The Laurel Health Cookery: A Collection of Practical Suggestions and Recipes for the Preparation of Non-Flesh Foods in Palatable and Attractive Ways

Fill pastry-lined patty pans with raw rice, cover with an upper crust and bake when baked patty cases are desired. The rice will not be injured and the crusts will keep their shape. Sometimes with two-crust pies, sprinkle sugar over the top of the crust when done and leave in the oven for two minutes. Lattice work of strips of crust put on in diamonds or squares makes an attractive finish for such lemon and orange pies as will hold the strips up, as well as for cranberry and mince pies. Beat whites of eggs for meringue with woven wire spoon or silver fork until stiff; add ½-1 tablespn. of sugar to each white and beat till very stiff, add flavoring, pile in rocky form on to hot pie, bringing meringue well out over the crust; brown delicately on top grate of moderate oven. As soon as the tips are tinted the meringue is done. Overbaking makes it tough and causes it to draw away from the edges. Having the pie hot when the meringue is put on helps to cook it more evenly and keeps it from becoming watery next to the pie. When but one white is to be used for a meringue, do not beat it quite so stiff and use a little more sugar so that it will spread over the top of the pie well. Tiny dots of beaten jelly may be placed with a pastry tube in the depressions of the meringue of lemon pies, after baking. In cutting pies with a meringue, cut just through the meringue first with a thin bladed knife dipped in cold water; afterwards cut to the bottom. Pies should always be left so that a current of air will pass under them while cooling to keep the crust from soaking. =★ Pastry for one Large Pie= 2½ cups flour, salt large ⅓ cup of cooking oil 1-1½ teaspn. lemon juice ice water Have all ingredients as nearly ice cold as possible. Dip the flour lightly into the cup with a spoon, do not shake it down. Mix salt