For pastry use the best of materials.

In warm weather keep the paste in the refrigerator until wanted, and bake in a hot oven.

A well-beaten egg rubbed with a bit of cloth over the lower crust of pies will prevent the juice from soaking through it.

Puff paste should always be made of sweet, solid butter.

The juice of fruit pies, if thickened with a little corn starch, will not "boil over".

In making a good pastry it is necessary to have the butter sweet, the lard fresh; the flour should be of the best quality, and sifted; the water for wetting as cold as possible - ice water preferable. In rolling the crust roll always one way, and bake in a quick oven.

To one cup of water take one-half cup of lard, a little salt, and some flour; mix together with a knife. When stiff enough roll out on a board, spread on with a knife a layer of lard, and sift over a little flour; roll all together, and then roll out on the board again, repeating this three or four times. The entire amount of lard used for one cup of water should be about two cups.

Puff Paste

1. One pound of flour, one pound of butter, one egg; mix the flour with a lump of butter the size of an egg, and the egg to a very stiff paste with cold water; divide the butter into six equal parts, roll the paste, and spread on one part of the butter, dredging it with flour. Repeat until all the butter is rolled in.

2. Take one pound of sifted flour, on which sprinkle a very little sugar; take the yolks of one or two eggs and beat into them a little ice water, and pour gently into the center of the flour, and work into a firm paste, adding water as it is necessary; divide three-quarters of a pound or a pound of firm, solid butter, as you prefer, into three parts; roll out the paste, and spread one part of the butter on half of the paste; fold the other half over, and roll out again, repeating the process until the butter is all rolled in; then set the paste on the ice for fifteen or twenty minutes, after which roll out again three times, each time rolling in the opposite direction; then put on the ice again until cold, when it is ready for use. It will keep several days in a refrigerator, but should not freeze.

Apple Tarts

Pare, quarter, core, and boil in a half teacup of water until very soft, ten large apples; beat till very smooth, then add the yolks of six eggs or three whole eggs, juice and grated rind of two lemons, half cup butter, one and a half cups sugar, or more if not sweet enough; beat all thoroughly; line little tart tins with puff paste, and fill with the mixture; bake five minutes in a hot oven.