Domestic science (Johnson, for schools and homes)

Mix cornstarch with a little cold water, until smooth and creamy. Stir in the boiling water slowly, stirring until the starch has a uniform appearance; place over fire and boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the fire, add the sugar and butter creamed smoothly together, and mix with the yolks of the eggs and the juice and grated rind of the lemons. Place the pastry, prepared according to rule previously given, on the plate, prick a few holes through the 116 DOMESTIC SCIENCE pastry with a fork, to let the air from underneath escape with- out raising the crust from the plate; bake. When sufficiently baked, but not brown, remove from the oven, and pour in the mixture prepared, and cook until the crust is brown on the bottom and edges. Cover with a meringue made of the whites of the eggs, beaten with two tbsp. sugar; place in the oven again, and bake until the meringue is of a delicate brown. Apple Pie: Use tart apples. Prepare crust, place lower crust on plate, slice in the apples, very thin. Add 1 c sugar for a large pie, 1 tbsp. butter, a little cinnamon or nutmeg. Lay on the top crust, pierce it in several places with a fork, to allow the escape of the steam and hot air. Bake in a moderate oven until the apples are tender and pastry cooked. All seasoning and sugar may be omitted, and placed in the pie after the apples and crust are cooked, by lifting the top crust. Pumpkin Pie: Remove the rind of the pumpkin after cutting it into suitable pieces; remove the seeds and the pulpy mass inside the meat. Cut in thin slices and boil in clear water until soft enough to mash easily with a wooden masher. When thoroughly mashed, allow the kettle to stand over a slow fire until the pumpkin dries somewhat. The drier it is the richer the pics will be. Rub the pumpkin, thus dried, through a sieve. Thin the pumpkin, when cold, with sweet milk, to the consistency of milk porridge. Beat three eggs for each quart of milk used, and add to the mixture, stirring thoroughly. Add sugar, cinnamon, and ginger, to taste. Place one crust upon the pie pan, pressing it down carefully and raising it a half inch at the edges by pinching it up with the thumb and fingers. Pour in the mixture, and bake in a slow oven until firm throughout. Meat and Potato Pie: Chop cold meat fine, re- moving the bones, fat, and gristle. Put the meat into a pudding dish. To each c. of meat, allow 1-3 c. meat gravy or stock, or 1-4 c. water. Stir into the gravy 1-4 tsp. salt, a spk. of pepper, and a little chopped onion or parsley, or both, APPENDIX 117 and pour the mixture over the meat. Boil and mash pota-' toes, using a wooden masher. Spread the mashed potatoes, as a crust, over the meat and gravy. Smooth the crust, and bake the pie on the grate of the oven, until of a golden brown; 15 to 30 minutes. Pot Pie: Make a stew of any kind of meat desired. Put it into a pudding dish. Prepare biscuit dough, roll it thin, and place over the stew for a crust. Bake from 30 to 45 min. in a moderate oven. Fowl and veal are best for this purpose. Plain Mince Pie: 1 c. meat, 2 c. apples, 1-2 c. raisins, seeded, 1-2 c. currants, 1 c. cider vinegar, or 1-2 c. water with juice of 2 lemons, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. allspice, 1 c. brown sugar.