This basic pastry dough is so seriously very basic, fats, flour and iced water…and yumtastic
Baking is a science they say, well it is and it isn’t. I love this simple basic pastry dough my mama taught me.
My mama, Rachael Bacchus, would fill these flaky pastry shells with just about any filling, if she didn’t dole it out fairly, some of my siblings only saw the few crumbs left behind that proved the pastries very short existence.
There are many pastry snacks on offer at every roadside stand and corner shop in Guyana; what used to be street food ended up in corner shops and eventually appeared on restaurant menus.
Pop into any, street stand, lil shop, or restaurant and you will find these flaky hand held pastries. Always homemade and mostly savoury mixes are stuffed in this basic pastry dough.
Most popular savoury pastries in Guyana? Chicken and vegetables, spicy beef, and vegetables. And the popular sweet ones…pineapple jam filled, simply called Pine Tarts, so good, so, so, good. And last but not least, the ultimate coffee companion is called Cheese Rolls, mmmm.
The flaky buttery pastry is delicious with either sweet or savoury fillings. For both the pine tarts and cheese rolls check out this link.
Most recipes call for 2 tablespoon water but that never works. Flour will dry up the few drops of water very quickly ,just use more water like in this recipe.
Use a well-floured surface when rolling your patties.
This is a basic pastry dough. Unlike what we are taught in cookbooks, this dough is fast and easy, don’t overthink it, just make it, wput it in the fridge and forget about it.
Oh, and if you need fillings, check out this unique Salmon and Dill Patties, you may love it.