Mix berries, sugar and flour well together before putting into crust. Bake in moderate oven.
Pit cherries enough to fill pie plate; 3/4 cup sugar; 1 tablespoon flour. Mix cherries, sugar and flour well together. Bake in moderate oven.
 
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