Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Molasses Layer Tarts. — Sift 2 lbs. of flour into a bowl, melt 10 ozs. of lard and heat boiling hot, adding to it a pinch of salt; stir the hot lard into the flour by pouring it into a hole in the centre ; mix very thoroughly. If the dough should be too stiff, soften with a little hot water. Remove from the bowl and set aside to cool. When it gets lukewarm, roll out as thin as possible and cut with a round biscuit-cutter. Bake in a hot oven to a delicate brown. Put together three circles when baked. [illustration: Columbia Public Library Columbia, Mo.] Napoleons Plum Pie with the following filling between them, and cover with boiled icing or not, according to taste. To prepare the filling put one-half pint of molasses and one wineglassful of water on the fire ; when it boils, add 4 ozs. of powdered bread-crumbs (which should be stale) in order to thicken it; boil until the bottom of the pan can be seen when stirring ; add Y/z oz. of fresh orange-peel, having first dried it in the oven and powdered it ; and, just before removing from the fire, add and mix in 4 ozs. of roasted peanuts, ground to a paste. Napoleons. — Roll puff paste very thin, line square or oblong layer pans, prick with a fork, glaze, and bake. Remove while hot to a clean pastry-board ; cut into even pieces three inches long by one and a half wide, using a sharp knife. Each Napoleon is formed by placing three of these pieces one over the other; the lowest layer is spread with jelly, the next with whipped cream sweetened and flavored with vanilla, and the top one with plain or chocolate icing. Orange Pie. — Line the pie - dish with a paste rolled very thin and set aside in a cool place. Beat one teacupful of sugar, the rind and juice of one orange, the yolks of three eggs, and one table -spoonful of flour and a pinch of salt; then beat the whites to a stiff froth and stir into the sugar and other ingredients with two table-spoonfuls of milk. Fill the pan with this mixture and bake in a moderate oven forty - five minutes. Thorough beating of the mixture and slow baking are absolutely necessary to success. Before pouring in the mixture brush the crust of the pie with the white of egg. As soon as done cover the top with a meringue. Peach Meringue Pie. — Select a pieplate that is not too deep, and, after arranging a lower crust, fill with peaches halved, stoned, and pared; sprinkle sugar over them, and bake until done. Canned peaches will answer as well as fresh ones if some of the syrup from the can and a small quantity of sugar are added. When cool, spread over it the whites of two eggs, beaten very light, and flavor with rose-water or vanilla. Sprinkle over the top three teaspoonfuls of sand sugar, and let it brown in the oven a few minutes. Peach T art. — Peel small or mediumsized peaches ; fill a deep pie - plate with them, heaping them towards the centre of the dish, and sprinkling them liberally with sugar. Cover with a top crust, and bake. Sat while warm. Pear Tart. — If mellow pears are used they will not require to be stewed before the pastry is put over them, but if the ordinary baking pears are made use of they must be prepared as follows : Take six or eight large