PASTRY, HOME MADE. General rules for the making of pastry are : wash hands in cold water. Work in a cool place. Use dry sifted flour. Mix with very cold water. Roll away from you and the same way, then, if necessary, across. Roll firmly but lightly. Lift paste to see that it does not stick to board. Flour hands, board and roller but not the paste. Add liquid by degrees : it is impossible to say exactly what amount will be required as the mixture-absorbing quality of flour varies. Mix with knife or fork. Use hands as little as possible. Pieces scraped from board, roller and hands should not be used. Trimmings may be rolled out again but after several rollings will not be as light as the original pastry.
tarts, tartlets, pastries : a lb. flour, 6 oz. clarified dripping, margarine or half lard and half butter, teaspoonful baking powder, teaspoonful salt, cold water. Sieve dry ingredients. Rub in fat with floured finger-tips until flour resembles bread crumbs. Mix to a stiff dough. Roll. Bake in a moderately hot oven. For a rather richer paste use 8 oz. fat and mix with milk and water.
lb. flour, 12 OZ. butter or margarine, teaspoonful baking powder, I or 2 eggs, 2 teaspoonfuls castor sugar, a pinch of salt. Sift dry ingredients. Rub in butter as in plain short crust. Mix yolks of eggs and water. Mix to smooth stiff paste. Roll. Bake in a moderately hot oven. If used for a tart, five minutes before serving brush over with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. For savoury short crust proceed as before, but omit sugar and white of egg.
For sweets or for meat pies and sausage rolls lb. flour, pinch of salt, 6 oz. margarine and lard mixed, cold water. Divide lard and margarine into three portions. Sieve dry ingredients. Rub in one-third fat. Mix to fairly stiff paste. Roll into long thin strip. Place one-third of fat all over this in little lumps, dredge with flour and fold in three. Press edges care fully together and turn fold to left hand. Roll out again, put on the remainder of the fat as before, flour and fold. After three folds and three rolls, roll into required shape. Bake in quick oven.
For vol-au-vents, patties, pies, tarts. a lb. flour, lb. butter or margarine, yolk of i egg, t dessertspoonful lemon juice, pinch of salt, cold water. Sieve flour and salt, rub in I oz. of fat. Put flour on board in a heap. Make a hollow in centre.
Mix egg yolk and liquids. Mix into flour with a fork, then with fingers to a firm paste. Knead with floured hand until paste leaves board clean : dust with flour as necessary until you have a smooth firm paste. Fold over into the middle. Roll into a square. Hold up so that its own weight helps to pull paste into right shape. Divide fat into four parts. Cut one part into small pieces. Place on paste at regular intervals. Fold the four corners over until they meet in centre. Turn folded side down. Roll twice to form a square. Repeat with fat portions two and three. Wrap paste in cloth, leave in cold place 15 minutes. Add fourth portion of fat as before. Roll and fold into three. The paste should now be firm and spongy. Roll as required for use. This pastry may be made on previous day except for the fourth portion of fat and put away in cloth in a cold place. Bake in a hot oven. Reduce heat gradually.
For boiled or steamed meat or fruit puddings and dumplings: 1 lb. flour,
teaspoonful baking powder, pinch of salt, 4 oz. suet. Sieve dry ingredients. Remove skin and strings from suet. Chop very finely on a floured board. Add to flour. Make a well in centre. Stir in flour with a knife from sides of basin. Make a smooth soft dough which leaves the sides of basin clean. Knead lightly until free from cracks. Place on floured board. Roll as required.
For cheese straws and biscuits : 2 OZ. butter, 2 oz. flour, 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, I oz. Cheshire or Cheddar cheese, yolk of I egg, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix flour and grated cheese together. Rub in butter, season with salt and cay enne pepper. Form into stiff paste with egg yolk and water, adding liquid gradually. Roll as required. Bake in moderate oven.