Ready made pastry.

storynanny

Old Ma Allen at my school was the scariest most horrible teacher in the world. She “ taught” domestic science. I’ve never made any pastry since except basic shortcrust as it will be forever linked to failure, sarcasm, fear and tears due to that woman!
Yes Mary Berry said it’s not worth making puff, filo etc as the bought versions are so good and easy.

Sorry you made me laugh. Your ma Allen could have been my Miss Sc... twin. She tortured us for three years we were terrified of her.
Her recipe for pastry has stuck in my mind for 55 years.
I really like cooking and so do my DD all thanks to an Italian aunt who made everything fun and tasty for me and I passed it on .

I like thin pastry, I can't get thin pastry from the ready made, so I make my own, I very occasionally buy the ready made, then I feel a cheat!

My mum made the best pastry, but mine isn't as nice somehow. I've changed recipes a few times, but it's basically the recipe on the back of the box of shortening.

I used ready-made short pastry only a few times, and those are the tart shells in the little foil cups. Handy for entertaining, and nice looking than my lumpy tarts. Oh, and I have used the phyllo as well. Never would I even attempt to make it!

Roll the ready made pastry out until it’s the thickness you need, it works fine.

I think it must be because we grew up watching our mums bake ! Its been instilled into us to make pastry from scratch, mind you, when we were young there was no such thing as ready-made pastry.

Its just the same ( well, it is for me ) with a cake.

Its the easiest thing in the world to pluck a cake off the shelf, umpteen sizes and flavours to choose from, easy peesy.

But how fulfilling is it to lovingly ( to some haha ) make a cake from scratch, to decorate it and serve a slice to a friend ?

Its a case of sheer laziness in my book...

Ok, ok, ok I hold my hands up, admittedly I qm lazy a lot of the time.

Old Ma Allen made us so scared that we continually made silly mistakes, leaving the jam pan on the job too long so the pan got burnt, putting plastic stuff near the oven so it melted. And if you were unlucky enough to sit near the twin tub you had to fill it and wash the tea towels. Another source of terror in case you overfilled it by mistake through anxiety!
No idea what pleasure she got out of teaching us how to/not to enjoy cooking.
This was late 60’s early 70’s so a long time to still have those memories!
I make all cakes from scratch except
Red Velvet cake- the Betty Crocker mix is divine
Choux pastries- I just can’t do it!
Anything yeasty - too heavy
My local son in laws love my chocolate brownies! Probably not invented when old Ma Allen was alive.

Delia's Quick Flaky pastry recipe is really delicious, especially for a sausage roll. It is difficult to find All Butter Puff Pastry here and a visit to Waitrose is necessary.

I buy puff pastry but make my own shortcrust well my 40 year old Moulinex Masterchef makes it for me.

Those of you who make it (shortcrust at least) what fat do you use?
I’ve tried the half butter, half lard, but honestly prefer it made with hard Stork, which is what my DM used to use.
I’ve also tried it just once with all butter, but didn’t care for it - too buttery. Which is daft, because I do like butter.
My niggle with Stork is the palm oil.

Mind you, I’m not particularly fond of pastry, not on its own. The edges of anything like a quiche tend to go out for the birds, who also enjoy any scraps of uncooked pastry I chuck out for them.

Mum was the best short crust pastry maker, and taught me. Although my domestic science teacher was good.
I make my own short crust, using one of these, but buy ready made for puff pastry.
Witzend, I also like to use half hard Stork and lard. The funny thing about lard was that I asked in Aldi if they stocked it, and was told it was 'seasonal' ?

I make shortcrust, but buy anything else.

Genuine question to those who think buying is cheating - do they think food processors are cheating? Or even that wonderful contraption of AuntieFlo's

I don't feel any guilt whatsoever about buying ready made pastry. I'm old and have a chronic bad back.
I've been doing so for several years now. It's wonderful!

Auntieflo

Mum was the best short crust pastry maker, and taught me. Although my domestic science teacher was good.
I make my own short crust, using one of these, but buy ready made for puff pastry.
Witzend, I also like to use half hard Stork and lard. The funny thing about lard was that I asked in Aldi if they stocked it, and was told it was 'seasonal' ?

Lard is seasonal in this house - I only ever buy it to make ‘bird pudding’ in very cold weather -melted lard with oats, any bits of bread, stale cake or crumbs, some raisins, etc.

Goes down very well on the bird table, or on the grass (for ground feeders like blackbirds) if there’s snow. Great spotted woodpeckers will be there PDQ - I swear they can smell lard from half a mile away!

Anything that’s good enough for Mary, is good enough for me..
I buy fresh, cut it into 3 or 4, then freeze. That way I can just get a small piece for cinnamon whirls or the like - I alway have a whole roll too, of course. Easy peasy.

I buy puff because it's too much hassle to make.

I would think you could still roll out the ready rolled stuff more, to make it a bit thinner? I make lovely shortcrust pastry, but i cant be bothered any more, as theres only me eats it mostly.My sons will sausage rolls & one eats crumbles but pies? NO.(Often its easier to buy a ready made pie too)?

I got some ready rolled stuff before xmas, but threw it out as the supermarkets sent out a warning that some had been infected with salmonella ?

My mother used to make amazing pastry, be it shortcrust or her favourite rough puff. Her pies and tarts were legendary!
Even she later on, had the odd block of ready made in the fridge or freezer!
My son is GF so usually buy ready made for him, just wish that it wasn't such a small pack (about enough to make 1 quiche or pie) so I could batch cook and put some in the freezer!

I can actually make beautiful pastry but if needed I buy ready made. Why make life difficult for myself. The best chefs use ready made. It can be rolled easily as thin as you want as well. I don't get why people are bothered about buying it other than they liking to tell people they make their own...hahaha

Even Mary Berry uses shop bought puff pastry. If it is good enough for her it is good enough for me. Aldi own make is the best.

Flaky and rough puff I buy, short crust I always make.

Storynanna your experiences are so similar to mine. We were so frightened of getting things wrong, the plastic dish reminded me. Ovens on girls to warm up, fat for lining get it melted. My friend was so scared one lesson when things were missing out of her drawer she did everything with a huge carving knife, I know where we would have liked to stick it.
The worst mistake we made was, in the fourth year we had to make the buffet for the sixth-form party. Someone got her sugar and salt mixed up and did not dare confess. There were a lot of complaints about the buffet that year.

I buy pastry
and microwave rice
and frozen mash
and oven chips. I feel no guilt at all. I bought up 3 children with everything made from scratch - mainly because of money problems - and now, happily, I can afford it so if these things make life easier then I buy it!!

Even Mary Berry uses bought pastry!

It’s such an easy thing to make, in theory, but I’ve got less and less good at pastry over the years. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I wish my mum was still here to advise me !

And ready made pasta too! But still feel guilty using this and puff pastry. Haven't yet used ready made short, but am sure the day will come.