SC - was almonds vs, walnuts - rabbits

[Robyn.Hodgkin@affa.gov.au]

Hello!  I'm in the middle of attempting Epulario's "To make Pies that the
Birds may be alive in them, and flie out when it is cut up", viz:

"Make the coffin of a great pie or pastry, in the bottome thereof make a
hole as big as your fist, or bigger if you will, let the sides of the
coffin bee somewhat higher then ordinary pies, which done put it full of
flower and bake it, and being baked, open the hole in the bottome, and take
out the flower.  Then having a pie of the bigness of the hole in the
bottome of the coffin aforesaid, you shal put it into the coffin, withall
put into the said coffin round about the aforesaid pie as many small live
birds as the empty coffin will hold, besides the pie aforesaid.  And this
is to be done at such time as you send the pie to the table, and set before
the guests:  where uncovering or cutting up the lid of the great pie, all
the birds will flie out, which is to delight and pleasure shew to the
company.  And because they shall not bee altogether mocked, you shall cut
open the small pie, and in this sort you may make many others, the like you
may do with a tart."

I took it out of the oven (50 min. @ 400F, 30 min @ 350), let it cool for
about 10 minutes, & tried to get it out of the mold (a large foil-lined
cookie tin).  The top came off in one piece.  But that's not a problem, it
can be easily re-attached with toothpicks, & will actually make service
easier.  The problem is that the flour used to fill the coffin hardened
into a chalky mass.  I've chipped away at it, & finally managed to remove
it all without breaking the bottom crust. (The bottom crust was not stiff
enough, so I've popped it back in the oven at 400F.)  My question is, can
my 6 lbs. of baked flour be re-used for another recipe?

Regards,

Cindy

(now to convince the neighbor to let me borrow her birds... ;-)  )


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