Pastry Sweet and Savoury

Southland Times, Issue 25309, 12 June 1935, Page 5

Pastry Sweet and Savoury

The pastry requirements of the average family will be adequately met if the cook is able to turn out three kinds of pastry—plain, flaky and puff. But it must be remembered that good pastry is always light and tender. See to ;’t, therefore, that all ingredients are thoroughly cold and that in their conversion to pastry they are handled as lightly and as little as possible*

Short Pastry. Ingredients: Boz. plain flour, half teaspoon baking powder (or 4oz. seliraising flour wth 4oz. plain flour), pinch salt, 4oz. butter or other fat, about three tablespoons water, one teaspoon sugar for sweet pastry. Method: Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Rub butter into flour with tips of fingers until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix into stiff dough with water. Turn on to lightly floured board. ° Roll to required size, shape, and thickness. Bake in moderate hot oven. Sweet Pastry. Ingredients: 9oz. plain flour, half teaspoon baking powder, pinch salt, one egg, one tablespoon milk, loz. sugar, 4oz. butter or good fat. Method: Sift; flour, baking powder, and salt together. Grease tins. Beat butter and sugar well together. Stir in beaten egg, gradually, then add milk. Mix into stiff paste after adding sifted flour. Turn on to lightiy floured board. Roll to required size and thickness. Bacon and Egg Tart. Ingredients: Boz. short crust, Boz, plain flour, | teaspoon baking powder, pinch salt, 4oz. butter or other fat, about 4 tablespoons water, 6oz. bacon rashers, 3 eggs, salt and pepper, % cup milk, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Method: Remove rind and cut rashers into pieces one inch long. Grill, fry, or bake it for few ”inutes. Make pastry, divide in two. Roll one piece one inch larger than a sandwich tin. Line greased tin with pastry. Add bacon. Beat eggs, add milk, season with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, and pour over bacon. Roll out remaining pastry and cover top. Trim edges ..nd brush surface with egg glazing. Prick top pastry with fork. Cook in a moderate oven for about half-hour, decreasing heat after first 10 minutes. Rich Short Pastry. Ingredients: 6oz plain flour, pinch salt, 4oz butter, one egg yolk, half teaspoon lemon juice (strained), two tablespoons iced water. Method: Sift flour and salt into basin. Rub butter into flour, with tips of fingers until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Beat egg yolks, lemon juice, and water together. Add to butter and flour, making a light dough, or proceed as for short pastry. Turn on to lightly floured board. Roll to reguired size, shape, and thickness. Bake in moderate oven. Nougat Tart, Ingredients: 6oz short crust, 2 egg whites, 2oz sugar, 2oz cake or breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons cocoanut, grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon raspberry or apricot jam, 1 teaspoon brown sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Method: Prepare short crust and line a deep greased sandwich tin with it. Spread lightly with jam. Beat egg whites stiffly. After adding pinch of salt, add sugar, crumbs, cocoanut, cinnamon, lemon rind, and strained, lemon juice, and mix well. Pour this into pastry shell. Sprinkle with mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake in moderate oven. When pastry is beginning to brown decrease heat, and cook slowly till centre mixture is set. Serve hot or cold with boiled custard or whipped cream.