No-one makes pies????

Ruby_Pudding

I know this is going to sound silly but if I don't ask then I'll never fully understand....

Could someone with more knowledge than me explain why we use different pasty for different dishes? I know that filo is thinner than shortcrust and puff and that means it is better for making certain things but I don't know the difference between shortcrust and puff :embarasse

Since finding OS I have been transformed from someone who relied on fast food and ready meals to someone who tries to cook from scratch at least 5 days out of 7 but I'm still quite intimidated by pastry - if I knew more about it perhaps I'd be able to be a bit more adventurous

Many thanks in advance

Liney_2

This thread has inspired me. I have 2 x round aluminium foil tins that I can re-use as my tins and I have some roll out puff pastry in the freezer. Any ideas on fillings? Haven't used puff pastry since I was at school so no idea what works well with it.

hex2

pyrex pie plate £2.49 in Morrisons, forgot to have a look for the magazine though.....

thriftlady_2

Ruby_Pudding wrote:

I know this is going to sound silly but if I don't ask then I'll never fully understand....

Could someone with more knowledge than me explain why we use different pasty for different dishes? I know that filo is thinner than shortcrust and puff and that means it is better for making certain things but I don't know the difference between shortcrust and puff :embarasse

Hi Ruby,
Shortcrust is made by rubbing the fat into the flour thereby creating a crumbly texture. It's good for all sorts of things; pies, tarts, pasties. It's also easier to make than other pastries and it is less rich than others.

Puff pastry is made by layering the fat (usually butter) into the flour so that the pastry has pockets of air in it and is flaky. It is much more tricky to make and more time consuming. It is good for the tops of pies and vol-au-vents, but there is no point using it as a bottom crust because the layers won't puff up.I always buy it

Delia has a method for quick flaky pastry which is a sort of cheat's puff pastry. You grate frozen butter into the flour and this results in lovely rich flaky pastry which is fab in sausage rolls.
HTH

Ruby_Pudding

thriftlady wrote:

Puff pastry is made by layering the fat (usually butter) into the flour so that the pastry has pockets of air in it and is flaky. It is much more tricky to make and more time consuming. It is good for the tops of pies and vol-au-vents, but there is no point using it as a bottom crust because the layers won't puff up.I always buy it

Many,many thanks for your help - makes things a bit clearer now.

Is puff pastry also known as flaky pastry?

moggins

Liney wrote:

This thread has inspired me. I have 2 x round aluminium foil tins that I can re-use as my tins and I have some roll out puff pastry in the freezer. Any ideas on fillings? Haven't used puff pastry since I was at school so no idea what works well with it.

I use puff pastry for making Chicken and Mushroom Pie.

Remains of a rubber chicken
One can of Campbells condensed Mushroom soup
A few chopped fresh mushrooms
Mix them all together, place in a pie dish and top with puff pastry, cook at gas mark 5 for about 30 mins or until brown and well risen, scoff the lot because it's gorgeous

thriftlady_2

Ruby_Pudding wrote:

Many,many thanks for your help - makes things a bit clearer now.

Is puff pastry also known as flaky pastry?

To be honest I'm not sure about that, but if they aren't the same they're very similar.

debzi

The absolute bible of pie-making is The Women's Institute Book of Pies and Puddings - every type you can think of and things to go with them as well. Don't know if it's still in print but you might track it down on e-bay/amazon. It's up there with Delia's Book of Cakes in the most used in my kitchen.

rainbowrisin

How do you manage that then ? Are you all very active ? Mind you my kids are slim and fit despite all the home baking it's just me that isn't

I don't know how we stay slim TBH - I think I am a complete gannet, and the littlies don't eat much really so suspect this is why they are scrawns. We are all very active - I'm up and about for 18 hours a day every day, we are enormous walkers due to my hatred of spending money on car parking and petrol. We also do big dog walks and lots of park visits (I am a great believer in lots of physical exercise for littlies as it tires them out and makes them biddable:D ) and generally the only time I sit down is in the evenings if i'm doing computer work. I don't watch telly except if i'm standing ironing and am a bit of a fidgety type of person as well. I suspect all of that means I burn more calories then I eat.
That said, I do realise that we eat relatively small portions - I find I can never finish a meal out because I get too full, and have been to friends and had enormous delicious meals which I can't finish, but they've done what's normal potioning to them. Also, if we have pie then we have it with vegetables only with fruit for dessert. So all the carbs and fat in the meal come from the pastry. I suspect that if you maybe had spag bol followed by a fruit cake or similar then the calories might be about the same.
Suspect my pie fetish will tell in the end though, and I shall wake up one morning with a bottom like a hippo:eek:
I think I shall start an "eat pies and stay slim thread", as it works for us:T

thriftlady_2

So basically it's move more and eat less I knew that really, just can't seem to do it though Thanks for your reply Rainbowrisin, I'm glad that pies can have a place in a slim and healthy person's life