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Pies of All Kinds

(Specially written for the Five Roses Cook Book) PIES are more of a luxury than a necessity, but, as Emerson said, "give me the luxuries of life and I will do without the necessities." So that it is not worth while wasting time and materials unless you can make pies very good. The crust and fillings must be of the finest quality. Always adhere to the Five Roses standard.

Crust-making rules are given elsewhere. See page 71. Never grease a pie tin: there is an old kitchen proverb which says "it's a poor crust that will not grease its own plate." The crust should be cut and rolled exactly to fit the tin and cover the filling without stretching. Otherwise it may toughen and even break, letting out the filling, quite spoiling the appearance of the dish. Allowance should, however, be made for shrinkage.

Prick well the crust of all pies with fluid fillings. This will allow the steam to escape and also prevent the juice from running. To retain the juice, always put the sugar in first under the fruit on the bottom crust.

Pie crusts may readily be shaped and baked some days beforehand and reheated when required. If kept in a cool place, a well-made pie crust will keep for a long time. All air bubbles between crust and tin should be gently forced out, working from centre to sides.

All pastry requires a quick oven at the start, the smaller the shapes the quicker the Once the puffing is over the heat may be reduced, especially for custard or egg oven. fillings. Fruit pies should be allowed to cook slowly to avoid running over. When only one crust is used, the paste may be made thicker. After baking, pies should never be set on top of a hot stove, if you wish to avoid sogginess.