OT Pastry Wars

post it please, Sandy, so we can compare stuff.
what fillings do you use with your pastry?
j.

"Sandy" wrote ...
Polly, I also have a cream cheese pastry recipe, and if yours is
anything like mine, it's heavenly!



"Polly Esther" wrote:
I was So hoping that you were going to ask for a grand pastry recipe. I
have one that never fails even a beginner and uses cream cheese. No
matter.
I enjoyed your tale so much. Don't get to do that much here in the Swamp.
I can't seem to get them to try anything that doesn't begin with a stick
of
butter and 1/2 cup bacon fat. Polly

Polly,
what fillings does this recipe work with?
j.


"Polly Esther" ...

Cream Cheese Pastry for beginners
1 'softened' 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup margarine ( that's 2 sticks) (also softened)
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Mix cream cheese and margarine until well blended. Add flour and salt; mix
well. Form into a ball, chill.
Divide dough in half. Lightly flour a sheet of plastic wrap. Place half of
the dough on plastic, lightly flour and cover with another sheet of plastic
wrap. Gently, gently roll out into a circle.
Place in pie pan. Trim, flute, prick. Repeat with other half. Bake at
450° about 12 minutes or proceed with another method. The plastic wrap is
really not necessary for experienced pastry chefs but surely is helpful for
those of us who don't bake pies very often. Polly

Just about anything, Jeanne. It is a very fine but quite basic recipe. If
you're tempted, you could sneak in a little lemon zest for a lemon pie . . .
etc. If I'm baking a 'wet' pie such as pecan, I paint the pastry with egg
white and bake it for about 5 minutes before I add the filling. That's sort
of like a coat of shellac but tastes better. Polly


"J*" wrote in message
...
Polly,
what fillings does this recipe work with?
j.


"Polly Esther" ...

Cream Cheese Pastry for beginners
1 'softened' 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup margarine ( that's 2 sticks) (also softened)
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Mix cream cheese and margarine until well blended. Add flour and salt;
mix
well. Form into a ball, chill.
Divide dough in half. Lightly flour a sheet of plastic wrap. Place half
of
the dough on plastic, lightly flour and cover with another sheet of
plastic
wrap. Gently, gently roll out into a circle.
Place in pie pan. Trim, flute, prick. Repeat with other half. Bake at
450° about 12 minutes or proceed with another method. The plastic wrap is
really not necessary for experienced pastry chefs but surely is helpful
for
those of us who don't bake pies very often. Polly

On Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:59:00 -0800 (PST), Kathyl
wrote:

On Nov 20, 10:38*am, "Taria" wrote:
well, in our family if I don't make the pies they are likely to be store
bought
things. *Nobody even much knows enough to argue. *Glad you have your dh
there watching your back. *: )
Glad you are looking well too!
Taria

"NightMist" *wrote in message

...

I have seen more of my relatives recently than I have in the last thirty
years. *After they get past the "My you are looking well!" or, "I thought
you were sick!" stage, they have tended to fall back on "What are you
doing for the holidays?" *This usually comes around to cooking as a safe
topic for conversation, plus they can offer to bring something over.
Yesterday I had an Aunt, two grown cousins, and a cousin in-law descend
together, representing three different family nodes. Is it nodes or
clusters? clumps? oddball groupings? *Oddball certainly describes much of
that side of the family well.
When we fell to talking about holiday cooking the poo hit the fan.

We got past the profound lack of poultry or pork products in my holiday
meals. (but Uncle X's Johnny has so many extra geese this year!" Could
somebody explain to me why grown men edging up on 70 are still Johnny,
Joey, Timmy, or Tommy?)
I skillfully directed the conversation away from marshmallows on squash.
Jello salads were consigned to the children's table, nobody killed anyone
when green bean casserole was mentioned, and there was no dressing versus
stuffing controversy. *In fact I was praised as an innovator (all credit
to DH and his mother who could actually cook) for having dressing on the
table with no bird.

Eventually we got around to pies.
We got past most of the fruit and cream pies.
We swapped spice mixtures for pumpkin and had some spirited debate as to
the merits of canned pumpkin versus sugar pumpkins versus butternut
squash, and are neck pumpkins a butternut squash variety or a pumpkin?
Then followed a minor squabble over what color of corn syrup to use in
pecan pies that was quickly resolved by Blaming It All On Men.
Then came mincemeat.

