A manual of home-making

The following kinds of fat may be used : butter, oleomargar- ine, vegetalUe fat, lard, lani mil^stitutes, beef drippings, chicken fat, and suet. When suet is use<l, it is tneltetl over boiling water aofl stirred while hot into the flour. The paste is then kneaded and rolled into a rather thirk shc^et and shapeil in a mold. The effa^ts of the various fats are as follows: lard: a soft, tender crust; eottolene: a soft, tentier crust, slightly ilarker in ci>lor than if lard is useti; vegetalile oils: a less Haky erust and darker in color than if lard is used; suet: a more compact and firm crust than if lard is used. It has been fonnd by experiment that more butter than lard is reiiuired and more lard than lard substitute, and that le.ss shortening is neeiled when pastry flour is used than when bread flour hi employed. For 1 cup of bread flour one should use: Vs cup of lard; V? cup plus 1 tal>les|K>on of butter; Va cup minus 1 tablespr>on of lard sulistitute* For I cup of pastry flour one should use: }4 cup of lard; i4 cup plus Vs tablespoon of butter; }4 ^W minus % tablespoon of lard substitute. LanJ makes the tenderer crust, but butter gives the l>ett^r flavor. For et|uivalent measures of various fats see page 477. Baking poivder. Baking powder may be used to help leaven the crust, in the proportion of i j teaspoon to 1 cup of flour. Usually the only leavening agents usetl in pastr}' are the air and water which ex- pand w^hen heated. Salt If an unsalted fat is used, salt should l>e luided in the pro- portion of 14 teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of flour. CH.*LRAC"rERISTICS OF GOOD PASTRY Lightness depends on the ainouiit of air incorporated, on the expansion of that aii*, and on the presence of baking powder. MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING If the materials used are cold and the manipulation is carried on in a cold room, or if the paste is rhilled by being plaeed in a re- frigerator, the expansion of the inclostxl air is greater during the Ijaking process. FUikiness results when the ingredients are so mixed as to make layers. To aceompliah this, fat is not thoroughly mixed into the drj^ ingredients, but is left in pieces by being cut in with ft knife or rubbed in with a spoon. Tenderness depends on the relative amounts of fat and water used and on the inanipulation* The more fat and the less water used, within limits, the tenderer will be the crust. Handling the paste develops elasticity by developing gluten, and so makes a tough crust. If the fingers are used to mix the fat with the flour ^ the heat of the fingers melts the fat and causes it to act aa hquid; thus more flour is required, which tends to make a tough paste. DmECTIONS FOR MAKINQ PLAIN PASTRY Recipe for ptain paltry. I cup flour ii teaspoon salt ii-l/3 cup shortening Water