For the pastry cooks

[Gemonimo]

Has anyone ever tried this method of making pastry? http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/05/french-tart-dough-a-la-francaise/ 

I tried it today (omitting the sugar) to make an asparagus tart and apart from a few cracks, it was very good and no soggy bottom[:D]

 

[Clair]

Yes, I have and it works very well, too [:)].

[idun]

 Hot water pastry and a must for pork pies, only I use lard when making pork pie pastry. I have never seen this done with butter before, but I know the hot water pastry works. Truthfully I wouldn't. I wouldn't want that hot water texture in a tart. I have too many other good recipes for tarts.

One of my french friends also puts some yeast in one of her pastries, it is OK, but seems a lot of work for something 'ordinary'.

 

[JeanS]

I remember my friend penfriend making pastry like this, but she melted the butter in asaucepan. Must give it a try.

[Patf]

Not quite the same idea, but I once made pastry with olive oil instead of solid fat, (which I had run out of), and it turned out ok.

But I'm a poor pastry maker, it always seems to turn out leathery whatever method.

[idun]

So what recipe do you use Patf, I'm sure that with only a little tweaking it can improve and a lot.

The thing is ofcourse that pastry is very naughty (in a calorific sense). Should I be encouraging you into baking?

[Gemonimo]

The pastry turned out ok according to the recipe but when I added the eggs/cream filling and baked it, well, the bottom reverted to being uncooked[:-))]  Conclusion? I'd use the baked pastry case when a cold filling is required but wouldn't re-heat with a liquid filling.

Idun, apart from your mascarpone pastry, which pastry recipe do you recommend? My grandmother always used lard and hers was pastry to die for.

[Patf]

Idun - I think I must be always comparing my pastry to my Mum's - which she made with lard, like Gemonimo's grandmother.

And we don't use lard now unfortunately.

[confused of chalus]

I use and half and half solid margarine or butter and the white vegetable fat sold for deep fat frying ( they sell it next to the oils, not in the fridge) . Only problem is that you have to buy a big packet which lasts me about a year! But it keeps well in the  bottom of the fridge.

Kathy

[Patf]

I came across another way of making sweet pastry, and it turned out good [:)] Easy too:

90gbutter or soft marg

60g sugar

2 egg yolks

250g flour

Soften butter if used, beat in the sugar and egg yolks, work in the flour.

Or put the whole lot in the machine (I haven't got one.)

It's very soft, so line your mould by hand. I added a bit more flour and managed to roll it.

[mint]

Was the resulting pate (sorry, not sure which accent to use over the "a") easy to handle, Pat?

I'm going to try a sweet pastry to make my mince pies this year. 

[Patf]

To be honest, SW17, no it wasn't. It was sticky. But once it was baked it was good.

But as I said I used extra flour to roll it.

Another idea is to roll it between two layers of clingfilm, then sort of peel it onto the baking tin.

[mithun86]

I will try this soon. Thanks for the link :)

[Fridgeman]

Hi Sweet and all

Pastry for mince pies:

250 grams flour

125 g butter

60 g sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp cold water

zest of an orange

Sift flour into whizzer cut butter up into flour, whizz until it looks like breadcrumbs add zest & sugar turn whizzer on, add egg and if needed the water a little at a time untill pastry comes together, you may or may not need some or all of the water, this will depend on the flour and size of egg, you just want the pastry to come together, remove from whizzer and lightly form into a ball, do NOT over work it, place in a plastic bag and put in fridge for minimum 30 minutes  take out of fridge and let stand for 30 minutes before rolling out.

NOTE, just omit the zest if you want it plain, adjust the sugar to your liking

As you now have Perfect Pastry I hope you are going to make your own Mincemeat !!

[mint]

Fridgeman, there you are, en fin!

I have lost count of the number of times when we have discussed some cooking conundrum on here and I have wondered where on earth you could be.

No, can't make mincemeat, a bit too er.....labour-intensive.  Nearer the time, if no UK visitors, I will have to resort to on-line shopping.

But thanks for the recipe.  It is now duly written down in my best handwriting (just so's I can read it again) and filed away in my cookery file which dates back decades![:D]

[idun]

Mincemeat is easy S17, you want a recipe? All you have to do where cooking is concerned is stew an apple or two cool it and it goes into the rest of the mix.

[Fridgeman]

Halt the Press!!!!

Wrong recipe

I must stop replying to posts after 10pm ....................What a wally

Just making some scones and a loaf when it dawned on me that I had given the wrong recipe, oh Sweet you have written it out too................Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right correct recipe coming up:

450g flour

125g butter

heaped teaspoon baking powder

heaped tablespoon caster sugar

large egg beaten

zest of 2 oranges, squeeze the juice for part of the.....

150 ml orange juice

good pinch salt

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in your whizzer (food processor) cut butter into bits and add to flour whizz till it looks like breadcrumbs add zest and whizz to mix now add OJ slowley untill dough comes together (you may not need it all) remove from whizzer onto a floured surface, kneed lightly to a ball place in plastic bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 mins, when ready to use remove from fridge and allow to come to room temp, about 30 minutes

Look who's eating humble pie

 

[mint]

What I want to know is, Fridgeman, what's the other recipe for?[:D]

[idun]

 Doesn't look as if there is enough fat in the new one and your original recipe looked fine to me.

My sweet pastry recipe is just about like your original one.

[Fridgeman]

Seeing as I made a right boo-boo............................... just for you Sweet, an easy recipe for mincemeat and it tastes yummy

First the hard bit

Take 1 lemon pop into saucepan cover with water bring to boil cover and allow to simmer for about an hour, untill soft, turn off heat and allow to cool.

1 large or 2 small apples peeled and cored chopped into small'ish bits. Hard bit over .......onwards...........

100g raisins, 100g sultanas, 100g mixed fruit, 75g candied peel, 100g butter cut into small pieces, (you can use suet) into whizzer plus add apple, cut lemon in half remove pips then cut into small'ish bits, whizz to a paste (scrape down from sides and whizz again, empty contents of whizzer into a large bowl now add 100g of dark brown sugar or pure cane sugar (if using suet instead of butter add suet now) add 100g currents, 1 tsp each,  ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, mixed spice, ground ginger.......now the GOOD bit.....add 60ml brandy but before adding test to make sure it has'nt gone off, you may need to do this 3 or 4 times to make sure.........then add 50ml of sherry, this may need testing too!!!!!

Mix really well cover and place in fridge over night. The mincemeat could be used now but I put it into sterilised jars and when you come to use it at Christmas.......Oh boy is it Good

Now that was easy..................