salt, one of sugar, one and a quarter cupfuls of ice-water. Wash the
hands with soap and water and dip them first in very hot and then in
cold water. Rinse a large bowl or pan with boiling water and then with
cold. Half fill it with cold water. Wash the butter in this, working
it with the hands until it is light and waxy. This frees it from the
salt and buttermilk and lightens it, so that the pastry is more
delicate. Shape the butter into two thin cakes and put in a pan of
ice-water to harden. Mix the salt and sugar with the flour. With the
hands, rub one-third of the butter into the flour. Add the water,
stirring with a knife. Stir quickly and vigorously until the paste is
a smooth ball. Sprinkle the board _lightly_ with flour. Turn the paste
on this and pound quickly and lightly with the rolling-pin. Do not
break the paste. Roll from you and to one side; or if easier to roll
from you all the time, turn the paste around. When it is about
one-fourth of an inch thick, wipe the remaining butter, break it in
bits and spread these on the paste. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Fold
the paste, one-third from each side, so that the edges meet. Now fold
from the ends, but do not have these meet. Double the paste, pound
lightly and roll down to about one-third of an inch in thickness. Fold
as before and roll down again. Repeat this three times if for pies and
six times if for _vol-au-vents_, patties, tarts, etc. Place on the ice
to harden, when it has been rolled the last time. It should be in the
ice chest at least an hour before being used. In hot weather, if the
paste sticks when being rolled down, put it on a tin sheet and place
on ice. As soon as it is chilled, it will roll easily. The less flour
you use in rolling out the paste, the tenderer it will be. No matter
how carefully every part of the work may be done, the paste will not
be good if much flour is used.

_Maria Parloa_.

SOYER'S RECIPE FOR PUFF PASTE.

To every pound of flour allow the yolk of one egg, the juice of one
lemon, half a saltspoonful of salt, cold water, one pound of fresh
butter.

Put the flour onto the paste-board; make a hole in the centre, into
which put the yolk of the egg, the lemon juice and salt; mix the whole
with cold water (this should be iced in summer if convenient) into a
soft, flexible paste with the right hand, and handle it as little as
possible; then squeeze all the buttermilk from the butter, wring it in
a cloth and roll out the