Pastry crust recipe Is not that difficult once you get the hang of it. It is any day better than the frozen pastry crust that you get at stores. Every baker has a different recipe or trick for baking a perfect pastry or pie crust.
The most classic pastry crust recipe has butter as its main ingredient. Conventionally, vegetable oil is used to prepare the dough but to make the dough easy to roll out and give the pastry crust a flaky texture use sour cream along with fat.
For a homemade pastry crust recipe, put flour (2 cups), sugar and salt (teaspoon each) in a bowl and pulse the mixture with a food processor for a few minutes. Add about half a cup of butter and mix. Add the rest of the butter into the mixture and pulse for another 8 to 10 times.
Sprinkle some ice-cold water on the mixture and mix again. Add a tablespoon of ice water every time and mix. Do this until the dough starts to hold together. The mixture or the dough is ready once the dough is crumbly enough. Don’t add too much water as it will make the crust too tough.
Once the dough is tough enough, gather it in a form of a mound. Push it down with the palm of your hand. This will flatten the remaining pieces of butter into layers, making the crust flakier.
Divide the dough into even-sized mounds. Make them into disks using the palm of your hand. Over kneading might develop gluten which will toughen the dough further, something you definitely do not want in a pastry crust.
Wrap each disk (sprinkled with a flour) in a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for an hour. You can refrigerate it for up to two days. Remove the dough disks and let them sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. This will soften the dough and make rolling out a bit easier.
Add the filling (cream cheese, powdered sugar and cinnamon) roll out the second dough and place it on to the top of the filling of the pie. Trim the excess dough leaving a bit of overhang. Slit the top of the pie with 2-inch-long cuts which will blow out the steam that form inside the crust.
When the crust is sufficiently chilled, line it with a parchment or wax paper or aluminum foil and bake it in in an oven preheated at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or until the crust forms a golden color. Once baked set it to cool. Once cooled, cut them in the form of pastries and set them in the refrigerator to chill.
This is one of the very basic pastry crust recipes that is definitely worth a try.
We are a coffee-drinking nation and every form of the beverage – decaf, regular, expresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and ristretto is consumed everyday by millions of us. It’s the first thing we need in the morning and the last (for some) after dessert. Black, with cream, with sugar, no sugar, flavored, each of us has a preference with regard to strength. Nespresso’s taken heed of this and given us a gift in a pod with the Nespresso capsules. Available in the regular Arabica and Robusta capsules, they have some amazing seasonal flavors as well.
Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed in a capsule that holds 5-7 gms of coffee – enough for one serving of coffee. They offer five ranges in Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40 ml), Lungo (110 ml), Decaffeinated (40 ml and 110 ml) or Flavored (40 ml).
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Ristretto range are:
Ristretto Origin – Made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has toasted flavors with cocoa notes and woody undertones.
Ristretto Origin India – A blend of the finest Arabicas with a smidgen of Robusta from Southern India, this full-bodied coffee has hints of spices.
Ristretto Intenso – A strong blend of South and Central American Robustas and Arabicas, the Ristretto Intenso is a full-bodied coffee with a creamy texture and peppery notes.
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Espresso range are:
Espresso Origin Brazil: A pure Arabica coffee, it has a mild sweet flavor.
Espresso Leggero: A blend of South American Arabicas and Robusta, it has smooth notes of cocoa and cereal.
Espresso Forte: Exclusively made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has an intensely roasted balance of espresso and fruity notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Lungo range are:
Lungo Leggero: Lightly roasted East African, South and Central American Arabicas, with mild notes of jasmine is what makes up this delicious brew.
Lungo Forte: A complex mix of South and Central American Arabicas, this coffee has heavy roasted notes with a slight hint of fruit.
Lungo Origin Guatemala: A mix of Arabica and washed Gourmet Robusta coffee, Lungo Origin Guatemala is smooth and well balanced with dry and malty cereal notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules in the Decaffeinated range are:
Espresso Decaffeinato: Dark roasted South American Arabicas with a touch of Robusta enhances the cocoa flavors and roasted cereal undertones of this decaffeinated espresso.
Lungo Decaffeinato: This is a slightly more complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas. It includes toasted cereal and sweet notes with subtle and floral hints of East African Arabicas.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Flavored range are:
Espresso Vanilla: This silky-flavored coffee is the result of a base of Espresso Forte, which is a complex and heavily-roasted blend of South and Central American Arabicas and a slightly caramelized aroma of vanilla. Espresso Caramel: On a base of Espresso Forte, this complex and intensely roasted blend made from South and Central American Arabicas has the sweetness of caramel.
Here are a few easy and healthy recipe ideas that are both quick to make and light to digest on hot summer days. With very few ingredients, the preparation of these recipes is a breeze. So go on, enjoy these easy, healthy recipes that are brimming with nutrition and taste heavenly too!
Greek Cucumber Rolls
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
This is popular among easy and healthy recipes. Slice cucumber into thin flat strips using a vegetable peeler and arrange them in slices of two on a clean tray. Smear the hummus on top of each slice, then toss some feta cheese, black olives and cut tomatoes on each of the cucumber strips. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped dill and cilantro. Finally, roll the strips, serve the Greek cucumber rolls and see them being gobbled up by the young and old alike!
Flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the directions on the label. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and shallots. After about a minute or so, add the other vegetables along with salt and toss them gently for a few minutes. The vegetables must cook and be crunchy at the same time. When they are done, add the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper to it and mix well. Serve this flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables for lunch or dinner as a filling, yet light meal.
Sunshine juice
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Direction
Squeeze juice from the oranges and blend the strawberries in a juicer. Then in a pitcher, take the orange juice, strawberry juice, and chilled water together and mix well. Refresh yourself with this yummy sunshine juice with ice cubes on a hot day.