The pie, although greatly abused, has more friends than any other dessert. In New England, not many years ago, it was the custom to make up enough mince pies a week before Thanksgiving to last a good part of the winter. In many homes the custom is still carried out. It was no unusual sight to see forty or fifty pies all ready for the brick oven. The beauty of a pie is to have the pastry light and flaky and well browned.

A well made plain pastry is good enough for most any pie. But the puff paste greatly improves a mince pie, especially for special occasions, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. The puff paste is used mostly for pate shells, tarts, cheese straws, etc.

How To Bake Puff Paste

The dough should be ice cold before putting in the oven. The oven should be hot, the greater heat at the bottom so the paste may rise before browning. It is well to place an asbestos mat or paper on the grate above them so they will not brown too soon. A brown crust over the top will hold them down and prevent them being as light. Pate cases should bake about twenty-five minutes, and tarts fifteen minutes.

How To Make Pate Shells From Puff Paste

Roll the paste to a quarter of an inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a fluted or plain cutter. Use the circles or rounds for one pate shell; cut a hole in the center of two with a small cutter. Moisten the edge of each circle with a very little water, as too much water will hold the edges down and make them heavy. Place the two rings with the holes cut in them on top of the whole round, pressing the edges lightly together. Glaze them on the top with an egg if you like; the egg must not go over on the edges. Use the small pieces that are cut from the rounds for covers after the cases are filled. Bake them in a separate pan, as they do not require as long a baking.

Tarts are made with the two layers, cutting one in a circle and placing it on the round the same as for a pate. Fill with jelly, jam, preserves or lemon cream, the same as for lemon pie, first cooking the lemon cream in a double boiler. When cool fill the tart shells. Serve cold.

Vol-Au-Vent

Can be cut in any shape required, a large round being most often used. Roll out the puff paste one half inch thick; turn a pie plate upside down on the paste, press it down to make a marking, and cut out with a sharp knife. Put two or three rims around the edge as you would a pie, only thicker; place in a large pan on a paper; bake in a hot oven forty-five minutes. Fill with any kind of cream, meats, mushrooms or oysters, or serve as a dessert, filled with stewed fruits covered with whipped cream.

Puff Paste Strips

Roll out the paste one-fourth an inch thick, cut in strips with a pastry wheel one inch wide and four inches long; bake in a hot oven for fifteen minutes. On a papered pan spread a strip with apricot or raspberry jam, cover with a strip, place a meringue over the top, brown in the oven and serve as a dessert. Cut puff paste in a three-inch square, bring the four comers to the center, moisten them a little to keep in place. Bake for twenty minutes and put a little jam or jelly in each corner, with a little whipped cream on the jelly.

How To Glaze Pastry

Beat an egg slightly, then mix with it a table-spoonful of water. Brush over the pastry with a brush very lightly, and dust with a very little powdered sugar. This gives a brown and glossy look.

Cheese Straws

Roll puff paste thin, sprinkle with grated cheese and a little paprica. Fold and roll out, sprinkle and fold twice more; roll the last time one-half inch thick, cut into straws, place in the pans, put on the ice for half an hour; bake in a hot oven for ten or fifteen minutes.