Molasses Layer Tarts

Ingredients

• Sift 2 lbs. of flour into a bowl
• melt 10 ozs. of lard
• a pinch of salt
• one-half pint of molasses
• one wineglassful of water
• 4 ozs. of powdered bread-crumbs
• Y/z oz. of fresh orange-peel
• 4 ozs. of roasted peanuts

Method

1. 1

   Stir the hot lard into the flour, mix thoroughly, roll out thin, and cut with a round biscuit-cutter.

2. 2

   Bake in a hot oven to a delicate brown.

3. 3

   Put together three circles when baked and cover with filling.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Harper's cook book encyclopædia (1902), page 289. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Molasses Layer Tarts one pint of imported dried currants, washed clean ; one pint of finely chopped pippin apples, and the same quantity of fresh beef suet ; half a pint of preserved citron, cut up very small ; a teaspoonful of salt, a salt-spoonful of black pepper, a dessert - spoonful of mixed cinnamon, mace, cloves, and nutmeg, measured after they have been beaten up together in a mortar ; a pint of wine, a pint of sweet cider, and a gill of brandy. Stir the ingredients together until well combined, and use immediately, if you choose. If kept in a clean stone jar with a closely fitting cover, good mince -meat will keep until spring, only taking care, if it becomes too dry by the evaporation of the liquors, to add more wine or brandy until it is sufficiently moist. Mince pies should always be brought to table piping hot, and, of course, de- pend greatly for their excellence upon the pastry in which they are served. Another way (Maryland recipe) : — Four pounds of lean beef, one quart of chopped suet, four quarts of chop- ped apples, one quart of stoned rai- sins, a scant quart of sugar, one pint of currants, about I lb. of citron, a pint of molasses, three table -spoon- fuls of ground mace, the same of cin- namon, two of allspice, one and a half table-spoonfuls of cloves, four grated nutmegs, three table-spoon- fuls of salt, the juice and rind of three lemons, the same of three sour or- anges, some candied orange and lemon peel, one pint of orange wine, one quart of California peach or grape brandy. Chop the meat in a meat -cutter and mix thoroughly. Do not cook at all, except the beef by itself, and before chopping. Add, if you have it (for it is a great im- provement), some syrup from sweet pickles, and cider, if you choose. If not moist enough, add, to your taste, more wine and brandy, and, if it will bear it, more lemon-juice. One must use one's own taste and judg- ment in this recipe, as sometimes it needs more moistening than at other times. Mince Pies, English. — One pound of raisins, and I lb. each of currants, suet, apples, and moist sugar; rind of two lemons, chopped fine, and the juice of both; a glass of brandy, % lb. of mixed peels, a teaspoonful of mixed spices. Line patty-pans with very light paste, fill with the mince- meat, and cover with the paste. Mock - cherry Pie. — Measure two cupfuls of cranberries, then cut in half and soak half an hour in cold water to remove the seeds. Mix one table-spoonful of corn-starch with a little cold water, then stir it into one cupful of boiling water ; when thick, remove from the fire and add one table-spoonful of butter, pinch of salt, the cranberries, and one cupful of raisins, seeded ; one cupful of sugar, two teaspoonfuls of vanilla ; pour into a pastry-lined tin, place crust over top, and bake until done. Mock Mince-meat Pies. — To pre- pare it, roll fine three soda-crackers, and mix with them a half-cupful of brown sugar, and the same quantity of melted butter, molasses, and sour cider. Add to them one egg, well- beaten; one cupful of raisins, seeded and chopped ; one-half cupful of cur- rants, and one cupful of water. Sea- son with one teaspoonful each of ground cinnamon and allspice, one- half teaspoonful of cloves, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg, and a gener- ous table-spoonful of brandy. Bake with two crusts. 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 thor- oughly. 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. Columbia 2Phblic Lihtxsty Columbia, Mo. Napoleons PIES, ETC 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 pow- dered 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

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.