PASTRY MAKING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1940, Page 10

PASTRY MAKING

THE IDO’S AND THE DONT’S

Possessing a light, cool hand for pastry making is an asset, but it is not, as some imagine, the secret of success in [this branch of cookery. Indeed, the light hand does not go far unless the different methods of pastry making are clearly understood and followed out. Perfect pastry requires the best shortenings. The lightness depends on the amount of air enclosed and’ the expansion of air in the baking. Pastry varies in degrees of richness, from plain pastry containing half the amount of fats, as of flour, to rich and puff pastries containing increasing amounts. As fats increase, so does the method change. The object of pastry making is to have small particles of fat coated with lour, and, as steam is the chief leavens’, a certain amount of moisture is repaired. ft must be remembered that oo much liquid makes a hard, brittle taste. On the other hand, with too litle liquid, the Hour and fat do not stick ogether, the pastry is crumbly and not ight when baked. So now carry on.

Puff Pastry. Sift Boz. plain flour with a gtod .inch salt. Rub in loz. butter or mararine. Wash well 7oz. butter in ice aid water, then gently squeeze out all io water and form into a neat, square at. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to 1 .ip ice c6ld water; make a bay in the ?ntre of the flour, add water gradualand make the paste the same constency as the butter. Knead well tin-

1 smooth, and elastic. Roll out on a ghtly-floured board until paste is iiree times the size of butter. Place he butter in the middle of paste. Jold he halves over, covering the butter pmpletely. Press ends with rollingin to keep the air inside. Allow paste I stand in a cold place for 15 mintes, then gently press out, taking cafe ot to press the butler out. Roll out hd again fold in three. Allow to stand >r another 15 minutes. Repeat this deration seven times in all. When rolig the paste, always turn three-quar- : way round; that is to say. have the ugh ends in front of you, to keep the ste as even as possible, otherwise the yers will not-be uniform. Use a good, ugh margarine in place of butter. It less expensive, but it must not be o moist. Bake in a hot. oven for five inutes, then reduce heal gradually >wn to moderate. Potato Paste. jThis is a very useful paste, and is specially good for covering left-overs, iff Coz. plain flour and a good pinch .ill. Rub in 3oz. butter or margarine, pen add Goz. very fine mashed or riced otato. Form into a paste with 1 eaten egg. Roll out carefully or form ound prepared filling. Brush over with gg, bake in hot oven, or clip in line readcrumbs and fry in boiling fat or il until a golden brown. Drain well nd serve at once, as they soon lose icir crispness. Suet Pastry. | (For Boiled Puddings, Dumplings.) Sift Coz. flour, J teaspoon baking owder, pinch salt. Add 1 tablespoon he white breadcrumbs. Rub in Goz. .rated suet (if a less rich paste is ieeded, use 4oz. suet). Form into firm aste with about 1 cup cold water, or, or a richer paste, use milk instead of valor.