For every description of pastry made from puff paste, try if the oven is hot by placing your hand about half way in, and hold it there about a quarter of a minute, if you can hold it there that time without inconvenience it would not be hot enough, but if you cannot judge of the heat, the safest method would be, try a piece of the paste previous to baking the whole; I apply these few observations to all my readers, but particularly to the uninstructed, as a person of continual practice cannot fail to be aware of the truth of them.
No. 1132. Puff Paste.
Put one pound of flour upon your pastry slab, make a hole in the centre in which put the yolk of one egg and the juice of a lemon, with a pinch of salt, mix it with cold water (iced in summer, if convenient) into a softish flexible paste, with the right hand dry it off a little with flour until you have well cleared the paste from the slab, but do not work it more than you can possibly help, let remain two minutes upon the slab; then have a pound of fresh butter from which you have squeezed all the buttermilk in a cloth, bringing it to the same consistency as the paste, upon which place it; press it out with the hand, then fold the paste in three so as to hide the butter, and roll it with the rolling-pin to the thickness of a quarter of an inch, thus making it about two feet in length, fold over one third, over which again pass the rolling-pin; then fold over the other third, thus forming a square, place it with the ends top and bottom before you, shaking a little flour both under and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice again as before; flour a baking-sheet, upon which lay it, upon ice or in some cool place (but in summer it would be almost impossible to make this paste well without ice) for half an hour, then roll twice more, turning it as before, place again upon the ice a quarter of an hour, give it two more rolls, making seven in all, and it is ready for use when required, rolling it whatever thickness (according to what you intend making) directed in the following receipts. When I state that upwards of a hundred different kinds of cakes may be made from this paste, I am sure it will be quite sufficient to urge upon every cook the necessity of paying every attention to its fabrication, as it will repay for the study and trouble.
No. 1133. Puff Paste with Beef Suet.
Where you cannot obtain good butter for making paste, the following is an excellent substitute: skin and chop one pound of kidney beef suet very fine, put it into a mortar and pound it well, moistening with a little oil, until becoming as it were one piece, and about the consistency of butter, proceed exactly as in the last using it instead of butter.
No. 1134. Half Puff Paste.
Put one pound of flour upon your pastry slab with two ounces of butter, rub well together with the hands, make a hole in the centre, in which put a pinch of salt and the yolk of an egg with the juice of a lemon; mix with water as before, then roll it out thin and lay half a pound of butter (prepared as for puff paste) rolled into thin sheets over, fold it in three, roll and fold again twice over, lay it in a cold place a quarter of an hour, give another roll and it is ready for use where required; this paste is mostly used for fruit tarts, for which it is well adapted.
No. 1135.[13] Pâte à dresser.
Put three pounds of the best flour upon your pastry slab, make a hole in the centre, in which put a pound of butter, half an ounce of salt, and the yolks of six eggs; the butter must not be too firm, add half a pint of water, squeeze all well together with your hand, mixing the flour in by degrees, tearing well to pieces with the right hand, holding it with the left until it forms a smooth but stiffish paste, but if so stiff that you cannot work it without cracking, press out flat with your hand, sprinkle water upon it, fold over, press out again, proceeding in like manner until you have obtained the consistency required; you must also be careful not to make it too soft, as in either case you would not be able to use it. This paste must not be too much worked after it is mixed or it would become greasy; more care must be exercised in summer than in winter in this respect, it is used for raised pies either hot or cold.