and if it immediately recedes to its former shape, the
cook may be sure it has been clumsily and irregularly
mixed. To remedy this, roll the paste out carefully and
placj^ h^re and there upon it five or six pieces of butter,
each the size of a walnut ; then work it as before until the
proper degree of softness is attained. The paste should
neither be too stiff nor too soft, but of a proper medium ;
yet it is better for it to be too soft than too stiff. A
warm place should not be chosen in which to make puff
paste, hence it is rather difficult to do work of this kind
properly in summer. If a cool place cannot be found,
the paste might be made up slightly stiffer m summer
than in winter. When the paste has been made as
above, cut in pieces three-quarters of a pound of butter
which has been lying for twenty minutes in ice-water, and
been afterward well washed and pounded. Squeeze and
work the butter well in a napkin to separate the water
from it and at the same time to render it soft, and, above
all, of an even consistency ; then as quickly as possible
roll the paste into a square on a marble slab, being par-
ticular to make the ends of the dough perfectly even, as
success depends largely on folding properly. Place the
butter in the middle, spread it over half the paste, and
immediately turn the other half over the butter to cover
it. Then roll the paste out to be about three feet in
length, fold it so as to make three thicknesses, and roll
it as before ; then fold it once more into three equal
parts, roll it to a greater length, fold it, and place it
quickly on a plate sprinkled with flour. Set the plate
upon ten pounds of pounded ice, cover the paste with a
second plate, and place a pound of broken ice on top of
the latter plate, which serves to keep the surface of the
PIES. 391
paste cool, and also to prevent it being softened by the
action of the air. After two or three minutes remove
the top plate and turn the paste upside down, instantly
covering it as before. In about fifteen minutes roll the
paste out, and use it very expeditiously.
Thus in less than half an hour it is possible to make
very fine puif-paste, but this is only provided everything
has been previously prepared — the ice pounded, the
butter frozen and the oven made quite hot, for otherwise
the paste cannot be made so quickly. The heating of
the oven must be attended to by all means, for it some-
times requires fully an hour to bring it to the proper tem-
perature. It is safe to begin to make the paste when the
oven is half heated.
PUFF-PASTE (American).
The following recipe is that used by one of our profes-
sional cooks, and is somewhat different in its working
from the preceding, but is highly successful. It is not
so rich as the Careme paste.
One pound of flour.
Three-quarters of a pound of butter.
Ice-water.
Two eggs (yolks).
Two tea-spoonfuls of salt.
One tea-spoonful of sugar✪ Puff-Paste (American).
Place the flour when sifted on a board or marble slab,
and sprinkle over it the sugar and salt ; then beat the
yolks of the eggs, and stir into them a few spoonfuls of ice-
cold water. Pour the eggs slowly into the center of the
flour with the left hand, working them at the same time
392 THE PA TTERN COOK-BOOK.
Page 170 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
and if it immediately recedes to its former shape, the cook may be sure it has been clumsily and irregularly mixed. To remedy this, roll the paste out carefully and place here and there upon it five or six pieces of butter, each the size of a walnut ; then work it as before until the proper degree of softness is attained. The paste should neither be too stiff nor too soft, but of a proper medium ; yet it is better for it to be too soft than too stiff. A warm place should not be chosen in which to make puff paste, hence it is rather difficult to do work of this kind properly in summer. If a cool place cannot be found, the paste mighbeen made up slightly stiffer in summer than in winter. When the paste has been made as above, cut in pieces three-quarters of a pound of butter which has been lying for twenty minutes in ice-water, and been afterward well washed and pounded. Squeeze and work the butter well in a napkin to separate the water from it and at the same time to render it soft, and, above all, of an even consistency ; then as quickly as possible roll the paste into a square on a marble slab, being particular to make the ends of the dough perfectly even, as success depends largely on folding properly. Place the butter in the middle, spread it over half the paste, and immediately turn the other half over the butter to cover it. Then roll the paste out to be about three feet in length, fold it so as to make three thicknesses, and roll it as before ; then fold it once more into three equal parts, roll it to a greater length, fold it, and place it quickly on a plate sprinkled with flour. Set the plate upon ten pounds of pounded ice, cover the paste with a second plate, and place a pound of broken ice on top of the latter plate, which serves to keep the surface of the
paste cool, and also to prevent it being softened by the action of the air. After two or three minutes remove the top plate and turn the paste upside down, instantly covering it as before. In about fifteen minutes roll the paste out, and use it very expeditiously.
Thus in less than half an hour it is possible to make very fine puff-paste, but this is only provided everything has been previously prepared — the ice pounded, the butter frozen and the oven made quite hot, for otherwise the paste cannot be made so quickly. The heating of the oven must be attended to by all means, for it sometimes requires fully an hour to bring it to the proper temperature. It is safe to begin to make the paste when the oven is half heated.
PUFF-PASTE (American).
The following recipe is that used by one of our professional cooks, and is somewhat different in its working from the preceding, but is highly successful. It is not so rich as the Careme paste.
One pound of flour.
Three-quarters of a pound of butter.
Ice-water.
Two eggs (yolks).
Two tea-spoonfuls of salt.
One tea-spoonful of sugar.
Place the flour when sifted on a board or marble slab, and sprinkle over it the sugar and salt ; then beat the yolks of the eggs, and stir into them a few spoonfuls of icecold water. Pour the eggs slowly into the center of the flour with the left hand, working them at the same time
Records on this page
Puff-Paste (American)