Relaxing ways to start Sunday

[major_clanger]

Making pastry! I volunteered to make Apple Pie for a forthcoming Thanksgiving-themed potluck and so sought advice from E, my erstwhile coursemate on the BVC. Now, despite having acquired a Home Counties accent at Oxford so convincing she now gets the third degree from Homeland Security on visits home, E is technically eligible to join the DAR; since she is thus officially As American As Apple Pie I thought she ought to be able to tell me how to make a proper one. Sure enough she sent me her mother's allegedly infallible recipe so, as firm believer in the 6P principle I though I'd best have a trial run.

I mentioned this to my Mum yesterday whilst visiting; she thought I was a bit mad for making the pastry rather than buying it (well, I want this to be a pie I've made rather than assembled) but gave me some helpful tips on making pastry if I was intent on doing so. Apparently the idea is to gently crumble the flour and fat between your fingertips rather than knead it together - this gets a more even mix and adds air to the dough. Thus advised, and equipped with some quick calculations to turn cups into grammes, I set to work with my flour and Trex, which is apparently the best local equivalent to that peculiar US substance 'shortening'.

Well, I now have a nice ball of what looks, smells and tastes like pastry, so now to try the actual Apple Pie bit. More updates later.

Comments

[fjm.livejournal.com]

American Apple Pies and British Apple Pies are not the same Creature.


A UK apple pie uses bramley apples which bake to a mush. I'm not sure what Americans use, but it's a firmer apple. Also, they believe in Cinnamon [shudder]. UK pies are more likely to use cloves.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

In fact, you can use a variety of different apples for pies in the British version. My mother likes a hard sharp cooking apple in hers, for instance, and that's what I use, too (also when I make apple cake.) Bramleys are only one option. And I add sultanas, japonica and muscovado sugar. Or, indeed, cloves. (Cinnamon is for apple cake.)

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

This being a US recipe it was indeed heavy on cinnamon and nutmeg. (Yes, before bugshaw asks, I did grate it.) I used Granny Smiths as they are fairly sharp, and also what I tend to eat anyway, which makes dealing with leftovers easy.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

Oh god, have just realised you are using a US recipe.

Stop!!!! Their flour is different to ours, with a different level of gluten. It *may* work, but it's really hit and miss. When I made scones, the result was very different from UK scones.

(And don't get me onto the horrors of US pre-washed Basmati.)

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Hence the experiment! If it doesn't work properly, I'll use pre-made pastry for the actual party pie.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

An interesting point.

I'm making some New England rolls. The result may not be authentic, but it looks right, and tastes good. However, I've got to the stage of not measuring the flour content any more when making bread doughs, so that may be compensating.

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

Some people can do pastry, others simply can't, the ability is very dependent on hand temperature amongst other things - if your hands are too warm then you may be congenitally crap at pastry. This is your chance to find out which camp you fall into. Let us know how it turns out - we're intrigued.

(I am reminded of my father's solo attempt to make Welsh Cakes in Belgium, with no griddle, rolling pin or cutters. It was not a success.)

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

Use a blowtorch. It's the only way.

...but seriously, looking forward to hearing how this turns out!

[timill]

Mmmmm... iPie.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Put the dough into the fridge for a few minutes before rolling it out (longer if it's sticky). And ideally roll it onto a cold surface (marble is best). And try and ensure your hands are as cold as possible during the process.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I used my (well-cleaned) marbleoid work surface, and that did indeed work well. However, I now realise I need a palette knife to help with getting the rolled-out pastry off!

[timill]

How to do it: Alton Brown on Good Eats S2E6P1: Crust Never Sleeps

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Dental floss! How cunning is that?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Ah. Did you flour the surface first? That helps.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Yes, although perhaps I should have used a bit more than I did. It's a while since I last rolled out pastry!

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

The important thing about the flour is the protein content. Pastry flour and all-purpose flour are both used in the us to make pie crust. The protein content of pastry flour is @ 9% and of all-purpose, @ 11%. Higher protein counts won't make it inedible, just a bit stiff.

MKK