PASTRY FOR CUSTARD PIE

The most important point in the custard pie is the crust, which will either make or mar the pie.  So to begin with, the pastry should be light and delicate.  To make pastry for custard pie place in a bowl

  Three cups of flour,
  One teaspoon of salt,
  Three teaspoons of baking powder,
  Two tablespoons of sugar.

Sift to mix and then rub in one-half cup of good shortening, and then mix to a dough with one-half cup of ice water.  When mixing the pastry to a dough, it is important that it should be cut and folded together much after the method used in cutting and folding the whites into a cake.  Care at this point in making the pastry will prevent it from becoming tough.  Now wrap the pastry in wax or parchment paper and place on the ice to thoroughly chill for two hours.  Now if the pastry is made either the day before or early in the morning and then allowed to blend, it will be delightfully light and flaky.

Now to prepare for the pie:  This amount of pastry will be sufficient for two large pies, one custard and one lemon, for variety.  The trimmings can be made into little tarts, turnovers or cheese straws.  Divide the pastry into two parts and then roll out one part on a lightly floured board until sufficiently large to fully cover the pie tin.

Now fold carefully in half and then in quarters and lift on the pie plate and open covering the pie plate, easing on the pastry.  Trim the edges and then roll out the trimmings into a long narrow strip.  Cut into strips three-quarters inch wide and then brush the edge of the pastry on the pie plate with water and add this narrow strip as a reinforcement to build up the edge.  This will prevent the custard overflowing.

Now brush the pastry in the bottom of the pie plate with melted shortening, taking care to thoroughly coat the entire surface with the shortening.  Then pour in the prepared custard.  Reserve about one tablespoon of the custard to brush the pastry around the edges.  Place in a slow oven and bake until the custard is firm in the centre.

To test if custard is baked, gently insert a silver knife into the custard, taking care that the knife does not pierce the crust.

Brushing the pastry with the shortening before pouring in the custard prevents the moisture from soaking into the crust.

TO MAKE THE MERINGUE

Beat the whites of two eggs in a bowl, which is free from grease, until stiff, and then cut and fold into the stiffly beaten whites of the two eggs

  One-half cup of pulverized sugar,
  Three tablespoons of cornstarch.

Sift the sugar and cornstarch to thoroughly mix and then carefully cut and fold into the whites of eggs.