Foods, their selection and preparation

The other kind of chiffon pie has a gelatin filling. A soft custard is set with gelatin. Stiffly beaten egg whites are folded into the mixture for lightness, but the whites in this case are not cooked. The following propor¬ tions are basic for chiffon pies made with gelatin: 1 tablespoon gelatin \ teaspoon salt \ cup cold water \ cup liquid to cups fruit 4 eggs, separated and liquid \ to 1 cup sugar Whipping cream if desired Soak the gelatin in the cold water. Beat the yolks slightly. Add half the sugar and the liquids and cook over hot water, stirring constantly until of thick custard consistency. Add the softened gelatin and stir until dis¬ solved. Chill. Beat whites after adding salt and beat in the remaining sugar to make a meringue. Fold into the custard-gelatin mixture when it begins to congeal. Pour into the baked shell and place in the refrig¬ erator to harden. Just before serving, top with whipped cream if desired. This kind of chiffon pie is sometimes called "sponge pie” or "refrigerator pie.” Fruit Pies. The typical fruit pie in this country is a two-crust pie, with the filling and crusts baked together. The top crust may be solid, or it may be a criss-cross or latticed top made by weaving narrow strips of pastry across the pie to form squares or diamond¬ shaped openings. The fruit used may be fresh, defrosted frozen, cooked fresh, cooked dried, and canned. Basic Proportions. For a nine-inch pie, about 4 cups uncooked fruit are needed, since the fruit shrinks in cooking. With cooked or canned fruit, 3 cups or less of drained fruit are sufficient. The amount of sugar needed depends upon the tartness of the fruit. One cup of sugar is an average amount for uncooked or unsweetened fruit, but tart apples and cherries frequently need lj cups. Gooseberries need still more. Some sweet fruits, such as ripe peaches or canned fruits with some sugar added, will require less than 1 cup. Most fruit pies should have a small amount of thickening, whether the fruit is fresh, frozen, or canned; yet there must be plenty of juice and it should not be too thick. Apples seldom need thickening, never over 1 tablespoon of starch to a pie. To 4 cups fresh or frozen juicy fruit, 2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca flour, or 3 to 4 table¬ spoons flour, are sufficient. This may be mixed with the sugar and both combined with the fruit. Tapioca flour or cornstarch gives a beautifully clear, natural-appearing juice. Many people like the flavor of wheat flour, but the juice is opaque, not clear, when [326] wheat flour is used. When using cooked or canned fruits, to 3 cups of drained fruit, use at least f cup juice. Mix the sugar with the starch or flour, add the juice, and bring to a hard boil. Pour the thickened juice over the fruit. It may be cooling while the crust is being made. A few grains of salt always improve the flavor of fruit. With some fruits, such as apples, spices (nutmeg or cinnamon or both) may be added. About 1 teaspoon of cinna¬ mon and ^ teaspoon of nutmeg are average amounts to one pie. The salt and spices may be combined with the sugar. Butter or mar¬ garine improves the flavor of most fruit pies, about 1 tablespoon to a pie. It may be dotted over the top of the pie before the top crust is put on.