Pies are more wholesome if the crusts are baked separately and filled for use as needed.  This is an especially satisfactory way to make pies of juicy fruit, as it does away largely with the saturated under crusts, and the flavor of the fruit can be retained much more perfectly.  Pies with one crust can be made by simply fitting the crust to the plate, pricking it lightly with a fork to prevent its blistering while baking, and afterward filling when needed for the table.  For pies with two crusts, fit the under crust to the plate, and fill with clean pieces of old white linen laid in lightly to support the upper crust.  When baked, slip the pie on a plate, lift off the upper crust, take out the pieces of cloth, and just before serving, fill with fruit, which should be previously prepared.

Canned peaches filled into such a crust make a delicious pie.  Strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, and other juicy fruits, that lose so much of their flavor in baking, may be lightly scalded, the juice thickened a little with flour if desired, sweetened to taste, and filled into such a crust.  An excellent pie may be made in this manner from apples, stewed carefully so as to keep the slices whole, sweetened to taste, and flavored with lemon, orange, or grated pineapple.  One pineapple will be sufficient for four pies.  Fresh fruit for filling may be used without cooking, if desired.  If desired, several crusts may be baked and put away unfilled.  When needed, the crusts may be placed for a few minutes in a hot oven until heated through, then filled with freshly prepared fruit.

In preparing material for custard or pumpkin pies, if the milk used be hot, the pies will be improved and the time of baking be considerably shortened.

Tin or granite-ware plates are preferable to earthen ones for pies, as they bake better on the bottom.  The perforated pans are superior in some respects.  No greasing is needed; simply rub them well with flour.  The time required for baking pies varies from one half to three fourths of an hour.  The dampers should be so adjusted as to bake the bottom crust first.

After baking, remove at once to heated earthen plates, or set the tins upon small supports, so that the air can circulate underneath them.

RECIPES.

PASTE FOR PIES.—­Sift together equal parts of Graham grits and white flour (Graham flour will do if the grits are not obtainable, but the grits will produce a more crisp and tender crust), and wet with very cold, thin sweet cream.  Have the flour also as cold as possible, since the colder the material, the more crisp the paste; mix together very quickly into a rather stiff dough.  Do not knead at all, but gather the fragments lightly together, roll out at once, fill and bake quickly, since much of the lightness of the crust depends upon the dispatch with which the pie is gotten into the oven after the materials are thrown together.  If for any reason it is necessary to defer the baking, place the crust in the ice-chest till needed.