Vegetarians are divided into two classes:  those who use the animal products—­butter, milk, cream, and eggs—­and those who do not.  This latter class contains, probably, the most respected members of the vegetarian body, as it will always be found that there is an involuntary homage paid by all men to consistency.  How then are strict vegetarians to make pastry, butter being classed with the forbidden fruit?  We fear we cannot tell them how to make good puff paste; but “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and naturally olive oil must supply the place of butter.

PASTRY WITHOUT BUTTER.—­We will describe how to make a small quantity, which is always best when we make experiments.  Take half a pound of the best Vienna flour, and mix with it, while dry, about a salt-spoonful of baking-powder.  Now add about a tablespoonful of olive oil, and work the oil and flour together with the fingers exactly as you work a small piece of butter into the flour at the commencement of making puff paste.  Next add sufficient water to make the whole into an elastic paste; roll it out and let it set between two tins containing ice, similar to the method used in making high-class pastry.

We have mentioned a tablespoonful of oil, but if ice is used more oil may be added.

We all know that oil will freeze at a much lower temperature than water, consequently the minute particles of oil become partially solid.  Now take the paste, roll it out, and give it three turns; roll it out again, give it three more turns, and put it back in the ice; let it stand ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and repeat this process three times.  Be careful to flour the pastry each time before it is turned.  By this means we get the pastry in thin layers, with minute air bubbles between them, and this will cause the pastry to rise.  If you are making a pie, roll out the pastry the last time, cover the pie, and put it in the oven immediately, while the pastry is cold.  Do not let the pastry stand, unless it be in a very cold place.

This pastry we have just described, made with oil, can also be utilised for puddings, in which latter case we would recommend the addition of a little more baking-powder, and to every pound of flour add two tablespoonfuls of very fine bread-crumbs.  These must be dry, and rubbed through a fine sieve.

PASTRY WITH BUTTER.—­Good puff paste is made by taking equal quantities of butter and flour—­say a pound of each—­the yolk of one egg, a pinch of salt, while the water used is acidulated with lemon-juice.  For the manipulation of this pastry we must refer those who do not know how to make it to other cookery books, or to the shilling one above mentioned.  In making ordinary paste we must use less butter; and when we use considerably less butter, if we wish the pastry light, we shall require baking-powder.  The quantity depends very much upon the quality.  Many persons make their own baking-powder, and we cannot recommend any better than the recipe given