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Catherine Owen's new cook book ..

1885

Page 88 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Take the rolling-pin, flour it, and roll out the paste into an oblong sheet half an inch thick ; fold it one- third over, then the other third over that (you have now a neat piece of three thicknesses) ; turn the rough edges toward you, roll it out again, and fold in the same way ; do so once more, always turning the rough edges toward you, and it is ready to use at once ; but if the day is hot and you have time to lay it on the ice for a short time it will be better ; also, if during the process 1 70 Practical Recipes, of rolling it shows signs of sticking, laying it on the ice in a tin for a few minutes, will make your work the easier. The only art in this pastry is to follow directions exactly^ and to handle lightly. Many will say, " I have not a light hand.'' I answer : Every woman has a light hand if she is handling white satin or velvet. Handle pastry as delicately as if it were satin or velvet and the pile would crush. Before using this paste, read chapter on Pastry (part first); all that relates to using puff paste applies to this. This paste made one day, or only mixed, and once rolled and folded, and finished and used the next, is always better, and in ice may be kept two or three days and be the better for it. I find it a good plan in summer when I want to make paste, to put chopping-bowl and knife and rolling-pin in or on the ice-box, and have the pastry board as cool as you can. With soft butter and warm tools you can never have flaky or light paste. Patties are among the most acceptable entrees, and with the South Kensington rough puff paste very easy to make, although the cases can be bought ready at a pastry cook's and filled at home. PATTY CASES. Take some rough puff paste ; roll it a third of an inch thick, not less ; have a medium-sized biscuit cutter and one quite small, about the size of a silver dollar ; cut out three times as many rounds with the large cutter as you want patties — eighteen if you want six ; pile them three together, wetting the two under ones slightly to make them adhere. You have now six patties rather over an inch thick; take the small cutter, dip it in Entrees. * 1*]\ flour, shake off any that may cling, and press it on each patty, cutting only lialf way \hxoVi^. Take the patties up on a cake turner, and slip them on to a baking tin ; brush each one over with yolk of ^gg beaten with a table- spoonful of watPatty Caseser ; set them in a hot oven to bake. If you have had your paste cold, and handled it lightly and quickly, these will rise to three inches in height. They require fifteen minutes to bake. When they are pale brown all over, take them out ; let them stand one minute ; then take off the small piece in the centre — it will have risen perhaps out of its place — if not, with a sharp-pointed knife lift it out; then take a small spoon and dig out the soft paste inside, leaving only a crust about half an inch thick, but be very careful there are no holes in the walls or sides ; replace the tops and they are ready to fill with either of the following three mixtures, or any other you may choose : LOBSTER PATTIES. Lobster Patties