This recipe for puff pastry is not generally in use in private houses, but will be found to be simple and to take far less time and labour in rolling out than the old method. It is requisite to have the butter very firm and free from water, and those who wish to have very superior pastry will use Vienna flour, which is, however, expensive, and not to be had genuine in country towns. A great deal of flour called Vienna is really only good English flour, but the difference between the two is so great that when compared it is at once seen. True Vienna flour is almost as white as corn-flour, very soft to the touch, and when boiled for sauce thickening quickly, of a delicate flavour. If you use ordinary flour take care that it is dry, and sift it through a fine sieve.

Weigh your butter and flour in equal proportions, cut the butter into thin slices, take a little flour and roll it with a slice of the butter into flakes, proceed thus until all the butter and flour are rolled together; gather the Hakes into a heap and sprinkle them with water, about a gill and a half is required for a pound of paste. Make into a smooth paste with the hand, and then roll it out to the thickness of half-an-inch. If a pound of paste, divide it into four parts, flour the board and roll out each part as thin as a wafer, fold over four or five times, and use as required. Bake as soon as possible.

Excellent puff pastry may be made by using threequarters of a pound of butter to a pound of flour, but for the finest kind equal quantities of these are requisite. Good firm lard may be substituted for the butter, and three-quarters of a pound of it to one pound of flour will make a rich paste. This method, if followed, even for household pastry made with dripping, will be found to answer better than any other.

Short Crust

Put half-a-pound of butter into ten ounces of flour, mix a tablespoonful of castor sugar with it, and rub together. Beat up the yolk of an egg with two tablespoonfuls of cold water, or less if the butter is soft, make the paste very stiff, roll it out once, and use for tarts of fresh fruit, cherries, raspberry and currant, etc., and for cheesecakes.