If I had realized that mincemeat pie was a religion I would have
attempted to divert the conversation.
Apparently lattice versus solid top on a mincemeat pie is a whole
denominational battle.
When the in-law cousin said that a real traditional mincemeat pie was
made with puff paste instead of shortcrust, and one of the other cousins
agreed with her, I thought for sure I was in the midst of the Crusades.
Really, I was just waiting for the swords and armor to come out.
I foolishly attempted to derail the line of conversation by piping up
with the fact that I make a wholly vegetarian green tomato mincemeat.
Heresy! *Mincemeat is supposed to have meat in it! or so I was told.
Of course my nefarious ploy did sort of work. *After they finished
schooling me on what mincemeat actually was they fell to discussing the
various merits of venison, beef, and such things in mincemeat. *That was
about when DH rode in to my rescue with a dish of my mincemeat for them
to taste. *It was declared a nine days wonder because it tasted like
mincemeat
Then DH told them they should taste my gingerbread. *The stinker!

NightMist
Oh yeah, they were off and running again...

--
I'm raising a developmentally disabled child. *What's your superpower?

You are THE BEST storyteller!! I always look forward to your
descriptions of people and incidents. I'd like to be a fly on your
wall!
KJ

I concur! I, too, look forward to NightMist's posts!

-Irene

I have just made mincepies using a Mary Berry recipe:
6oz. plain flour
3oz butter cut into cubes
1oz icing sugar
finely grated rind of one orange
1 beaten egg

Flour, icing sugar, butter, orange rind wizzed in a food processor till
it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse the blade until
it forms a ball. (you could do this using a fork and rubbing in by hand
if you didn't have a food processor), Knead gently by hand on a floured
ball. Roll it out on a floured board as required. I cooked at 180
degrees C in my fan oven - gas mark 6 or 200 in a non-fan oven for 12-15
mins. I shall do the same for vegan daughter using non-dairy marg. and
water instead of the egg.

I have just had a couple of years of abysmal pastry but this was wonderful.

My mincemeat is just dried fruit, sugar, suet, apples, brandy, spices
and maybe nuts if there are any around - no meat. Meat is supposed to
have been added originally, but is never used here anymore - the suet is
the nearest to meat we get, and even then I use vegetable suet so DD can
have some. I have managed to find a vegan Christmas Pudding this year,
as I can't make one without eggs, so DD will have one all to herself!

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk
http://picasaweb.google.com/SallySeaside

On 21/11/2011 17:48, Pat S wrote:
Do you think it is just possible, therefore, that I might be able to
*make* pastry? I have been *buying* it ready-made for many years ... ...
because you could pave a garden patio with mine g (sad but true - I
once made 'fool-proof' bread rolls from a packet mix that were so hard
my DH had to drill holes to hang them out for the birds - and they
ignored them gg).
.
In message , Sandy
writes

Polly, I also have a cream cheese pastry recipe, and if yours is
anything like mine, it's heavenly!

Let me know!
Or should I just post all of them?

NightMist

--
I'm raising a developmentally disabled child. *What's your superpower?

I wouldn't mind all of them, but please start with the cake version.
I love to
put lemon sauce on top but dh always wants whipped cream. That leaves
more lemon sauce for me ;-). You can follow with any other of the
recipes.
I also am known as a cookie monster!
Bonnie
NJ

On Nov 21, 1:57*pm, "Polly Esther" wrote:
Cream Cheese Pastry for beginners

1 'softened' 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup margarine ( that's 2 sticks) (also softened)
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Mix cream cheese and margarine until well blended. *Add flour and salt; mix
well. *Form into a ball, chill.
Divide dough in half. *Lightly flour a sheet of plastic wrap. *Place half of
the dough on plastic, lightly flour and cover with another sheet of plastic
wrap. *Gently, gently roll out into a circle.
Place in pie pan. *Trim, flute, prick. *Repeat with other half. *Bake at
450° about 12 minutes or proceed with another method. *The plastic wrap is
really not necessary for experienced pastry chefs but surely is helpful for
those of us who don't bake pies very often. *Polly

"Taria" wrote in message

...



DH says is doesn't sound like they eat too healthy there in the swamp.
Paula Deen would be at home there and I could probably be really
happy there too. *So I'll ask for your pastry recipe. *I just use a basic
one. *I don't do many pies here any more but occasionally I just need
one.
Taria

"Polly Esther" *wrote in ....

