Cookery for every household

Rub the flour and sugar through a wire sieve into a clean dry basin. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, and, if fresh butter is being used, a pinch of salt also. Put in the butter, cover it well over with the flour, and break it in pieces. Then rub together lightly with the tips of the fingers and thumbs until as fine as bread-crumbs. While rubbing, keep lifting the flour well up in the basin, so that air may mix with it, and the butter is not made too soft. Then make a well in the centre of these dry ingredients, and add cold water very gradually with the left hand whilst mixing with the right. Mix with the hand or with a knife. Use very little water in the mixing of this paste, or it will be tough instead of short. Flour the pastry board slightly, lay the dough on it, and work lightly with the hands until free from cracks. Then flour a rolling-pin, press down the pastry first, then with sharp quick strokes roll it out to the thickness required. This pastry only requires to be rolled out once. Roll it on the one side only, and be careful it does not stick to the board. Lift it gently at the sides from time to time and dust a little flour under and over as required. Use no more flour than is necessary for this purpose, as too much will make the pastry hard. Notes. — This is one of the most wholesome kinds of pastry. The butter is so well mixed with the flour, that the latter is better cooked than in some of the more flaky pastries. The pastry may be made richer by using rather more butter, 5 or 6 oz. to | lb. flour, and the yolk of egg beaten up with a little water for mixing. This is sometimes called Biscuit Crust. For a plainer pastry, see below. Suitable for covering fruit pies, tarts, tartlets, puffs, and many fancy sweets. Probable cost, 5d. 1440. Plain Short Crust, or Dripping Crust A pinch of salt. £ tea-sp. baking powder. Cold water. i lb. flour. 3 or 4 oz. lard or dripping. Make in the same way as above. A little castor sugar should be added if the pastry is to be used for a sweet dish. Note. — Margarine may be used instead of the dripping or lard. Probable cost, 3d. 1441. Suet Crust or Pastry \ lb. flour. £ lb. suet. £ tea-sp. baking powder. Cold water. Weigh the flour carefully, add the salt and baking powder to it, and rub these through a wire sieve into a clean dry basin. Remove the skin from the suet, shred it very finely with a sharp knife, and then weigh it. Put it on to a chopping board, and Sprinkle it with some of the flour already weighed out. Then chop it very finely, using enough flour to prevent it sticking to the board and knife. The finer it is chopped, the better the pastry will be. When ready, mix it thoroughly with the flour in the basin, rubbing all the ingredients lightly together with the tips of the fingers. Then make a well in the centre of these dry ingredients, and add cold water very gradually with the left hand while you mix with the right. Mix with the hand or with a knife. Form into a smooth soft dough, and turn out on to a floured board, leaving the basin quite clean. Work lightly with the hands until free from cracks, then flour a rolling-pin and roll out to the thickness required. Roll on the one side only, and be careful the pastry does not stick to the board or roller.