Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled during Her Visit Part 61

MARY'S CREAM PIE

Bake crusts in each of two pie-tins. For filling, 1 pint of milk, 1 generous tablespoonful of corn starch, 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar, 2 yolks of eggs (well beaten), 1 teaspoonful of vanilla. Cook all together until mixture thickens and when cooled put in the two baked crusts.

Mix the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs with two tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar and spread over cream filling in pies and brown lightly in oven.

Always p.r.i.c.k the lower crust of a pie carefully with a fork to allow the air to escape; this will prevent blisters forming in the crusts baked before filling crusts with custards.

APPLE CUSTARD PIE

To 1 cup of hot apple sauce (unsweetened) add a tiny pinch of baking soda, 1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, 1 cup of sugar, grated rind and juice of half a lemon or orange, 2 egg yolks, 1/2 cup of sweet cream and 1 large teaspoonful of corn starch. Line a pie-tin with pastry, pour in this mixture and bake. When the pie has cooled spread over top a meringue composed of the two stiffly beaten whites of eggs and two tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar flavored with a little grated orange or lemon peel. Brown top of pie in oven.

LEMON PIE WITH CRUMBS

Place in a bowl 1 cup (good measure) of soft, crumbled stale bread.

Pour over this one cup of boiling water, add 1 teaspoonful (good measure) of b.u.t.ter and beat until smooth, then add 1 cup of sugar, the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and the beaten yolks of 2 eggs. This mixture should measure about 1 pint. Pour into a pie-tin lined with rich pastry and bake. When cold spread over a meringue made of the stiffly beaten whites of the 2 eggs and 3 tablespoonfuls of granulated sugar. Place in the oven until the meringue is a light fawn color and serve cold.

AUNT SARAH'S b.u.t.tER SCOTCH PIE

Boil together 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter until a soft, wax-like consistency. Mix together 2 heaping teaspoons flour, yolk of 1 egg and 1 cup of milk. Beat until smooth; stir this into the sugar and b.u.t.ter mixture and cook until thick. Flavor with lemon or vanilla, pour into baked crust and spread over top the beaten white of 1 egg to which has been added tablespoon sugar and brown in oven.

GREEN TOMATO MINCE MEAT

One peck of green tomatoes, chopped fine; 3 lemons, 2 seeded raisins, 5 pounds of granulated sugar, 1 cup of vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of cloves, 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of nutmeg, 1 tablespoonful of cinnamon.

Cook tomatoes 3-3/4 hours, then add the other ingredients and cook all together 30 minutes. A small quant.i.ty of grated orange peel, finely minced citron, cider, brandy or canned fruit juice may be added to improve the flavor of the mince meat. Fill air-tight jars with the hot mixture and screw on jar-tops. This mince meat may be prepared in season when tomatoes are plentiful; is both good and cheap and is a splendid subst.i.tute for old-fas.h.i.+oned mince meat.

ORANGE MERINGUE (A PIE)

Into a bowl grate the yellow outside rind of a large, juicy orange; add the juice and pulp, but not any of the tough part enclosing sections. Add 1 tablespoonful of lemon juice, 1 cup of granulated sugar, which had been beaten to a cream with 2 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, the yolks of 3 eggs, 2 large tablespoonfuls of corn starch, mixed smoothly with a little cold water, and 1 cup of boiling water.

Cook all together until thickened and when cool spread on a rather large pie-tin, lined with a baked crust of superior pastry. Add to the stiffly beaten whites of 3 eggs 3 tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar.

Place meringue over top of pie and place in oven until a light fawn color.

GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPE FOR "MINCE MEAT"

The day preceding that on which mince meat is to be prepared, boil 5 pounds of beef. To the well-cooked, finely-chopped meat add 10 pounds of tart apples, chopped into coa.r.s.e bits; 2 pounds of finely-chopped suet, 2 pounds of large blue raisins, seeded; 2 pounds of dried, cleaned currants, 1/2 pound of finely-shaved citron, 2 tablespoonfuls of cinnamon, 1 tablespoonful of cloves, 1 tablespoonful of grated nutmeg, 1 small tablespoonful of salt, 1 pint of baking mola.s.ses, 1 pint of brandy or cider which had been boiled down. Mix all well together, add more spices, if liked, also juice of 1 orange or lemon.

Place all ingredients in a large preserving kettle, allow the mixture to heat through. Fill gla.s.s jars, seal and stand away until used. Add more cider, should it he required, when baking pies.

"TWENTIETH CENTURY" MINCE MEAT

Two pounds lean beef (uncooked), chopped fine, 1/2 pound beef suet, shredded.

