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Pastry (Latin term for bread is panis)

THE Latin term for bread is panis, and its diminutive is pastillus, a small baked loaf, or roll; and hence has come our word Pastry; else through Pastus, "something eaten." From a very early period the Orientals were acquainted with the art of making Pastry. At first it generally consisted of certain mixtures of flour, oil, and honey, to which it was restricted for centuries; subsequently, at the commencement of the middle ages, changing to a compound of flour, eggs, butter, and salt, made into a paste for enclosing meat, whilst seasoned with spices. And the next step was to further include fruits, conserves, and cream. Finally, ornamental pastry, built up as pyramids, castles, and other fanciful designs, brought the art of pastry-making to supposed perfection. "You that from pliant Paste would fabricks raise, Expecting thence to get immortal praise, Your knuckles try, and let your sinews know Their power to knead, and give the form to Dough; Chuse your materials right, and seasoning fix, And with your fruit resplendent sugar mix; From thence, of course, the figure will arise, And elegance adorn the surface of your Pyes."

Art of Cookery, 1708.

Three Greek capital letters formed Hogarth's design for an invitation to dinner, -H. B. P., - Heeta, Beta, Pi, to "eat a bit o' pie." Against Mince-pies great conscientious objections were at one time raised. In the seventeenth century Quakers denounced these dainties as an invention of the Scarlet Woman of Babylon; a hodge-podge of superstition, Popery, the Devil, and all his works. "Plum broth was Popish; and Mince Pie- Oh! that was flat idolatry!"