Pastries

2. PASTRIES

          Refer to a variety of baked products made with high proportion of fat to flour and with very little liquid

a. Pie(s) = Made of a baked or unbaked crust and a variety of 

                                                       fillings.

TWO (2) PARTS OF PIE

1.     CRUST      -        shell of a Pie

1.     Flour

2.     Fat

3.     Liquid

4.     Salt

2.     FILLINGS

a.     Fruit Fillings

1.     Fresh

2.     Frozen

3.     Canned Fruit

4.     Dried Fruit

b.     Custard or Soft Filling

c.      Cream Pie Filling

d.     Chiffon Pie Filling          - egg white and whipped cream

STEPS IN MAKING SINGLE CRUST FOR PIES

1.     Measure flour and add salt.  Sift together into a bowl.  Cut in lard into the flour using a pastry blender or two knives in scissors like manner until the flour mixture resembles coarse meal.

2.     Measure and sprinkle cold water over the flour mixture.  With a table knife or a rubber scraper, press dough together until dough holds together.

3.     On a lightly floured board, shape the dough into a ball with your hands.

4.     Roll dough from center to edges; keep the thickness of the dough even.  Roll in all directions to maintain perfect circle.  The dough should be an inch wider to the pie plate.

5.     Roll dough over the rolling pin, and then roll over the pie plate. Fit on the pan.

6.     Prick the pie dough with the tines of a fork.  Bake at 400°F in a pre-heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

THE DOUBLE CRUST MIXING FOR PIES

Use the ingredients listed on the double pie crust recipe.  Mix ingredients as in the single crust then:

1.     Divide the dough into two and form balls.  Roll out for the lower crust.  Fit snugly into the pan, prick and set aside.

2.     Pour the prepared filling into the lower crust.

3.     Roll out the other ball for the upper crust.  Unroll this in top of the filling.

4.     Cut off the lower crust at pan edge. Cut the upper crust ½ inch wider than the bottom crust.  Tuck edge of upper crust under the edge of the lower crust before fluting the edges.  The top of a double crust pie is pricked to allow steam to escape.  Bake double crust pies at 450°F fo 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.

TYPE OF DOUGH

1.     Flaky Pie Dough  -        top and pre baked

2.     Mealy Pie Dough  -        bottom (Fool Proof Pie Crust)

DECORATIVE CRUST EDGES

1.     Fork Pressed

2.     Fluted

3.     Crimped

DIFFERENT MIXING METHOD

1.     Biscuit Method    -        for biscuits and short cakes

a.     Mix dry ingredients and chemical leaveners in a mixing bowl

b.     Cut in the cold fat

c.      Combine all liquid ingredients in a separate bowl

d.     Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients

2.     Muffin Method   -        simple and quick

a.                       Mix dry ingredients in a bowl

b.                       Blend liquid ingredients into dry

c.                        Mix until combined

NOTE:       OVERMIXING IS DISCOURAGE

3.     Creaming Method 

b. Tarts =

         

The difference between pies and tarts is in the pan they are baked in.  A tart pan is shallower and has straight sides, unlike a pie pan which has slanted sides.  More often than not, the sides of the tart pan are fluted.  It usually comes with a detachable bottom.  Tart pans can also be square and rectangular in shape. Since tart are shallower, which means they cannot contain as much filling, their crusts’ flavor is given more emphasis.

c.  Puff Pastry =

         

A light flaky pastry that is formed by rolling and folding the dough in layers so that it expands when baked.