Puff Paste

Ingredients

1 lb. flour, 6 oz. butter, 6 oz. lard, rather less than 1/2 pint of water.

Method

If the butter is very salt, it should be washed in cold water, then well squeezed to extract all the moisture. See that the flour is quite dry and free from lumps, then mix it into a smooth paste with the water, using a knife for this purpose, and taking care not to make it too wet, or the paste will be tough. Turn it on to a well-floured pastry-board and roll it out till it is about an inch thick, spread it with equal parts of butter and lard, sift over it a very little flour; fold it up, roll out again, and spread more butter and lard as before. Do this three or four times, till all the butter and lard are used, taking care to flour both paste and rolling-pin to prevent them sticking. Brushing the paste as often as rolled out, and the butter that is spread upon it, with the white of an egg, helps it to rise in flakes or leaves, but this is not always done. In very cold weather the butter should be mashed on a plate with a knife till it is just soft enough to spread easily; this may be done in a warm place, but care must be taken that it does not oil. To insure light pastry, make it in a cool place, as quickly as possible, and bake in a brisk oven; a cool oven will spoil it, however well made. It is none the worse for being made the day before it is baked, if it is rolled up and left in a cool dry place.

Short Crust For Pies. No. 1

Ingredients

1 lb. flour, 8 oz. butter, yolks of 2 eggs, 1/4 pint of water, or rather less.

Method

See that the flour is quite dry, then rub into it the butter, which should be cool and firm. When it is quite free from lumps, mix it into a smooth paste with the eggs - well beaten - and the water, taking great care that it is not too wet. The dryer it is made the shorter and lighter will the crust be. Boll out on a floured pastry-board, two or three times, folding it each time, and it will be ready for use. Bake in a brisk oven.

Short Crust. No. 2

Ingredients

1 lb. flour, 6 oz. butter, 4 oz. lard, 1 tablespoonful of white pounded sugar, 3/4 of pint of water.

Method

Proceed as in the foregoing recipe.