Pastry know-how

[mint]

Well, Idun, I have just seen you on another thread so I thought I'd mention this pastry recipe so that you can comment on it.

Someone brought me a Telegraph a couple of weeks ago and here is the recipe (with a high proportion of fat):

185 gr. plain flour

125 gr. butter (it says unsalted but I use the demi-sel as it's the only butter I keep in the house)

about 50 ml. water

Supposed to be capable of being rolled really thin and also not to shrink.

I have made some tonight, ready for use tomorrow to make some jam tarts to take to friends for tea.  If you're interested, I'll let you know whether they are as good as promised.

BTW, I used some of your mascarpone pastry recipe to make a wicked salmon pie, filling with poached salmon, some lightly cooked vegetables (peas, carrots, mushrooms, onions and chopped parsely) and a roux.  Looked and tasted so good that I was very chuffed indeed.

[idun]

I make most of my pastry au pif. If I want to pass a recipe on, I have to weigh as I am making it and  I jot down the quantities. And 'my' shortcrust is always about two thirds fat to flour which this recipe is, so I reckon it will be good. 

I know that  most pastry is supposed to be half fat to flour, but I go by the feel and at 2/3rds it just feels right and is always good. Sometimes I use half lard and half margarine, sometimes butter and lard, sometimes just butter, depends on what I am making.

If I am making very thin pastry I just tend to roll it a little in advance and leave it to one side until I am ready to put the filling in, I suppose that is really resting it, and shrinkage isn't good, so I would rest it a little if I was baking for guests.

Was there no salt in the recipe. I think I would put salt in that recipe though, even when I am using salted butter, I always put some salt in probably for that amount, a couple of good pinches.

Hope it is delicious when baked.

[mint]

Id, the jam tarts were great; crispy pastry and with a nice flavour.  I made one lot with myrtille jam and one with apricot (home-made, bien entendu).

However, just a couple of points.  The lot that had a chance to chill in the fridge before cooking had virtually no shrinkage but the second lot that were made in more of a hurry, did shrink quite a bit. 

The pastry was not as easy to roll out as your mascarpone recipe and was quite sticky but that could be because I added a smidge too much water.

I'd use this pastry for little tartlets and perhaps even mini quiches but I don't think I am skilled enough to roll it into large sheets.

And no, there was no salt in the original recipe and I didn't add any as the butter was demi-sel.  This is against what I usually do, which is one very large pinch of salt.

[idun]

The good thing about a fat rich recipe is that you can add a little more flour if it is too sticky as it would make little difference. And when I say a little, that is what I mean. But as you said, best to use less water next time. Drier it should be easier to roll.

I've noticed on these 'cheffie' programs, that they sometimes put  maybe cling film or grease proof paper on top of the pastry to roll it out. Never tried it myself, but maybe that helps with rolling out bigger sheets.

[nectarine]

oooh sounds delish! Can I ask, please, Idun for your marscapone pastry recipe? Thank you!

[idun]

Nectarine, it is very easy, and you can do it in a robot if you want, it is foolproof, (apart from my aunt who changes things and then blames the recipe).

Sweet17, could you please, pretty please, post this recipe as I cannot find a copy. I know there is on on my desk top, but I cannot find it, sorry.

[Hoddy]

Sweet17 doesn't seem to be around at the moment so in case you're in a hurry Nectarine here's Idun's recipe for

Marscapone Pastry

Pre heat the oven to 200°C

6ozs of SR flour (you can get it here, it is clearly marked that it has the poudre levante in it)

3ozs of softened butter, make sure that it is soft.

using a 250 gram tub of mascapone cheese cut straight across and use half. a pinch of salt.

Right for those who can, rub in the butter. Then mix in the mascarpone and keep working it until it looks like a ball of pastry.

For those who can't stick the lot in the food processor and put it on slow at first and then work up to fast until it is all mixed together.

Make sure that there is plenty of flour on your board, I suggest that you do this in two or three times, so cut your mixture up into two or three. Then roll out to around slightly less than an eighth of an inch thick. You can make mince pies, remember to dab some milk on the lower pastry before putting the lid on. Sometimes I cut this into 2 inch squares and wet all the edges, I put the filling in the middle. Then pull opposite corners together and nip them, they look like little envelopes. In fact this is the traditional thing to do with this pastry.

Also the other fillings I put in are pureed prunes, lemon curd, apple and of course mincemeat.

Bake until golden. When cool dredge with icing sugar.

NB some of the runnier fillings make leak out.

Bon Ap

[idun]

Thanks Hoddy!

[nectarine]

thank you! That sounds delicious! Will certainly try it

[mint]

Et me voila!

Apologies to Idun and Nectarine.  Haven't been here for a couple of days and have just followed up on this thread.

Thank you, Hoddy, for stepping into the breach left by me so brilliantly[:)]

I have just one comment:  I use plain instead of SR flour!  Otherwise, Hoddy, you have given much better instructions than I would have done.

Tomorrow, I am making another of my fish pies for OH.  Today, I made some onion sauce (roux with cooked onions) and I have enough left over for a pie.

For the amount that Hoddy posted, I usually make half a dozen mini quiches (individual portions of about 3 to 4 inch diameter), one 4-portion quiche and a few tartlets (savoury or sweet).  Otherwise, one pie with top and bottom and perhaps half a dozen jam tarts.

As you see, I roll it out pretty thinly.  Sometimes it shrinks more than other times but I know how to adjust for the shrinkage.

Since Id gave me her recipe, I have been making pastry as though I am just tossing a stick for the dog, it's that simple.

Nectarine, you might also like to try the recipe I started this thread with.  It's a very good flavour and is extremely crispy.

[Hoddy]

"Hoddy, you have given much better instructions than I would have done."

I wish I could claim credit or that. In fact I just copied and pasted from Idun's original post.

Hoddy

[idun]

Hoddy that is impressive, as I find the 'search' thing very hard to use on here, and usually have no success.

[Hoddy]

It would be impressive if I had used the search engine.

I cut and posted the original post into my recipes folder.

Hoddy