Pastry Recipes

Basic Pie Dough:

Sift together the flour and salt
Combine the lard and butter
Cut half of the lard mixture into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, or work it lightly with the tips of your fingers until it has the grain of cornmeal. Cut the remaining half of the lard mixture in, coarsely until it is pea size
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the water over the dough and blend lightly. If the dough does not hold together, a little more of the water can be added
Roll into a ball until used in the pie recipe

This recipe is for a double crust or a single with a generous lattice. Half the recipe for a single crust pie
Cut dough in half, roll out one to fit a slightly greased 9 inch pie pan and use the other half for the top of the pie
The flour should not contain too high or too low a gluten content. Too high a gluten content will absorb water too quickly causing the dough to become tough. Too low a gluten content absorbs water to slowly causing the dough to become sticky and wet
The shortening or fat used in pie dough may be lard, hydrogenated shortening or butter; lard will produce a good pie dough if the best quality is used
The liquid used in preparation of pie dough may be milk or water depending on the recipe being used. Milk will produce a richer dough and a better coloured crust
Sugar will add sweetness and colour to the baked crust. The form of sugar used may be granulated, syrup or dextrose depending on what is called for in the formula of the recipe

Shape the butter into an ablong about 4 by 6 by 1/4 inch. Wrap in foil and chill in a fridge for 15 minutes
On a chilled smooth suface make a ring with the flour, with a 6 inch hollow center
Pour gradually into the center of the flour ring meanwhile forming into a ball the mixture of water, lemon juice and salt. Knead the dough lightly until smooth, the whole process should take about 2 minutes. Cover the dough and refridgerate for 15 minutes
Roll the dough into a very neat ablong measuring about 6 by 16 inches and less than 1/3 of an inch thick. Make the edges as even and the thickness as sonstant as possible.
Quickly place the chilled butter pad about 1 inch from the short end and sides of the dough oblong. Fold the rest of the dough over the butter to form a pouch, and seal the three open sides by pressing the shut with your fingers or sides of your hands
With the narrow side of the dough towards you roll it out evenly, being careful not to break the layers to 6 inches wide and 16 inches in length
Fold the dough into 3 exact parts, making sure that the corners match neatly
compress the pack slightly with the roller. At this point the dough sould have a transparent quality to it. The butter show show but not break through
Wrap the dough which is now approx. 4 by 6 by 1 in foil and chill in the refridgerator for 20 to 30 minutes, this is called the first turn
Repeat the rolling and chilling process 5 times

Use a ruler or a paper pattern for measuring the dough will rolling out
While rolling out the dough after the butter is added if you break the layers be sure to fix the tear with another piece from the sides
Can be used in a countless number of ways in cooking
Roll out to about 3/16 of an inch when using in the recipe
You can keep the dough refridgerated up to 24 hours before cooking
This pastry takes skill and training to prepare or ready to use store bough dough can be used

Sift all the dry ingredients before measuring
Place the milk and butter in a heavy pan and bring to a boil
Add the dry ingredients all at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon, when it is smooth stir faster. After a few minutes the paste becomes dry and does not stick to the spoon or the sides of the pan, remove from the heat and allow to cool for two minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition. Continue beating each time until the dough no longer looks slippery. The proper consistency has been reached when a small quanity of the dough will stand up if scooped on a end of a spood
Pipe or spoon the dough onto a greased baking sheet according to the size and shapes desired
Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for another 25 minutes. Don't remove them from the oven until they are quite firm to the touch, cool

Water can be used in place of the milk
Have the eggs at room temperature
Do not over cook or over stir
It is beast to use the dough at once
Cool the finished product away from any draft
For filling cut them horizontally with a sharp knife. If there is any damp dough filaments inside be sure to remove them.
Good for cream puff shells, choux paste swans, chocolate eclairs, profiteroles, croquembouche, etc.

Pipe the choux paste threw a piping bag without a tip to about 2 inches long and bake as directed in the paste procedure
Gash the side open and fill with the whipped cream or pipe the cream in
Dip the éclair into the chocolate sauce, garnish nuts, serve

The éclairs can be filled with other things such as chocolate custard, coffee filling, etc.

Bake the choux paste into about 2 inch balls as the recipes procedure states
Caramelize the sugar
Form on the base of a 9 inch greased pie pan or directly onto a footed cake tray a thin layer of caramelized sugar, keeping the rest soft in a 225°F oven
Fill the cooked puffs with the cream
Remove the caramel from the oven a work quickly to dip the filled puffs half way into it and place them onto the pie plate forming layers to make a pyramid
Let additional syrup drip partially over the whole thing as a final glaze
Serve by pulling apart with two forks

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