397 KITCHEN AND COOKERY The baking-powder used, also, must be the tips of the fingers, then make a well in of good quahty and dry. It must, more- the centre of the flour, pour in a little cold over, be passed through the sieve with the water, and, with a knife, mix the flour into flour to ensure that it is smooth and evenly a stiff but not crumbly paste. As coon as distributed. one lump seems to be of the right consistency, It is commonly thought that any butter put it one side, add more water to the is good enough for pastry. This is a serious flour, and continue mixing until the whole is error. in a paste. The butter used should be cold and with Knead it all lightly together on a board no objectionable taste. Salt butter does not with the hand, and it will then be ready to harm the pastry, provided it is well kneaded roll out and use for ordinary household in clean cold water and then pressed in a tarts, meat pies, etc. clean, floured cloth to squeeze out any moisture that might make the pastry heavy. SHORT-CRUST PASTRY (No. 2) Puff pastry is best made with all butter, for s^eet dishes " but for the other kinds a mixture of good, j^ -^^^ . q^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ pure lard and butter may be used, and for Three quarters of a pound of butter, quite ordinary household purposes good beef, Two tablespoonfuls of castor sugar, bacon dripping or clarified fat is suitable. The yolks of two eggs. Half a teaspoonful of salt. THE RIGHT TOUCH Cold water. Good materials, however, will not produce ^ ^}^^^J^^, ^^}^^' ^alt. and sugar into a good pastry unless the operator's touch is y^fJ^- Rub in the butter finely. Make a well light. When rubbing the butter into the ^^ ^^® ^^^J^^ ^^ ^^^ ^°"^' P"^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ flour the tips of the fingers— the coolest egg and about three tablespoonfuls of water, part of the hand— should be used. Water ^^^ ^^^^^ smoothly in, and add more should be stirred in with the blade of a pold water gradually until the flour is mixed broad knife ; the kneading and rolling must 11?*° ^ stiff paste Knead it lightly together, be done with the light even pressure and *^^", ^^^} ^ °"* *° *^® required thickness, and dexterous movements which can be acquired ^^^ *°^ ^^^^* ^^^^^ ^"^ ^^her sweet dishes, only with practice and experience. FLAKY PASTRY Pastry must always be rolled out with short Required : One pound of fioiu-. forward movements ; it must never be Three-quarters of a pound of butter or a mixture rolled backwards and forwards. Short xj ^f^ ^"^^^^"^ ^"iV^.^^. pastry should not be turned over, as the ColdlltS upper side is the smoothest and has the gieve the flour and salt into a basin. best appearance when baked. „ ^ ^ Divide the butter into four parts. Cut one Puff Pastry should never be ro led out fourth of it finely into the flour, then rub it right up to the edges. This would force ^ghtly in with the tips of the fingers. !.^!/'^rK^.'J ^^ T""-^ air shut into the ^^ext pour a little cold water into the pastry the better It will rise The edges can ^-^^^^ ^^ ^he flour and mix it in with a be flattened down to the desired thickness knife, adding more water gradually until all either by pressing them with the rolhng-pin ^he flour is mixed into a stiff paste. Turn the ,or giving them a gentle tnward roll. p^g^e on to a floured board, knead it lightly BAKING until it is free from cracks, then roll it out All pastry needs baking in a not oven, ^? ^J". f^^^^^^ ^*"P ^^°"* ^ ^^^^^^^ °^ ^" and the richer kinds, such as puff, rough puff, ^"^?, , ^- u t ^u ^- ^ u ^^ and flaky pastrv in very hot ovens. ' Work each of the portions of butter with a This is Accessary not only to expand the ^^i^^"?*il/* is soft, and can be easily spread. air, but also to quickly swell and burst the ^^^ little bits of one of the Portions in starch grains in the flour, so that they absorb ^^^? ^^^^ down the whole length of the the butter so soon as it melts. Pastry, leaving, however, a narrow border of Oven temperatures required for baking : P^^^^y round the edge without butter ^ ^ '^ Dredge a little flour over the butter. ^ . , . i^ann Pq2^ ^^le pastry in three, press the edges Plain nastr^e? .3 firmly together, and roll it out again. Spread ^lam pastries 320^ ^^ ^j^g second portion of butter, and repeat ±-un pastry 340 ^^^ folding, rolling, and spreading until all SHORT-CRUST PASTRY (No. 1) the butter is used. The pastry then will be Required : One pound of flour. ready for use. Half a pound of butter, lard, or dripping. PUFF PASTRY garai:Sp°rfuYo'ftt*-°""- This is difficult pastry to make and a Cold water. very hot oven is required. It can be used Sieve or mix together the flour, baking- for "^eat and fruit pies, patties of all kinds, powder, and salt. Put the butter on the and a great variety of fancy pastries, flour and cut it into very small pieces. If Required : One pound of flour, dripping is used, cut It into ^very thin gji^ fe^"e-;1elpr.ul°ofsar '"^ '"'• bnaymgs. -p^^ teaspoonfuls of lemon juice, ^ext rub the butter into the flour with Cold water.
