856 DB. CHASE'S REGIPE8. 



but he says it depends more upon the heat on the bottom, or rather from th« 

 want of a proper heat at the bottom of many stoYes. With the uniform heat 

 of the bottom of a baker's brick-oven they have no trouble, generally, in baking 

 the bottom crust so it is done, and hence not soggy. To do this in a stove-oven, 

 move the pie occasionally to another part of the oven, where the heat has not 

 been absorbed or used up in heating the plate or tin — in other words, see that 

 the bottom of the oven is kept as hot as it ought to be, and you have no soggy 

 or under-done crusts. Pies, not to be eaten the day they are baked, should be 

 baked harder than those for immediate use, to prevent the absorption of the 

 juice of the pie or dampness from the air. 



This baker also gave me the following as the best glaze to prevent the 

 escape of the juices of very moist pies, as apple, peach, pie-plant, etc., of any 

 thing that can be used. 



Pie-Crust Glaze— To Prevent XBcai>e of Juices.— Dust flour all 

 around the outer edge of the crust, after the mixture is put in; then wet this 

 completely, with a brush or otlierwise, before laying on the top crust, and pinch 

 together, and no juice can possibly escape; but if any place is not wet, there 

 the juice will escape. He thinks it far preferable to the white of an eg£ or 

 amytfeing he knows. Bakers keep a small soft-haired brush for this purpose. 

 But I guess the women will find a way to do it, even if they tie a bit of cloth on 

 a stick, and keep it for that purpose. However, I will guarantee that to wet 

 up a little flour into a rather thick, sniooth paste, and apply a little of it with 

 the swab, finger, or brush, will do the same thing, in less time and with greater 

 certainty of touching every part, than by using the dry flour and depending on 

 wetting every part of it — this much for the Doctor's inventive genius. I believe, 

 also, this glaze will be just as nice, or nicer even, than the egg, to have a light 

 coat of it put over the crust of minced or other juicy pies, as named above, and 

 allow it to dry a minute or two in the oven or to stand a few minutes upon the 

 table, before putting in the pie-mixture, to prevent the under-crust from becom- 

 ing aoggy by absorbing the juices before the baking is completed. We use the 

 word pastry as synonymous, or meaning the same as pie-crust, probably from 

 the fact that these mixtures, in an early day, were baked in a crust, or paste, 

 without a dish or tin, and were called "pasties," or "pasty" — like paste — 

 dn the same principle that we now make turn-over pies, frying in hot fat; as 

 Shakespeare says: " If you pinch me like a pasty," etc. So " pinching " is the 

 thing to do, to prevent the escape of any of the mixture or juice from the 

 swelling or puflBness, caused by the necessary heat to bake the pie properly. 



Cream Pastry or Pie-Crust, No. 2.— This is the most healthy pie- 

 crust that is made. Take cream, sour or sweet; add salt, and stir in flour to 

 make it stiff; if the cream is sour add saleratus in proportion of one teaspoonful 

 to a pint; if sweet, use very little saleratus. 



Remarks. — Soda will do very well in place of the saleratus, when that is 

 not to be obtained. 



Pea Pie-Crust, No. 3.— Stew the split peas as for dinner. Strain 

 through a colander or coarse sieve. Then add equal parts good wheat meal 



