Ready made pastry.

Mamou - absolutely! As long as we enjoy the process - and hopefully eating the end result, that's all that really matters in the long run. It can be very therapeutic to do everything yourself, if you have the time, the means and the energy - but there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking short cuts either.

Kali2

I always buy ready-made pastre, but always check it is butter only and NOT palm oil.

Definitely with you on that! Palm oil is devastating vast areas. Destroying habitat for endangered species eg orangutans in Borneo. Vegan pastry made with it is not only disgusting but causes environmental harm to the planet. I make my own shortcrust pastry but buy all butter puff pastry.

We have heard so many times that hard work is the way. If you want anything that is worthwhile, you need to put in effort. To be proud of accomplishments, you need to have gone through all of the rough roads.
After years of ‘work’ on myself, I believe that life is meant to be joyful. Period. Whatever it is that you do, whether it is a kitchen full of mess while baking or just cracking an egg and mixing. Did you enjoy the process? Was the end result satisfying? Was anyone negatively impacted by your actions? I think you did good with one. 1-2-3 done and delicious result! Sounds joyful to me.

I've used ready made and it's fine. Life is too short.

Use it all the time but always feel guilty that my Grandma would tut as she taught me to make pastry and hers was perfect! Feel a bit of a cheat but never mind!

As a supply teacher some decades ago I was given two Home Ec lessons a week with the same year group.
In those halcyon days before a rigid curriculum. I was given a free hand as I had had catering experience -how that was relevant escaped me., and very little guidance from the HoD.
So I decided to devote one lesson each week to the “proper” way to do things - cheese sauce, pastry, pizza, scones , cupcakes even shoe cleaning and one to the “shortcut” methods using Scuffcote, scone or cake mix, Jus-rol etc.
The kids reacted very positively and often it was difficult to tell the difference in the results.

I use ready made.
I can make pastry.
Shortcrust is easy , but puff/filo too much bother .
I like shortcuts !

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.

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 !

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!!

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.

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

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.

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

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 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 ?

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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' ?

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.

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