Pastry, if it is to be served at all, should be light, tender and flaky. It is then more easily digested.

Winter wheat flour, called pastry flour, should be used as it makes the pastry more tender than bread flour. Less shortening is required when pastry flour is used.

The lightness of the pastry depends upon the amount of air enclosed and its expansion in baking.

The flakiness depends upon the number of layers of shortening and paste formed by folding and rolling.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

Use butter substitutes for the fat.

Rub in with the tips of the fingers or chop in with a knife. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough, using a knife for mixing. All the ingredients must be cold.

Handle the dough as little as possible, and keep it as cold as possible, as heat melts the fat and makes it difficult to handle the dough. Use as little flour as possible during the rolling. Cut the pastry a little larger than the dish to allow for shrinkage.

RECIPE FOR PASTRY

1½ cups flour ½ teaspoon salt

1/3 to ½ cup shortening

Cold water to make a stiff dough, about 4½ tablespoons.

Mix and sift the flour and salt. Rub in shortening with tips of fingers or cut it into the flour with 2 knives. Add the cold water, using a knife for mixing. Knead the dough lightly into a ball. Cut in two; roll into circular pieces to fit pie tin.

APPLE PIE

5 sour apples 1/8 teaspoon salt ½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon butter ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Few gratings lemon rind

Line pie plate with paste. Pare, core and cut apples and fill the pie. Mix the dry ingredients and lemon juice, and sprinkle over apples. Dot over with butter. Wet edges of under crust, cover with upper crust, pressing the edges close together. Bake in a hot oven 40 to 45 minutes, or until fruit is cooked.

LEMON PIE

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon butter Grated rind 1 lemon

2 egg yolks Juice 1 lemon

Mix cornstarch and sugar; add to boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook until clear; add the butter, beaten yolks, lemon juice and rind. Cool. Line plate with paste. Prick the paste and bake. Fill with lemon mixture and cover with meringue, and bake until meringue is brown.

MERINGUE

Whites 2 eggs 1½ tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar or powdered sugar, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Beat the whites until stiff; fold in sugar and add flavoring.

COCOANUT CREAM PIE

1½ cups scalded milk 1/3 cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch Yolks 3 eggs

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup shredded cocoanut

½ teaspoon vanilla

Add the sugar, cornstarch and salt to the egg yolks. Pour the scalded milk into this, return to double boiler, stir and cook until thickened. Add the butter, cocoanut and vanilla. Pour into a pie tin lined with pastry. Bake. Cover with meringue.

MINCE PIE

Line a pie tin with pastry. Fill with mince meat. Cover with pastry.

MINCE MEAT

1½ cups chopped beef

(roast or steak) 1 pint chopped apple ½ cup chopped suet 1 1/3 cups sugar

1 cup cider

½ cup syrup from sweet

pickle jar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon mace

Grating of nutmeg ¼ teaspoon cloves ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2/3 cup raisins (Sultana preferred)

Mix all together. Cook 1 hour. Put into sterilized jars.

CRANBERRY AND RAISIN PIE, OR MOCK CHERRY PIE

2 cups cranberries

1 cup water

½ cup seeded raisins

1 cup sugar

½ cup cracker crumbs

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice

Boil first 3 ingredients until cranberries burst open, then add the sugar. Cool, add the cracker crumbs, egg and orange juice. Line a pie plate with pastry. Fill with fruit mixture. Arrange strips of pastry lattice fashion over top and bake in a quick oven 25 minutes.

PUMPKIN PIE

1 ¼ cups steamed pumpkin forced through a strainer

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon salt

1 slightly beaten egg

7/8 cup milk

Mix ingredients in order given. Bake in a pie tin lined with pastry.