Put the beef and suet in a large stone jar, pour over it 2/3 of a quart of whiskey. Let stand covered with a lid for a week, then add 2 pounds large, seeded raisins, 2 pounds Sultana raisins, 2 pounds currants, 1/2 pound citron, juice and grated rind of 2 oranges and of 2 lemons, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 2 grated nutmegs, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 pound sugar. Let stand two weeks, then it is ready to use. When you wish to bake pies take out as much of the mince meat as you wish to use and add chopped apples, two parts of mince meat to one part chopped apples, and add more sugar if not as sweet as liked. If too thick, add a little sherry wine and water, mixed. Fill bottom crust with some of the mixture, cover with top crust and bake. There must be just enough liquor in the jar to cover the meat, as that preserves it. This seems like a large quant.i.ty of liquor to use, but much of the strength evaporates in baking, so that only an agreeable flavor remains; that is, to those who like liquor in mince meat; some people do not. Others there are who think mince meat not good unless made with something stronger than cider.

Mince pies made by this recipe are excellent. This recipe was given Mary by a friend, a noted housekeeper and cook.

A "DUTCH" RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN PIE

Line a medium-sized pie-tin with pastry. Cover the crust thickly with thinly-sliced, uncooked pumpkin, cut in inch lengths. Place on the pumpkin 1 tablespoonful of syrup mola.s.ses, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, 1 tablespoonful flour and sweeten with sugar to taste, dust over the top a little ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; cover pie with a top crust and bake in a moderately hot oven. When baked the pumpkin filling in the pie should resemble diced citron and the pie have somewhat the flavor of green tomato pie. (The vinegar may be omitted and the result be a very good pie.)

MARY'S COCOANUT CUSTARD PIE

Line two medium-sized pie-tins with rich pastry and bake. For the custard filling: 3 egg yolks, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 quart of milk.

Cook all together, then add 1 tablespoonful of corn starch and one of flour (moistened with a little cold water before adding). Cook all together until the mixture thickens. Flavor with one teaspoonful of vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool.

Grate one good-sized cocoanut, mix half of it with the custard and fill into the two crusts. Spread over the tops of the two pies the stiffly beaten whites of the three eggs to which you have added a small quant.i.ty of sugar. Over this sprinkle the remaining half of the grated cocoanut, stand in the oven a few minutes, until top of pie is lightly browned.

GRAPE PIE

Pulp the grapes. Place pulp in a stew-pan and cook a short time. When tender mash pulp through a sieve to remove seeds. Add skins to pulp.

Add one scant cup of sugar and rounded teaspoonful of b.u.t.ter. Line a pie plate with rich pastry, sprinkle over one tablespoonful of flour.

Pour in the grape mixture and sift another tablespoonful of flour over the top of mixture and cover with a top crust in which vents have been cut, to allow the steam to escape, and bake in a hot oven. Allow two small cups of grapes to one pie.

SOUR CHERRY PIE

One quart of cherries, 1/2 cup of flour for juicy sour cherries, (scant measure of flour), 1-1/2 cups sugar.

Pit the cherries, saving cherry juice. Mix together sugar and flour and place about 1/3 of this on a pie-tin lined with pastry. Fill with cherries and juice and sprinkle remaining sugar and flour over. Bake with an upper crust, having vents cut in to allow steam to escape.

AUNT SARAH'S STRAWBERRY PIE

Make a rich crust, line a pie-tin and fill with clean, hulled strawberries. Allow one quart to each pie. Sweeten to taste; sprinkle a generous handful of flour over the berries, having plenty of flour around the inside edge of pie. Use 1/2 cup of flour all together. Cut a teaspoonful of b.u.t.ter into small bits over top of berries, cover with top crust with vents cut in to allow steam to escape, pinch edges of crust together to prevent juice escaping from pie, and bake.

FLORENDINE PIE

To 2 apples, cooked soft and mashed fine (after having been pared and cored) add the yolk of one egg (well beaten) one minute before removing the cooked apple from the range. Then add 1 small cup of sugar, a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of a hickory nut, 1 teaspoonful of flour; flavor with either lemon or vanilla. Line a pie-tin with rich pastry crust. Pour in the mixture and bake in a quick oven. This makes a delicious old-fas.h.i.+oned dessert.

AUNT SARAH'S CHEESE CAKE

Prepare the following for one cheese cake, to be baked in a pie-tin lined with pastry crust:

One heaping cup of rich, creamy "smier kase," or cottage cheese, was placed in a bowl, finely mashed with a spoon until free from lumps.

Then mixed smooth with 2 tablespoonfuls of sweet milk, 1 tablespoonful of softened b.u.t.ter was added, a pinch of salt, about 3/4 cup of sugar, 1-1/4 table spoonfuls of flour (measure with an ordinary silver tablespoon). One large egg was beaten into the mixture when it was smooth and creamy, 1 cup of milk was added. After adding all the different ingredients the mixture should measure about 3-3/4 cups and should be very thin. Pour the mixture into a pastry-lined pie-tin.

This is one of the most delicious pies imaginable, if directions given are closely followed. Bake in a moderately hot oven until cheese custard is "set" and nicely browned on top, then allow the oven door to remain open about five minutes before removing the "pie," as I should call it, but Bucks County farmers' wives, when speaking of them, invariably say "cheese cakes." Should the housewife possess "smier kase," _not_ rich and creamy, use instead of the one tablespoonful of sweet milk, one tablespoonful of sweet cream.