Paste For Pies

Sift together equal parts of graham grits and white flour (graham flour or wheat-meal will do if the grits are not obtainable, but the grits will produce a more crisp and tender crust), and wet with very cold, thin sweet cream. Have the flour also as cold as possible, since the colder the material, the more crisp the paste; mix together very quickly into a rather stiff dough. Do not knead at all, but gather the fragments lightly together, roll out at once, fill and bake quickly, since much of the lightness of the crust depends upon the despatch with which the pie is gotten into the oven after the materials are put together. If for any reason it is necessary to defer the baking, place the crust in the ice-chest till needed.

Corn-Meal Crust

Equal parts of sifted white corn-meal and flour, mixed together lightly with rather thin sweet cream which has been set in the ice-chest until very cold, makes a good crust.

Bean Crust

Soak white beans overnight. Cook for three hours in just enough water to cook well and not burn. Rub through a colander, and use for preparing the crust in the proportion of one-half cup of the prepared beans in which has been thoroughly incorporated one tablespoonful of good cream to the cup of flour. No other liquid will be needed. Knead the dough rather soft, and roll moderately thick.

Nut Crust

A very palatable crust may be prepared by chopping walnut, hickorynut, or pecan meats quite fine, then pressing through a fine colander or sieve to make a meal. Prepare the crust with water, using one-half cup of nut meal to each cup of liquid. Thoroughly mix the nut meal with the flour before adding the liquid; or, one-third white flour, one-third nut meal, one-third graham grits or wheat-meal may be mixed, and made into a dough with iced water. This is an especially nice crust for apple pies.

Paste For Tart Shells

Take one-half cup of rather thin sweet cream, which has been placed on ice until very cold; add to it the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs, and whip all together briskly for ten minutes. Add sufficient white flour to roll. Cut into the required shape, bake quickly, but do not brown. Fill after baking. This paste, rolled thin and cut into shapes with a cooky cutter, one half of them baked plain for under crusts, the other half ornamented for tops by cutting small holes with a thimble or some fancy mold, put together with a layer of simple fruit jelly between them, makes a most attractive dessert. It is likewise very nice baked in patty-pans, and afterward filled with apple or peach marmalade, or any of the following fillings:

Cream Filling

One cup of rich milk or part cream, heated to boiling. Into this stir one scant tablespoonful of flour previously braided smooth with a little cold milk. Add to this the well-beaten yolk of one egg and one tablespoonful of sugar. Turn this mixture into the hot milk, and stir until it thickens. Flavor with a little grated lemon rind or vanilla, or, if preferred, flavor the milk with cocoanut before using. Fill the tart shells, and meringue with the white of the egg beaten stiff with a tablespoonful of sugar.