work with the knife until well mixed (never use
the hand). Flour a board or marble slab, roll the dough out thin,
sprinkle with a little flour and put dabs of soft drippings here and
there, fold the dough over and roll out thin again and spread with fat
and sprinkle with flour, repeat this and then roll out not too thin and
line a pie-plate with this dough. Always cut dough for lower crust a
little larger than the upper dough and do not stretch the dough when
lining pie-pan or plate.

If fruit is to be used for the filling, brush over top of the dough with
white of egg slightly beaten, or sprinkle with one tablespoon of bread
crumbs to prevent the dough from becoming soggy.

Put in the filling, brush over the edge of pastry with cold water, lay
the second round of paste loosely over the filling; press the edges
together lightly, and trim, if needed. Cut several slits in the top
crust or prick it with a fork before putting it in place.

Bake from thirty-five to forty-five minutes until crust is a nice brown.

A gas stove is more satisfactory for baking pies than a coal stove as
pies require the greatest heat at the bottom.

The recipe given above makes two crusts. Bake pies having a cooked
filling in a quick oven and those with an uncooked filling in a
moderate oven. Let pies cool upon plates on which they were made because
slipping them onto cold plates develops moisture which always destroys
the crispness of the lower crust.

TO MAKE AND BAKE A MERINGUE

To beat and bake a meringue have cold, fresh eggs, beat the whites until
frothy; add to each white one level tablespoon of powdered sugar. Beat
until so stiff that it can be cut with a knife. Spread on the pie and
bake with, the oven door open until a rich golden brown. Too much sugar
causes a meringue to liquefy; if not baked long enough the same effect
is produced.

PIE CRUST (MERBERTEIG)

Rub one cup of butter to a cream, add four cups of sifted flour, a pinch
of salt and a tablespoon of brown sugar; work these together until the
flour looks like sand, then take the yolk of an egg, a wine-glass of
brandy, one-half cup of ice-water and work it into the flour lightly. Do
not use the hands; knead with a knife or wooden spoon, knead as little
as possible. If the dough is of the right consistency no flour will be
required when rolling out the dough. If it is necessary to use flour use
as little as possible. Work quickly, handle dough as little as possible