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gemini

Joined: 02 Nov 2012
Posts: 69

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 9:43 am Post subject: IM SENDING AN S.O.S

Hi

Is there any chefs out there or bakers, I tried to be adventurous with mince pies, the recipe sounded great and was marked as easy peasy.
Vienesse Mince Pies, but god what a mess, the vienesse topping was so sticky, couldnt get it off my hands, then it ended up in my hair, the pastry, was to be made in a food processor, but instead of making a lump, got stuck, so to free it put some milk in, cooled it in fridge, thinking that the lump will get smaller, so the food processor is all gummed up, and my OH to help, or make a joke, brought out a chisel,
I am completely truamitised, it reminds me when the bread shortage was on, I decided to make bread, I went to the local baker, and got 3/4 lb of fresh yeast, went home three pounds of flour, it looked really good, so put it in the airing cupboard, got home really excited, opened the airing cupboard, it looked like the day of the triffids, this grey mass, had to get a shovel, all linen was ruined, I didnt get any sympathy, just everone laughing hysterically,vowed never to bake again.gemini

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 10:47 am Post subject:
Use the 'no knead' method for bread making. It's very simple, almost mess free and it's all done my hand. https://www.azeliaskitchen.net/blog/how-to-make-an-easy-loaf-my-everyday-bread-with-no-kneading/ https://www.azeliaskitchen.net/blog/dan-lepard-white-sourdough/ etc.

wildfoodie

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 2169

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 11:20 am Post subject:

1. tie your hair back.
2 for pastry everything cold including your hands and the bowl
3 don't use a food processor - it mashes everything too small, it's worth the extra few minutes to work your pastry by hand.
4. the only pastry I use for mince pies is a really short, almost flakey crust Delia Smith recipe - 400g flour to 300g fat - preferably a block of frozen butter or block margarine but never use that easy spread margarine it has water in it. grate the frozen fat into the flour with a pinch of salt and mix it loosely with a palette knife. Add only enough ice cold water to bring 90% of the mix together - use your fingertips to ball the rest of the crumbs into the dough. wrap it in a plastic bag and leave it for at least 20 mins in the fridge to rest.

Most of my pastry troubles have occurred by using too warm fat or working in a hot environment, and failing to rest the pastry before baking.

VM

Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 11:29 am Post subject:

Re pastry in the food processor - very useful for rubbing the butter/fat into the flour til breadcrumb texture, but I always take the mixture out of the processor and add liquid by hand. Different flours absorb more or less water so adding water by hand keeps you in control of what's going on. I know this makes it sound mysterious but once you've done it a few times you'll just know from the look and feel when it's right.

To speed things up a bit, if you know anyone who bakes, see if you can go and watch them - that way you get to see for yourself what sort of texture, feel etc you are looking for, whether in bread dough or pastry.

I'd keep it simple with mince pies - homemade ones are always nice even if very ordinary recipe. Viennese recipe sounds like it's made with a richer, more buttery pastry, which will be harder to manage if you're a novice baker - never mind what the recipe says.

Mince pie filling is rich enough without needing extra rich pastry.

So if you can bear to try again, just go for basic shortcrust - same amount of butter/other fat and flour then enough water to make it all come together into a neatish lump, but not a sticky one!

Good luck! But don't worry if you can't face it. Bought pastry with homemade mincemeat will be nice - or bought mincemeat souped up a bit with some extra booze or flavourings or grated apple, extra nuts, whatever.

I love baking but I have definitely got better at it over the years - 52 now and only really got the hang of good cakes in past few years though been making them since my teens.

My mum hates baking - makes her feel ill if she watches me making pastry!

VM

Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 11:31 am Post subject:
Or, if you want a more biscuity pastry, like French patisserie, then add some sugar to the dough and an egg yolk in place of some of the liquid.

Jb

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 7761
Location: 91ï¿½ N

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 11:34 am Post subject: Re: IM SENDING AN S.O.S

gemini wrote:

... got 3/4 lb of fresh yeast ...

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 11:36 am Post subject: Re: IM SENDING AN S.O.S

JB wrote:

gemini wrote:

... got 3/4 lb of fresh yeast ...

my thoughts too....

Should have gone to Iceland?

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 2:07 pm Post subject:

If pastry=making stresses you out, I think I'd second the bought shortcrust pastry route too. 99% of the time I make my own but I've used the fresh ready-rolled stuff and it's actually very good.

And 99% of the time I make my own mincemeat but again, pimping-up a decent bought jar works jolly well. As previously suggested, extra apple is good, chopped walnuts, Calvados...or orange zest and Cointreau...whatever needs finishing before Christmas

astra

Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 1243
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 8:13 pm Post subject:
If you don't like getting pastry down your nails use a pastry blender...I wouldn't be without mine. Breaks down the fat into the flour easy peasy and no gummy hands!!!!

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 8:17 pm Post subject:
The other good thing about pastry by hand is it gets all the crud t from under your finger nails. You have very clean hands after a bit of pastry making. Mince pie, anyone?

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 9:44 pm Post subject:
Classy...

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 12 10:50 pm Post subject:
Crusty...

gemini

Joined: 02 Nov 2012
Posts: 69

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 12 8:56 am Post subject:
Hi You all rock,I went down to the shop, and found ready made short crust pastry with butter, do you think I will get away with it if I said I made them with my own fair hands? gemini

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 12 8:58 am Post subject:
of course

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 12 9:16 am Post subject:
Rolled out shop bought pastry with jarred filling are still homemade unless they get forensic with their questioning.

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