PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

What fats are ok for pastry?

Options
2

Comments

  • ben500
    ben500 Posts: 23,192 Forumite
    NualaBuala wrote: »
    Ha, foolproof is just what I need!

    thank you all for halping a beginner. I'm undecided and leaning towards just doing mash as I got a kilo of spuds reduced so I've plenty to use up.

    The over-ambitious side of me started getting notions as I was falling asleep last night. I remembered I have some fat leftover from the Christmas ham and I got all kinds of notions about rendering it down to use. But I'm feeling quite lazy and in the clear light of day it sounds like a lot of hassle.

    Thanks again folks :T

    That fat from the Christmas ham will make delicious {but salty} roast potatoes.
    Four guns yet only one trigger prepare for a volley.


    Together we can make a difference.
  • My recipe is as follows
    4oz SR flour
    4oz P flour
    2oz Lard
    2oz butter or marge
    pinch salt or for sweet pastry 1 tbsp caster sugar
    water to mix
    Chill for half an hour before rolling out
    This recipe has never failed me yet
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • NualaBuala
    NualaBuala Posts: 2,507 Forumite
    Mmmm, thanks for the suggestion Ben. I tend not to do roast spuds very often but I can imagine that would be yum. "Delicious (but salty)" sounds like my kind of spud!:D

    I hardly believe I did it but I rendered down the fat, not sure I'll have enough lard for pastry but if the worst comes to the worst I'll make a fat ball for the birds.

    Butterfly Brain (ha, you sound like me!), thanks for the recipe. I think I'm almost out of SR but a foolproof recipe is right up my alley.

    I'm so pleased with myself - I've just spent the past couple of hours in the kitchen making turkey stock, veg soup, the turkey and leek pie filling and rendering ham fat! Now I'm not sure I feel like making pastry after all that! :o Typical of me. I'm having a sit down and a cuppa while I watch a film and I'll see how I feel about tackling it later - was planning a very late dinner anyway.
    Trying to spend less time on MSE so I can get more done ... it's not going great so far! :)
    Sorry if I don't reply to posts - I'm having MAJOR trouble keeping up these days!

    Frugal Living Challenge 2011

    Sealed Pot #671 :A DFW Nerd #1185
  • tandraig
    tandraig Posts: 2,260 Forumite
    hun - all butter pastry is lovely- but i must confess i use a little less butter about a generous 3 ozs to 8 ozs flour. may be just me but its much easier to handle then.
    i never use any oil for pastry - though oil is ok for pizza dough!
    just remember to let pastry rest in fridge after kneading for half hour if you can - and it becomes really easy to roll out and bakes nice and crisp!
  • NualaBuala
    NualaBuala Posts: 2,507 Forumite
    Thanks for the tips Tandraig. :T I'm pretty confident I'll be trying this again so I'll get the chance to try them out.

    I am pleased to report success with my pastry:j. I am just delighted with myself as I went into a bit of an Old Style frenzy today. See what you guys are doing to me?!:D I rendered the ham fat and used it with an equal amount of butter to make pastry for the leftover turkey, leek and mushroom pie.

    The turkey carcass got turned into stock which I used in the pie filling and to make homemade veg soup. And throwing myself into the OS spirit, I baked soda bread to go with the soup for lunches using up some slightly sour milk instead of buttermilk.

    Ok, I admit it wasn't perfect but the pastry was really nice - I'm shocked really! Now I know I can do it, I might try an all-butter pastry to make something sweet next time. One thing I forgot to ask was how you roll it out to get the right shape. Mine was a bit uneven but not too bad and I even made some leaves to cover the slit for the steam to escape like my dear Mum used to.

    Now I feel I've EARNED my sit down!

    Happy New Year everyone! :beer:
    Trying to spend less time on MSE so I can get more done ... it's not going great so far! :)
    Sorry if I don't reply to posts - I'm having MAJOR trouble keeping up these days!

    Frugal Living Challenge 2011

    Sealed Pot #671 :A DFW Nerd #1185
  • My recipe is as follows
    4oz SR flour
    4oz P flour
    2oz Lard
    2oz butter or marge
    pinch salt or for sweet pastry 1 tbsp caster sugar
    water to mix
    Chill for half an hour before rolling out
    This recipe has never failed me yet

    Me too, same quantities.
    Although recently I have started using different combinations of fats/suet, and all plain flour or less SR flour etc, to see what sort of pastry that makes. And Ive started sieving the flour.
    ''A moment's thinking is an hour in words.'' -Thomas Hood
  • LameWolf
    LameWolf Posts: 11,238 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I always do my pastry with all butter. I'm vegetarian, so lard is a no-no.

    I used to use sunflower margarine, but Mr LW loves it made with butter, so that's what I do now.
    If your dog thinks you're the best, don't seek a second opinion.;)
  • Can I use Crisp N Dry to make mince pie cases? I thought I had Trex in fridge box but no luck.

    I tried on Google but can't get an answer so my next stop is the trusty Old Stylers.

    Look forward to hearing from you. I got a day off today and so far I've wasted it reading on here and watching telly. DH in bed from nightshift so that's my excuse for doing only non-noisy things (hoovering, dusting, etc):p
    Grocery Challenge M: £450/£425.08 A: £400/£:eek:.May -£400/£361 June £380/£230 (pages 18 & 27 explain)
  • fletch3163 wrote: »
    Can I use Crisp N Dry to make mince pie cases? I thought I had Trex in fridge box but no luck.

    Is crisp n dry a liquid oil? I've never made pastry this way, but others may have :)
    :rudolf: Sheep, pigs, hens and bees on our Teesdale smallholding :rudolf:
  • mrbadexample
    mrbadexample Posts: 10,805 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Photogenic
    It might not be. Here.
    If you lend someone a tenner and never see them again, it was probably worth it.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 244K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.