Making pastry

fannyadams

NO NO NO
absolutely fail safe pastry
flour 8oz
sunflower oil 4 tbsp
water 2tbsp

worrks EVERY time - thank you to my disables mate who has problems rubbing fat into flour. He justs mixes this all together then rolls it out and away we go. Pies, pastys, flan, quiche.

kittiwoz

I can't weigh out flour.

If you can't weigh out flour you can do it by volume. Fat is roughly twice as dense as flour so 1/2 the weight fat as flour is the same as 1/4 volume fat as flour, i.e. 1/4 cup fat (2oz) to 1 cup flour (4oz).

Swan_2

Jolaaled wrote:

After years of dismal failure at (shortcrust) pastry making, i find this recipe impossible to get wrong. Very easy to make...no rubbing in...Rolls out really well and has great crumbly texture. ( Is also vegan, if you use the right sort of fats).

1.25 oz White Flora (it has to be White Flora!)
1 oz margerine
3/4 oz butter (or mix of marge/Flora if vegan).

cream these together with a fork

then add:

3 dessertspoons of cold water and
2 dessertspoons of plain flour ( + salt)

mix with fork.

then add:
4oz plain flour

Mix all of this together with a knife until it all binds together.
Knead into a ball.
Refigerate for at least 30 mins.

Hope this is useful!

this is very similar to the method I first used to make pastry as a teenager (too long ago to mention dates :rolleyes:)

I got it off a Cooken packet & it was so successful, it inspired a lifelong fascination with, & love of cooking

although I make my pastry conventionally now, everyone should try it

Little_Miss_Winner

Defrosed some stewing beef overnight, and was gonna stick a casserole in the oven, but wondering if I should try and pake a pie instead (which kids would prefer)
However........Just rang mum, than Nanna, aaargh! No-one in.:eek:

How do i make pastry for the top, got all sorts of flour etc.........but haven't got a clue.

Any help would be appreciated. Also any tips for the inside too!:o

Going to pick dd2 up from Nursey, will log back in a hour...........

Love
pot
xx

moggins

Just use plain flour, half fat to flour so if you use 6oz flour then use 3 ounces of marg and a pinch of salt. I do mine in the food processor because I have arthritis in my fingers. Rub the fat into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs and then add an egg and work that in with a knife, if it looks too dry then add a little water. work it together with your fingers until it comes together in a ball. I always stick mine in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge to rest for 30 mins before I roll it out.

tanith

I just use a simple short crust pastry for pies... 8oz plain flour, 4oz either lard or marge (I use half and half but use whichever you prefer as long as its 4oz) pinch of salt . Rub the fat into the flour till crumbly add salt and enough cold water to make be able to draw together into a ball. I would braise the beef in the oven with onions and carrots , and make some gravy with the juices.. cover with the pastry and bake for around 25 mins..

ENJOY

nuttyrockeress

Try the Be-ro recipie from their site http://www.be-ro.com/f_insp.htm
I adapted this to make sweet pastry for Jam tarts at the weekend - really nice!

lister

Tanith and Moggins have pretty much covered your shortcrust options. Moggins' will be richer with the egg added, but shorter and slightly harder to work. If you just use water to bind, then a good rule of thumb is about 5-7.5 ml of water per ounce of flour (I go in the middle and do 50ml for 8oz flour, but it does depend on the brand of flour etc.). Also if you knead the mixture briefly after mixing you will make it more elastic and slightly easier to work (as long as you don't overdo it and shorten it too much).

Little_Miss_Winner

Wow!

Who needs mums and Nannas when I have got you lot! - (anyone for babysitting):rotfl:

Many thanks for all your recipes, will let you know how I get on

Hugs
pot
xx

Queenie

potogold wrote:

....

How do i make pastry for the top, got all sorts of flour etc.........but haven't got a clue.

Any help would be appreciated. Also any tips for the inside too!:o

There was a wonderful thread last year ... I'll see if I can find it ... lots of wonderful tips and advice.

Here ya go:- Help my pastry is a disaster

Just as an aside - I often keep back a portion of stew simply to make a pie with the following day = two meals for the price of one, very economical that way

Hoping your pie was a success