PUFF-PASTE DAINTIES Vol au Vent.
Lay a mold upon a round of puff paste, rolled about half an inch thick, and cut out a circle as big as you think will be required to cover it. Set the mold upside down and tuck down the paste, handling carefully. Do not cover scantily anywhere or it will crack. Prick all over with a fork and set away in a cold place to chill thoroughly. Find a plate or saucer which fits the top of the mold and cover with puff paste. Cut from the trimmings stars, hearts, crescents, or any forms you can produce with a paste jagger. Brush the paste on the saucer lightly with cold water, and stick on the ornaments in any style desired. Chill the vol au vent and lid for half an hour, then bake in an oven which is very hot at first, but cooled slightly when the pastry has risen and is beginning to brown. Watch the baking with great care, as the paste will burn or become un shapely if not turned occasionally. A vol au vent may be filled with any cream mixture or with a cooked, chilled fruit and rich sirup.
Pates.
Roll out the paste half an inch thick; shape two rounds with a pate cutter. From one round cut a smaller piece. Use the ring left to lay on the other round, brushing with water to make it stick. Bake and fill with a creamed mixture, using the small round as a lid.
Cream Horns.
Cream horns are made on fine-pointed tubes which are called ladylock irons. Cut the paste into ribbons with a knife or jagger and begin to wind at the small end, the edges scarcely touching. - Bake delicately brown. They may be filled with cream and chicken or oysters and served as an entr4e, or with whipped cream as a dessert,.
Cheese Straws.
Season some grated cheese with paprika and salt, then dust it over a piece of puff paste. Fold the paste and roll two or three times. Cut out in rings with a doughnut cutter or in straws with a jagger. The straws may be braided or baked singly.
Flaky Pie Crust.
3 cupfuls flour, cupful butter, I cupful ice water, cupful lard.
Sift the flour into a chopping bowl, add the butter and lard, and clop with a knife until no piece of the shortening larger than a pecan can be seen. Sprinkle the water here and there through the flour, and mix with a fork into a soft dough. Drop on a
floured board, dust lightly with flour, press down with the rolling-pin, and roll back and forth until the paste becomes, an oblong sheet not more than half an inch in thickness. Slip a broad-bladed knife under each end of this sheet, and fold over toward thc center, thus forming three layers of the paste. Lift, with the knife, from the board, dust with fresh flour; lay the paste down again, dust with flour, roll, and again fold over as be fore. Repeat the operation, and the paste is ready to use. When ice wa ter is added to the flour and short ening, the shortening becomes dis tributed through the flour in small balls and is not packed together in a mass, and when the dough is drawn together and lightly pressed with the rolling-pin these balls flatten into flakes, which, by repeated foldings, are piled one upon another, and by gently rolling become thinner and more delicate. Three rollings and foldings are as much as these flakes will bear. Rolling and folding a great number of times causes them to become broken and packed, so that the paste will not rise and puff up, as it should, in baking. It is well to let the paste lie on ice, or in a cold place, for an hour before rolling it out for pies, as its quality is im proved by so doing; and if the weather is warm it may advantage ously be placed on ice ten minutes between each rolling out. If a tea spoonful baking powder be sifted with the flour, less shortening can be used, but the pastry will not be as crisp and delicate.—MumA P. Bwirro.
Apple Pie.
Roll pie crust to the thickness de sired. Place upon a pie pan, shaping it carefully, and cut round the edges with a sharp knife. Cover the bot tom of the crust with a thin layer of sugar, dust with flour, then fill the crust with quarters of pared and cored apples. Dust with salt, add plenty of sugar—if the apples are very tart—roll an upper crust and lay over them, trim around the edges, press the upper and lower crusts to gether, bake until the apples are soft and the top and bottom crusts are nicely browned.