y, boil another twenty minutes till the syrup shows rather rich,
then add, after taking from the fire, a quart of cider vinegar for each
gallon of syrup, mix well, bottle while still hot in small bottles, cork
and seal. Mixed half and half with ice water, or poured over finely
broken ice, or as a flavoring to tea, hot or cold, this is refreshing,
particularly in hot weather. Use in tea a spoonful to the cup or glass.

_Boiled Cider_: Reduce new sweet cider one-half by gentle boiling,
skimming it clean as it boils, then bottle, putting a clove or two, a
grain of alspice and a blade of mace in each bottle. Cork, seal and keep
in a cool place. This is especially valuable for use in mincemeat, or
for flavoring sauces for nursery puddings. A variant is to add sugar
towards the last, enough to make a thinnish syrup, which is of itself a
good sauce for simple desserts.

[Illustration: _Paste, Pies, Puddings_]

_The Philosophy of Pie-Crust_: Pie-crust perfection depends on several
things--good flour, good fat, good handling, most especially good
baking. A hot oven, quick but not scorching, expands the air betwixt
layers of paste, and pops open the flour-grains, making them absorb the
fat as it melts, thereby growing crisp and relishful instead of hard and
tough. The lighter and drier the flour the better--in very damp weather
it is best oven-dried, then cooled before mixing. Shortening, whether
lard, butter, or clarified drippings, should be very cold--unless your
recipe demands that it be softened or melted. Milk or water used in
mixing ought to be likewise well chilled, unless the shortening is
soft--in that case match its temperature. The regular rule is half-pint
ice water to the pound of flour, using chilled shortening. If the fat is
semi-fluid the paste must be mixed softer, using say, three parts of a
pint to the pound.

Baking powder or soda and cream tartar, or soda alone with sour cream or
buttermilk for wetting, makes crust light and short with less butter,
therefore is an economy. Genuine puff paste is requisite for the finest
tarts, pies, etc., etc., but light short crust answers admirably for
most things. Sift flour twice or even thrice for any sort of paste. Sift
soda or baking powder well through it, but not salt. Make the salt fine,
drop in the bottom of the mixing bowl, before the last sifting, and mix
lightly through the flour before adding the shortening. Rub in
shortening very lightly, using only