Plain cookery recipes

sugar in the centre, piling the rest of the fruit on the top. Prepare the pastry, and roll it out about one inch larger than the rim of the pie-dish. Cut a strip from the pastry one inch wide, wet the edge of the pie-dish, and place the strip on without stretching it. Join the cut ends by wetting them. Brush the strip of pastry with water and lay on the cover, pressing it down to the strip. Trim off any rough edges, open up the pastry with the back of a knife, and decorate the edge with tiny flutes. Brush the pastry over with the beaten white of an egg, dredge with castor sugar, and make two small holes with a skewer to allow escape of steam. Place the tart in a hot oven for the first five or ten minutes till the pastry is risen and slightly browned, then remove the tart to a lower shelf till the fruit is quite soft. (Average time about three-quarters to one hour, depending on the kind of fruit and size of pie.) On removing the tart from the oven dust over with castor sugar. It may be served hot or cold. Open Tart. Short crust pastry (six ounces flour, three ounces butter, etc.). Beaten white of egg. Castor sugar. Jam, or stewed fruit. Wet a strong dinner-plate or ashet with cold water. Roll out the pastry a little larger than the plate. Lay it on, and trim off the rough edges. Prick the centre with a fork to prevent it rising from the plate in the centre. Roll out the scraps and cut into small fancy shapes. Brush the rim of the pastry with beaten white of egg, and decorate it with the small shapes of pastry, pressing them well down in the centre. Brush over again with the white of egg, and dredge with castor sugar. Cut a round of greased paper to fit the centre of the tart; lay it on, and place in it some haricot beans or crusts of bread to prevent the pastry rising in the centre. Put the tart into a hot oven, reducing the heat after PASTRY. the pastry has risen and begun to brown. About ten minutes before removing from the oven remove the paper and beans, and allow the pastry in the centre to dry off. When dishing, dredge the edge with castor sugar, and fill up the centre with jam, which should be heated if the tart is to be served hot. Cheese Cakes* Short crust pastry. Filling. One egg; its weight in butter, sugar, and flour. Little grated lemon rind. Quarter of a teaspoonful baking-powder. A little jam. Roll the pastry out thinly, cut into rounds, and line greased patty-tins, and put half a teaspoonful of jam at the bottom of each tin. Cream the butter and sugar ; add the grated lemon rind, egg, flour, and baking powder ; mix well, and half fill each tin with the mixture. Bake in a moderately hot oven till risen and firm (about twenty to thirty minutes). Apple Balls. Short crust pastry (four ounces flour, two ounces butter, etc.). Two apples. Two teaspoonfuls sugar. Two cloves. Beaten white of egg. Castor sugar.