It would seem as if Bucks County German housewives did not like a dessert without a crust surrounding it.

The Pennsylvania German farmers’ wives, with few exceptions, serve the greatest variety of pies at a meal of any class of people I know; not alone as a dessert at twelve o’clock dinner, but frequently serve several different varieties of pie at breakfast and at each meal during the day.  No ill effects following the frequent eating of pie I attribute to their active life, the greater part of which, during the day, was usually spent in the open air, and some credit may he due the housewife for having acquired the knack of making good pie crust, which was neither very rich nor indigestible, if such a thing be possible.

The combination of fruit and pastry called pie is thought to be of American invention.  Material for pies at a trifling cost were furnished the early settlers in Bucks County by the large supply of fruit and vegetables which their fertile farms produced, and these were utilized by the thrifty German housewives, noted for their wise management and economy.

The Professor’s wife taught Mary to make superior pastry, so flaky and tender as to fairly melt in one’s mouth; but Mary never could learn from her the knack of making a dainty, crimped edge to her pies with thumb and forefinger, although it looked so very simple when she watched “Frau Schmidt” deftly roll over a tiny edge as a finish to the pie.

Mary laughingly told the Professor’s wife (when speaking of pies) of the brilliant remark she made about lard, on first coming to the farm.  Her Aunt Sarah, when baking pies one day, said to her, “Look, Mary, see this can of snowy lard, rendered from pork, obtained from our fat pigs last winter!”

“Why, Aunt Sarah!” exclaimed Mary, “is lard made from pork fat?  I always thought lard was made from milk and butter was made from cream.”

The Professor’s wife possessed, besides a liking for pies, the German’s fondness for anything pertaining to fritters.  She used a set of “wafer and cup irons” for making “Rosen Kuchen,” as she called the flat, saucer-like wafer; and the cup used for serving creamed vegetables, salads, etc., was similar to pattie cases.

“The ‘Wafer and Cup Irons,’” said Frau Schmidt, “were invented by a friend of mine, also a teacher and an excellent cook, besides; she gave me several of her original recipes, all to be served on wafers or in patties.  You shall have a set of the irons when you start housekeeping.  Mary.  You will be surprised at the many uses you will find for them.  They are somewhat similar to Rosette Irons, but I think them an improvement.  They are pieces of fluted steel fastened to a long handle and one is cup-shaped.  This latter is particularly fine for making patties.  Then the cup may be filled and served on saucer-like wafers, which I call ‘Rosen Kuchen,’ or the ‘Rosen Kuchen’ may be simply dusted with a mixture consisting of one cup of sugar, one teaspoonful of cinnamon and a quarter teaspoonful of powdered cardamon seed, and served on a plate, as dainty cakes or wafers.”