Puff Paste

One pound of fresh butter, the salt washed out of half of it, one pound of sifted flour, with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder mixed in it, half a pint of cold water, ice cold; divide half a pound of the butter into three parts and have it soft enough to spread; mix the baking powder with the flour and rub in the half pound of butter without salt, then make it into a stilt dough and roll it out long and square at the ends, then spread on one third of the butter and set it in the coldest place, where the butter will harden in fifteen minutes, then fold over one third of the dough and turn the other on top of it, roll out again, spread on the butter, fold over and repeat the same until the butter is all in, then divide the dough into as many parts as are needed and roll out quickly. The dough must not be worked with the hands after the first butter is spread on. To be successful with puff paste in the summer time it must be made in a cool room, and mixed with ice water and rolled out on a marble slab. After the butter has been spread on put some broken ice into a long tinpan and place it over the butter, but not near enough to touch it.

Puff Paste

One pound of sifted flour, with two teaspoon-fuls of baking powder in it; half a pound of fresh lard, half a pint of cold water - ice cold - half a pound of fresh butter, divided into three parts and soft enough to spread. Mix the baking powder and flour together, then rub in the lard and make it into a stiff dough; roll it out long and square at the ends and spread on one-third of the butter, set in a cold place until the butter is hard, then fold over one-third of the dough and turn the other on top of it; roll out again and repeat the same until the butter is all in, then fold over, roll out quick and divide the dough into as many crusts as you want to make. The dough must not be worked after the first butter is spread on. I have made the two preceding receipts of puff paste on the same day, and the one made with half lard and half butter was the best.

Pie Crust

Two pounds of sifted flour, with four teaspoon-fuls of baking powder in it, half a pound of fresh butter, three quarters of a pound of fresh lard, one pint, scant measure, of cold water; mix the baking powder and flour together, then rub in the butter and lard and make it into a dough just stiff enough to roll out. The quicker it is made and put into the oven the lighter and better it will be. This quantity is enough for five or six pies with lower and upper crusts. This is a very good pie crust and much more economical than puff paste.

Apples For Pies

Two quarts of sliced sour apples (pippins are the best,) half a pint of water, half a pint of sugar, two ounces of fresh butter, two tablespoonfuls of corn-starch, two teaspoonfuls of powdered cinnamon or lemon extract, put the apples and water into a saucepan and cook them until they are soft then put in the sugar and mix the corn-starch with a little cold water and stir it in, stir until it boils two minutes, then add the butter and spice and take it off the fire.