Pastries

Short pastries have a crumbly, slightly crisp, texture. Rich pastries contain a lot of fat, so are very short, with a fine crumb texture and melt-in-the-mouth quality. A small amount of water or liquid is used to bind the pastry, ensuring it does not fall apart. This gives it a certain crispness, acquired also by baking at a fairly high temperature. Make sure you work in a cool environment when making short pastries and use chilled ingredients. Handle the pastry lightly and as little as possible. Heavy handling results in heavy, or tough, pastry.