Pie Pastry

[Natooke]

OK everyone I want to know all your tricks about making pastry in the Swedish kitchen.

[Carolyn]

I use the same recipe I've used for about 30 years, except I use Milda instead of Crisco, and I get pretty good results.

The real secrets are make sure the Milda and the water are COLD. I even float some ice cubes in a cup full of water and use that.

There are two really critical steps for flaky, tender pastry. First and foremost is don't handle the dough more than you have to. If you don't have a pastry cutter, use two knives to cut the Milda into the flour. And if you normally have warm hands, be extra careful about handling the dough.

Also, after you get the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour.

When I roll the dough out, I prefer having a pastry cloth as well, but our sub-tenant last year apparently thought it was a cleaning rag and cut it into quarters. I also have a pastry "sock" that goes over my rolling pin, but that mostly just helps with sticking, and you shouldn't be playing with the dough to the point where it's real sticky anyway.

[Natooke]

I even float some ice cubes in a cup full of water and use that.

I use this method too & keep my hands cold with running them over cold water.

The Milda tip I got from PS

Also, after you get the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour.

My recipe recommends this too.

Would you recommend a wood or a marble surface?? and did you buy your pastry cloth here or back home?

[Carolyn]

I bought the pastry cloth back home, unfortunately, although you probably can find them here. I just haven't looked.

I roll my pastry out on my metal countertop by the sink (after washing it scrupulously, of course) and make sure there's enough flour on the surface to keep it from sticking. I think marble would be good as well, since it's cold.