Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

of butter, work out all the salt and buttermilk by kneading it with both hands, and then keep out about an ounce of butter; fold the rest in a floured napkin, and lay it upon some ice. Second, dry the slab thoroughly, sift upon it half a pound of fine white flour, form this in a circle or well, as shown in the first cut, putting aside about two ounces to dust the slab with ; into the well drop the ounce of butter reserved and the yolk of one egg, and work them to a cream with the tips of the fingers ; to this gradually add the flour from the well, with enough ice-cold water poured on from time to time as required to form a dough about the consistency of shortcake (about one cup of water/more or less, will be used, according to the body of the flour) ; now work the paste about on the slab until it leaves it clean and free, and does not cling to the fingers ; take it up in a ball, and dust the slab slightly with flour, lay on the paste, flatten it down, and beat it with the roller for five minutes, turning rnd doubling it constantly, or knead it like bread for five minutes. This process toughens it so that the butter will not break through in the subsequent manipulations. [illustration: Butter enclosed in Paste.] Third, raise the paste, and dust the slab again with flour; lay the paste on it, and roll out to a square of about eight inches; turn the face of the paste, or the paste which has been next the roller, down upon the slab, lay upon it the lump of cold butter, and fold the paste up and over it so as to cover every part; the butter may be enclosed in a square, as shown in the second cut, or the paste wrapped over it to form a ball; turn the ball thus formed upside down, roll it out gently and [illustration: Puff-Paste rolled out.] Butter enclosed in Paste. utes. This process toughens it so that the butter wil) not break through in the subsequent manipulations. Tl'ird, raise the paste, and dust the slab again with flour ; lay the paste on it, and roll out to a square of about eight inches ; turn the face of the paste, or the paste which has been next the roller, down upon the slab, lay upon it the lump of cold butter, and fold the paste up and over it so as to cover every part ; the butter may be enclosed in a square, as shown in the second cut, or the paste wrapped over it to form a baJl ; turn the ball thus formed upside down, roll it out gently ard evenly until the butter is incorporated with the paste, taking care not to break through the latter, as all the air-cells that Puff-Paste roiled out. can be gathered unbroken in the paste assist its rising ; now turn the sheet of paste gently about on the slab, so that every part may be rolled to the same thickness of about one- quarter of an inch ; in turning the paste Hft its outer edge, and gently lap it over the roller toward you, being sure not to tear it ; roll it gently inward, keeping it around the roller, and lifting it clear from the board when you wish to turn it, or change its position in any way ; when you wish to replace it upon the slab, gently unwind it from the roller, letting the face or part next the roller fall upon the slab. Fourth, the [illustration: Puff-Paste after a "turn."] paste is now ready for forming the flakes ; to do this, turn the face down, fold it in three thicknesses lengthwise, making it three times as long as it is wide, as shown in the third cut ; and then folding it again three times to make the square shown in the fourth cut ; lay it in a long pan floured, set this in a larger pan of ice, and place upon it a third pan filled with ice, so that the paste will be completely surrounded with ice ; let the pan stand for five minutes in the ice-box, or in the