Foods, their selection and preparation

For a criss-cross or latticed-top pie, pre¬ pare and fill the bottom crust exactly as for the solid top, cutting the bottom crust off one-half inch beyond the edge of the pan. The rest of the dough is rolled to one-eighth inch thickness and cut in strips three-eighths inch wide. (There are pastry wheels which will cut these strips, both sides at once with scalloped edges, or a paring knife may be used.) Lay the strips across the pie, al¬ ternately, weaving over and under. When the strips are laid diagonally, the openings are diamond-shaped; if straight across, they are square. If desired, the strips may be twisted. With scissors, cut off the ends of the strips just inside the pan and pinch them into the edge of the lower crust. Make a fluted edge to the pie by doubling the half inch of extra dough back onto the lower crust. Stand up the double edge like a collar and flute with the thumbs and forefingers as for the solid-top pie. This lattice-top pie is more likely to cook out than the solid-top pie just described. For this reason it should be watched during baking and if it shows any symptoms of boiling ing over, the temperature should be lowered quickly to at least 350° F. after baking about 20 minutes at 425° F. A deep piepan also helps to prevent this. Mincemeat pies, as well as fruit pies, are usually baked with two crusts with either a solid top or a lattice top. While the two crusts are more or less standard for fruit pies, there are many variations of this stand¬ ard pie. Deep-Dish Fruit Pies. As the name im¬ plies, deep-dish pies are baked in casseroles of any size and shape. There are large deepdish pies or individual ones. Although this kind of pie may have two crusts, the single top crust is more usual. The crust may be made of pastry or of rich biscuit or shortcake dough. "Dutch” Fruit Pies. These fruit pies are baked in a single crust. Dutch apple pie is the one of this group most often made. Plain pastry is used for the single (bottom) crust. The dough may have a fluted edge, as desired. The apples are cut in attractive slices by quartering, removing the core, and slicing each quarter into four slices. Usually more butter or margarine is used than in the standard fruit pie, 3 to 4 tablespoons. This is melted in a saucepan, and the apples are added and tossed about until every slice is coated with fat. The sugar and spices are then added to the apples and distributed through them. The apple slices are then neatly arranged in the pastry-lined pan, so that the slices fit together compactly. They should be slightly heaped in the center. When the apples are particularly hard, the pie may be covered with another piepan after the crust is browned. The baking tem¬ perature may be reduced from 425° to 325° F. and the baking continued until the apples are tender. If desired, Dutch apple pie may be cov¬ ered with streusel topping before baking, in which case a cover is not needed. Streusel [328]