Health, or, How to Live

PIES AND PUDDINGS

POTATO PIE CRUST. —Boil one quart dry, mealy potatoes. The moment they are done mash them, and sift through a colander. Stir thoroughly together one cup of Graham flour, and one cup of white flour, then add the potatoes, rubbing them evenly through the flour in the same manner as the shortening in common pie crust. Have ready one cup corn meal; pour over it one and one-third cups boiling water, stirring it till all the meal is wet, then add it to the potatoes and flour, mixing only till thoroughly incorporated together. No more flour should be added. The moulding-board should be well covered with dry flour, however, as it is slightly difficult to roll out. It should be rolled very thin, and baked in a moderate oven. HHTL 37.6

NOTE. — It is very essential that the above conditions should all be complied with. Bear in mind that the potatoes must be hot, and mixed immediately with the flour; the water be poured, while boiling, upon the corn meal, and the whole mixed together very quickly and baked immediately. Inattention to any of these requisites will be quite apt to insure a failure. HHTL 38.1

CREAM PIE CRUST. — Take equal quantities of Graham flour, white flour, and Indian meal; rub evenly together, and wet with very thin sweet cream. It should be rolled thin and baked in an oven as hot as for common pie crust. HHTL 38.2

CREAM PIE CRUST. — (Another form) — Mix Graham flour with sweet cream, and proceed as above. Canal may be used in the place of Graham flour if preferred. HHTL 38.3

PUMPKIN PIE. — Select a pumpkin which has a deep rich color, and firm, close texture. Stew and sift in the ordinary manner; add as much boiling milk as will make it about one-third thicker than for common pumpkin pie. Sweeten with equal quantities of sugar and molasses, and bake about one hour in a hot oven. HHTL 38.4

NOTE. — Those who will try this method will be surprised to find how delicious a pie can be made without eggs, ginger, or spices of any kind. The milk being turned boiling hot upon the pumpkin, causes it to swell in the baking, so that it is as light and nice as though eggs had been used. HHTL 38.5

SQUASH PIE. — This is even superior to pumpkin, as it possesses a richer, sweeter flavor, and is far preferable. It is made in precisely the same manner as pumpkin pie. HHTL 38.6

CUSTARD PIE. — One pint and a half of milk, three eggs, and a large tablespoonful of sugar; maple is preferred by many for its better flavor. HHTL 38.7

SWEET APPLE PIE. — Pare mellow, sweet apples, and grate them upon a grater. A very large grater is necessary for this purpose. Then proceed as for pumpkin pie. HHTL 38.8

SOUR APPLE PIE. — Take nice, tart apples — spitzenbergs are best, although pippins, greenings, russets, etc., are excellent. Slice them; fill the under crust an inch thick; add sugar or molasses, and a spoonful or two of water; cover with a thin crust, and bake three-fourths of an hour in a moderate oven. HHTL 39.1

APPLE PUFFS. — Make a crust the same as for cream pie crust, using rather thicker cream; roll an eighth of an inch thick, and cut out in small round cakes with a common biscuit cutter; take one of these, wet it around the edge, and place in the center a spoonful of apple sauce. Take another and cut with a small cracker cutter a hole in the center about one inch in diameter; place the ring which is left upon the first one, and pinch the edges tightly together. Bake in a quick oven. HHTL 39.2

NOTE. — These, if rightly made, are very nice. Any kind of fruit may be used in place of apple sauce, by stewing it, and simmering down till very little juice remains. HHTL 39.3

BAKED APPLE PUDDING. — Pare, core, and slice about two quarts nice tart apples. Add to them one teacupful of Indian meal, one cup Graham flour, and stir together. Pour over them three-fourths of a cup of sugar dissolved in one cup cold water, or sweet milk, stirring till all the flour is wet. Butter or flour a deep basin or pan to prevent sticking, and turn the mixture into it, smoothing it evenly over the top. Then spread smoothly over it a batter made by stirring together half a cup of cold water, or sweet milk, three tablespoonfuls of Indian meal, three ditto of Graham flour, and one tablespoonful sugar. Bake about two hours and a half. HHTL 39.4

NOTE. — This is to be eaten with sweetened cream or a sauce made by stirring into one quart boiling milk, two heaping tablespoonfuls of corn starch, moistened with cold milk, letting it boil for five or ten minutes afterward. Sweeten according to taste. HHTL 39.5

RUSK PUDDING. — One and one-third cups rusk, half a cup sugar, two cups sweet apples, sliced, two quarts milk. Stir together and bake two hours and a half. HHTL 39.6

BAKED INDIAN PUDDING. — Two quarts sweet milk, one heaping teacupful of Indian meal, one-third cup molasses, one-third cup sugar. When the milk is boiling hard, dip out one half of it, and into the remainder stir the meal slowly, taking care that no lumps remain it it. Add the rest of the milk, the sugar and molasses, and bake about two hours, or until it is a bright cherry color. Stir once or twice the first half hour, but not afterward. HHTL 39.7

RICE AND APPLE PUDDING. — Boil half a pound of rice in milk till it is soft; then fill the pudding dish half full of apples, which have been pared and cored; sweeten with brown sugar or molasses; put the rice over the fruit as a crust, and bake one hour. HHTL 40.1

APPLE DUMPLINGS. — Make a dough in the same manner as for cream pie crust, roll a little thicker than for pies, and make up the dumplings by putting an apple, pared, cored, and quartered, to each. Steam or bake one hour. HHTL 40.2

GREEN CORN PUDDING. — To one quart of grated ears of sweet corn, add a teacupful of cream, one gill of milk, a tablespoonful of flour, and two ounces of sugar; mix all together, and bake an hour and a half. HHTL 40.3

SWEET APPLE PUDDING. — Pare and core the apples, chop them fine, and stir them into a batter made of sweet cream, or milk, eggs, and flour, — say three eggs to a quart of cream, or milk, and flour enough to make it not very thick; stir well, and bake on buttered tins or pudding dishes. This needs to bake two or three hours. Serve with sweetened cream. HHTL 40.4

CRACKED WHEAT PUDDING. — Boil wheaten grits till quite soft, then dilute the mush with milk to the proper consistency. It should be rather thin; sweeten and bake one hour. HHTL 40.5

IMITATION, CORN STARCH PUDDING. — Take one quart of milk; boil two-thirds of the milk and thicken the other third with flour to quite a thick, smooth paste; add the yolks of two eggs well beaten, and stir into the boiling milk — it will cook in a minute; have ready some cups previously wet in cold water, fill them to the required depth with the mixture; when cool enough to turn out without breaking, turn them bottom upwards on a plate. The whites of the eggs with white sugar boiled in milk making a good sauce. HHTL 40.6

POP OVERS. — Two eggs, two cups of milk, two even cups of flour, and a piece of butter a little larger than a nutmeg. Bake in cups, or the gem pans. Serve with sweetened cream. HHTL 41.1

FRUIT PUDDING. — One quart of Indian meal, one cup of molasses, one cup of fruit, one quart of boiling water or milk. Stir all together, and steam three hours. This is to be eaten with the same kind of sauce as for baked apple pudding. HHTL 41.2