I was So hoping that you were going to ask for a grand pastry recipe. *I
have one that never fails even a beginner and uses cream cheese. *No
matter.
I enjoyed your tale so much. *Don't get to do that much here in the Swamp.
I can't seem to get them to try anything that doesn't begin with a stick
of
butter and 1/2 cup bacon fat. *Polly

I made a copy of the recipe Polly. Not sure if I'll every make it but
it sure
sounds wonderful!
Bonnie
NJ

I was thinking the cream cheese would be a great crust for lemon.
My all time favorite, well along with coconut cream and apple, and
banana cream.....
thanks for sharing!
Taria

"Polly Esther" wrote in message ...

Just about anything, Jeanne. It is a very fine but quite basic recipe. If
you're tempted, you could sneak in a little lemon zest for a lemon pie . . .
etc. If I'm baking a 'wet' pie such as pecan, I paint the pastry with egg
white and bake it for about 5 minutes before I add the filling. That's sort
of like a coat of shellac but tastes better. Polly


"J*" wrote in message
...
Polly,
what fillings does this recipe work with?
j.


"Polly Esther" ...

Cream Cheese Pastry for beginners
1 'softened' 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup margarine ( that's 2 sticks) (also softened)
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Mix cream cheese and margarine until well blended. Add flour and salt;
mix
well. Form into a ball, chill.
Divide dough in half. Lightly flour a sheet of plastic wrap. Place half
of
the dough on plastic, lightly flour and cover with another sheet of
plastic
wrap. Gently, gently roll out into a circle.
Place in pie pan. Trim, flute, prick. Repeat with other half. Bake at
450° about 12 minutes or proceed with another method. The plastic wrap is
really not necessary for experienced pastry chefs but surely is helpful
for
those of us who don't bake pies very often. Polly

Thank you Sandy for an interesting head's up and something I'd wondered
about newsgroup 'format' 'font' something. I've learned that Alt 176 = the
degree sign and that I can do 1/4 and 1/2 with something similar . . . but
if it doesn't read right on all receivers, it's not so hot. I'll just
plod along and straight type from now on. One day soon, we'll be able to
italicize and underline and do something really revolutionary like the cents
sign; meanwhile, I'll just cool it. Polly


"Sandy"

That's the same recipe as the one I use, Polly! Well, except that mine
has a "dash" of salt -- I'm not sure how much yours has, as it shows up
as strange symbol. g Anyway, I can vouch for how wonderful it is. It
makes great little tartlet shells and tastes wonderful on its own, too.

I have a pitiful note by the pastry recipe. It says, "don't even try if the
strawberries aren't good". No pastry in the world can overcome pretty and
tasteless strawberries. Apparently I made a beautiful and boring strawberry
pie using that pastry. Do you think I need to grow my own strawberries?
Polly


"J*" wrote in message
...
thanks, Polly.
cream cheese in pastry is a new concept to me.
i could see it going well with several pie/tart fillings we bake here at
various times.
at the moment, wee strawberry tarts would go down well. we're picking a
punnet every couple of days now. we have more plants than we need for the
two of us. shrug
j.

"Polly Esther" wrote...
Just about anything, Jeanne. It is a very fine but quite basic recipe.
If
you're tempted, you could sneak in a little lemon zest for a lemon pie . .
.
etc. If I'm baking a 'wet' pie such as pecan, I paint the pastry with egg
white and bake it for about 5 minutes before I add the filling. That's
sort
of like a coat of shellac but tastes better. Polly


"J*" wrote...
Polly,
what fillings does this recipe work with?
j.

"Polly Esther" ...
Cream Cheese Pastry for beginners
1 'softened' 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup margarine ( that's 2 sticks) (also softened)
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Mix cream cheese and margarine until well blended. Add flour and salt;
mix well. Form into a ball, chill.
Divide dough in half. Lightly flour a sheet of plastic wrap. Place half
of the dough on plastic, lightly flour and cover with another sheet of
plastic wrap. Gently, gently roll out into a circle.
Place in pie pan. Trim, flute, prick. Repeat with other half. Bake at
450° about 12 minutes or proceed with another method. The plastic wrap
is
really not necessary for experienced pastry chefs but surely is helpful
for those of us who don't bake pies very often. Polly