Puff Pastry

[Cuilidh]

Many recipes on the forum call for the use of puff pastry – my impression is that most, or maybe all, commercially produced pastry contains dangerous trans fats (I think with the exception of filo pastry).  I am very leery of purchasing pastry because of this and thank goodness that there are so many great pastry recipes on this forum to make instead of having to rely on the supermarket varieties.

Does anyone have a recipe for puff pastry made on the TMX – or is it just a short pastry rolled and re-rolled lots of times with knobs of butter in between?  I’ve never made puff pastry, and only started making TMX pastry a couple of weeks ago, so I’m a complete novice at this.

Also, the recipes that have puff pastry in them ask for “1 sheet”.  If I feel brave enough to make my own puff pastry, can you give me an idea of just how big one sheet is?

Thanks.

[Zan]

There is a puff pastry recipe in the edc. I've made it once. Was nice but uses lard and the smell makes me feel sick, lol.
Think it made eqiuvalent of 2 sheets but can't really remember.
A puff pastry sheet measures 24cm x 24cm.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

We love the EDC recipe. It puffs up really nicely.  You can buy butter puff pastry though.  It is a bit more expensive but much nicer than the margerine based stuff.  I think Pampas has a butter variety and also Borg's.

[thermie crew]

You're right Chelsea and these brands of butter puff pastry are also additive free-worth the extra few cents!

I like the EDC puff pastry but my woolies no longer stocks lard so I make the short crust pastry-so easy! It works really well for quiches and pies etc and I now even do my sausage rolls with it-just rolling it our extra thinly first. I often do a double batch in the thermomix and make a quiche (for lunches) at the same time as my sausage rolls. This makes the effort even less for what you have to show for it in the end.

[Frozzie]

anyone interested in a puff pastry recipe for the THX PM me and ill email the french one.easy and no lard lol

[Ceejay]

There is also a Quick puff pastry recipe in the Indian cookbook that doesn't use lard.

[Frozzie]

just had a look and the one in the indian book is the same recipe as the french one or one of them except the french recipe says the butter must be frozen and NOT just put in the freezer for 10 mins...apparentloy its the frozen butter that makes it quick and easy??

[Frozzie]

the other recipe i have is one without folding and with petit suisses (fromage frais non salted thick or a solid type soft cheese...kind of like philly cheese maybe??)

[Zan]

Thanks Kim. Not tried the indian cookbook one (don't think I read through it). Will try both now.

[Frozzie]

would definatley freeze the butter and not just put it in for 10 mins like the indian book says..my consultant told me it was what makes the puff pastry?? and i know with the fist recipe the more you fold the more layers or puff you create so tot speak!

[Cuilidh]

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone, and for following up with a PM Kim, I'll have a go with puff pastry when I get a break next week on Australia Day.  I hadn't realised there was a puff pastry recipe in the EDC, but as I am a vegetarian the lard would have made it a bgt "NO NO" for me.  Would butter be a suitable substitute for the lard?

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone, and for following up with a PM Kim, I'll have a go with puff pastry when I get a break next week on Australia Day.  I hadn't realised there was a puff pastry recipe in the EDC, but as I am a vegetarian the lard would have made it a bgt "NO NO" for me.  Would butter be a suitable substitute for the lard?

The UK Fast and Easy cookbook has a puff pastry recipe that just uses butter.  It is almost identical to the EDC recipe, so that one should work well with just butter too.

[BimbyPT]

Both the traditional Portuguese recipe and the one included in our Thermomix basic recipes book are made using unsalted butter.
I had never heard of making puff pastry with lard before!

[KerrynN]

I made the EDC puff pastry using butter and it was fine.

I have bought lard in order to make it again and compare them. I was very hesitant to use lard in the first place but my consultant tells me that I need to get over my "fat aversion".

[BimbyPT]

Lard isn't that much fatter then butter, I believe. Just a little more yucky