PASTRY, SWEET PUDDINGS
PASTRY, SWEET PUDDINGS, &c.
1. PASTRY.
Pastry should usually be made with a very fine wholemeal flour, such as
the “Nu-Era.” There are times, however, when concessions to guests, etc.,
demand the use of white flour. In such an event, use a good brand of
household flour. The more refined the kind, the less nutriment it
contains. Never add baking-powders of any kind.
The secret of making good pastry lies in lightly mixing with a cool hand.
If a spoon must be used, let it be a wooden one. Roll in one direction
only, away from the person. If you must give a backward roll, let it be
only once. Above all, roll lightly and little. The quicker the pastry is
made the better.
2. PUFF PASTE.
1/2 lb. fresh-butter or 6 ozs. Mapleton’s nutter, 1 yolk of egg or 1
teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 lb. flour.
If butter is used, wrap it in a clean cloth and squeeze well to get rid of
water. Beat the yolk of egg slightly. Put the flour on the paste board in
a heap. Make a hole in the centre and put in the yolk of egg or lemon
juice, and about 1 tablespoon of water. The amount of water will vary
slightly according to the kind of flour, and less will be required if egg
is used instead of lemon juice, but add enough to make a rather stiff
paste. Mix lightly with the fingers and knead until the paste is nice and
workable. But do it quickly!
Next, roll out the paste to about 1/4 inch thickness. Put all the butter
or nutter in the centre of this paste and wrap it up neatly therein. Stand
in a cool place for 15 minutes. Next, roll it out once, and fold it over,
roll it out again and fold it over. Do this lightly. Put it away again for
15 minutes. Repeat this seven times! (I do not think many food-reformers
will have the time or inclination to repeat the above performance often.
Speaking for myself, I have only done it once. But as no instructions
about pastry are supposed to be complete without a recipe for puff-paste,
I include it.) It is now ready for use.
Do not forget to keep the board and pin well floured, or the pastry will
stick. If wholemeal flour is used, it is well to have white flour for the
board and pin. See also that the nutter is the same consistency as
ordinary butter when kept in a medium temperature. If too hard, it must be
cut up and slightly warmed. If oily, it must be cooled by standing tin in
very cold water.
3. SHORT CRUST.
1/2 lb. flour, 3 ozs. nutter or butter.
Rub the nutter or butter lightly into the flour. Add enough cold water to
make a fairly stiff paste. Roll it out to a 1/4 inch thickness. It is now
ready for use.
4. APPLE CHARLOTTE.
Apples, castor sugar, grated lemon rind, butter or nutter, bread-crumbs or
Granose flakes.
Bread-crumbs make the more substantial, granose flakes the more dainty,
charlotte. Use juicy apples. “Mealy” apples make a bad charlotte. If they
must be used, a tablespoon or more, according to size, of water must be
poured over the charlotte. Peel, core, and slice apples. Grease a
pie-dish. Put in a thin layer of crumbs. On this dot a few small pieces
nutter. Over this put a generous layer of chopped apple. Sprinkle with
sugar and grated lemon rind. Repeat the process until the dish is full.
Top with crumbs. Bake from 20 minutes to half an hour. When done, turn out
on to dish, being careful not to break. Sprinkle a little castor sugar
over. Serve hot or cold. Boiled custard may be served with it.
5. APPLE DUMPLINGS.
Peel and core some good cooking apples, but keep them whole. If you have
no apple-corer, take out as much of the core as possible with a pointed
knife-blade. Fill the hole with sugar and a clove. Make short paste and
cut into squares. Fold neatly round and over apple. Bake from 30 to 45
minutes. If preferred boiled, tie each dumpling loosely in a cloth, put
into boiling water and cook from 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. APPLE AND TAPIOCA.
1/4 pint tapioca, 1 lb. apples, 1 pint water, sugar, lemon peel.
Soak the tapioca in the water overnight. Peel and core the apples, cut
into quarters, stew, and put in a pie-dish. Sprinkle with sugar to taste,
and the grated yellow part of a fresh lemon rind. Mix in the soaked
tapioca and water. Bake about 1 hour. Serve cold, with or without boiled
custard.
7. BATTER PUDDING.
2 eggs, 1 teacup flour, milk.
Well whisk the eggs. Sprinkle in the flour a spoonful at a time. Stir
gently. When the batter becomes too thick to stir, thin it with a little
milk. Then add more flour until it is again too thick, and again thin with
the milk. Proceed in this way until all the flour is added, and then add
sufficient milk to bring the batter to the consistency of rather thick
cream. Have ready a very hot greased tin, pour in and bake in a hot oven
until golden brown. By mixing in the way indicated above, a batter
perfectly free from lumps is easily obtained.
8. BOMBAY PUDDING.
Cook a heaped tablespoon of semolina in 1/2 pint of milk to a stiff paste.
Spread it on a plate to cool. (Smooth it neatly with a knife). When quite
cold, cut it into four. Dip in a beaten egg and fry brown. Serve hot with
lemon sauce. This may also be served as a savoury dish with parsley sauce.
The quantity given above is sufficient for two people.
9. BREAD AND FRUIT PUDDING.
Line a pudding-basin with slices of bread from which the crust has been
removed. Take care to fit the slices together as closely and neatly as
possible. Stew any juicy fruit in season with sugar to taste. Do not add
water. (Blackcurrants or raspberries and redcurrants are best for this
dish.) When done, fill up the basin with the boiling fruit. Top with
slices of bread fitted well in. Leave until cold. Turn out and serve.
10. BLANC MANGE, AGAR-AGAR.
1/4 oz. prepared agar-agar, 1-1/2 pints milk, sugar, flavouring.
Soak a vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, or strip of fresh lemon rind in the
cold milk until flavoured to taste. Add sugar to taste. Put in a saucepan
with the agar-agar, and simmer until dissolved (about 30 minutes). Pour
through a hot strainer into wet mould. Turn out when cold.