anyone help please

[mary]

can anyone help please as i am useless at doing pastry, anyone got a recipe that is easy for me and will turn out right,mine is ok till it goes cold then it goes brick hard any ideals why,also anyone with any good recipes healthy ones please .

[galaxysue]

Basic Recipe - Shortcrust Pastry 225 g (8oz)

225 g (8 oz) Be-Ro Plain Flour
pinch salt
50 g (2 oz) lard
50 g (2 oz) margarine
cold water to mix, about 30 ml (approx. 2 tbsp.)
25 g (1 oz) caster sugar if sweet pastry is required.




1 Mix flour and salt in basin, rub in fat.
2 Using a knife to cut and stir, mix with cold water to form a stiff dough.
3 Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead lightly.
4 Roll out and use as required.
Self raising flour may be used. the pastry will have a more cake-like texture.
N.B. Quantities of pastry are expressed as quantity of flour used, e.g. 225 g (8 oz) Shortcrust Pastry is the amount of pastry made using 225 g (8 oz) flour and not the total of ingredients. The weight of the fats used should total half the weight of the flour.


must say I always use lard and the less you handle the pastry the better it is,and try to keep your hands cools as well.
This is a good site for everyday stuff http://www.be-ro.com

[Tanyalasagne]

My mum wasn't too good at pastry but could bake any cakes or biscuits - she asid it was because her hands were always too hot. If this is the case you can use latex gloves whilst preparing and it helps, if not, im sorry I haven't got a clue - not great at pastry myself!

[combom]

mmmm lard!

[mary]

i never thought of putting lard in i usually use marg,and i can bake cakes
just have difficulty with pastry and meals ,took me years to bake a good cake .
might get hubby to do pastry as i do get hot hands , will try the gloves ,thanks to all
keep adding recipes for alsorts please.

[galaxysue]

my gran used to run her hands under cold tap to make sure they were cold, you can also use Trex it is with the lard and stuff in Tescos it is a solid cooking fat (not lard though) and does work well for pastry.

[mary]

thanks

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