1. Area of Practice B: Food Preparation and Cooking Processes
Assignment: 3
Commercially prepared pastry is a popular option for many costumers.
Carry out research on the commercially prepared pastry in relation to each of the
following:
 Brands and types available
 Dishes that can be made, stating the type of pastry used in each case
 Cost
Choose one type of commercially prepared pastry. Give an account of the key point that
should be considered in order to ensure success when using this pastry.
Prepare, cook and serve one dish (either sweet or savoury) using the pastry that you have
investigated.
Evaluate the assignment in terms of (a) implementation and (b) the advantages and / or
the disadvantages of commercially prepared pastry.

2. Investigation: Analysis/Research
Pastry is an unleavened dough made from flour and fat mixed with water, or egg and
water. It may be sweet or savoury, the proportion of fat to flour varies with the type of
pastry and with the method of incorporating fat. Fat used me be solely butter, lard,
margerine, or a mixture of these fats.
Commercially Prepared Pastry
Block
Just Roll
Fresh
Just Roll
Frozen
Tesco
Fresh
Tesco
Frozen
Tesco
Finest
Puff
€2.00
500g
€5.20
1kg
-
-
-
Short
Crust
€2.00
500g
€3.39
500g
-
-
-
Sheets
Just Roll
Fresh
Just Roll
Frozen
Tesco
Fresh
Tesco
Frozen
Tesco
Finest
Puff
€2.44
2x320g
€3.65
2x320g
€2.25
375g
-
-
Short
Crust
€3.49
640g
€3.49
2x320g
€2.25
375g
-
-
Filo
€2.95
6x45g
€2.95
270g
-
-
-

3. Pastry Dishes
Types
Savory
Sweet
Puff pastry
Feta and Artichoke puff bites
Strawberry Puff
Tomato and Tapenade Puff Tart
Salmon en cruet
Steak and Kidney Pie
Sausage Rolls
Vanilla Cream Slices
Apple puff tarts
Apple tart tartin
Smoked haddock
Exotic Fruit Filo
Broccoli filo pie
Salmon fillet in filo with butter
Figs and Parma ham filo tartlets
Spiced Moroccan lamb filo pie
Almond and Pistachio
baklava
Berry Fruit filo tartlet
Spiced Orange
Caramelised nuts and rosemary
Canapés
Potato cheese & leek shortcrust tarts
Pepperoni & mushroom crust pizza
Short crust pastry sausage rolls
Apple tart
Blueberry and lemon
shortcrust tarts
Christmas mince pies
Bakewell tart
stacks
Filo Pastry
tartlet
filo
Short Crust
Sources of Information:
“Cordon Bleu: Cooker Course”
Local Supermarkets: Tesco, Dunnes, Super Value, Lidl, Aldi

4. Practical Application - Preparation and Planning
Name of dish: Vanilla Cream Slices
Source of recipe: “Cominations Transition Year Home Economics” Carmel Boyle,
Dervilla Moore
Date of practical:
Ingredients
200g Just Roll Fresh pastry
200ml Dawn Fresh Cream
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
1 egg
100g icing sugar
Red food colouring (optional)
Cost
€2
Key Equipment: rolling pin, pastry board, flour dredger, palette knife, large deep freeze
bag, balling sheet, electronic mixer, small bowl, kettle, dessert spoon, cling wrap, fridge.
Work Plan
I will remove jewellery, tie back hair, wash hands, out on an apron.
I will preheat my oven to 220c/Gas 7.
I will weigh ingredients and set up my table.
I will role out the pastry block into a large rectangle shape and cut pastry into rectangles
6x4mm approx.
I will roll prepared pastry in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
I will whip cream and store whipped cream in the fridge.
I will boil the kettle for hot water for glacé icing.
I will bake pastry in the preheated oven.
I will fill the cold pastries with jam and whipped cream.
I will ice the pastries.

5. Implementation
I preheated the oven 200c and boiled the kettle, I lightly greased a baking try. I greased a
balling tray. I rolled out the pastry block into a rectangular shape - approx 1/8” 5mm
thick. I cut strips 5cm wide, divided strips into 5/6 slices- each slice measuring 6x4cm
approx. I placed pastry slices on the prepared balling tray, I covered the pastry with cling
wrap and I left prepared pastry in the fridge to relax for 5-10 minutes. I glazed pastry
using a little beaten egg. I baked the pastry in a preheated oven at 200c Fan for 10 mins
approx. I competed my wash up and reset my table . I whipped cream. I sieved icing
sugar into a bowl, carefully added 1-2 drops of red food colouring. I then added 1-2
dessert spoons of hot water to make a thick glossy glacé icing. When the pastries were
risen, a light golden colour, I removed the from the oven and cooled them on a wire tray.
When cold I separated each pastry slice into two halves, I put jam on the base layer,
cream on the underside of the top layer and sandwiched the two sides together. I
decorated the pastries with pink glacé icing. I completed my wash up. I served the
pastries on a decorated places using a d’oylee.
Key Factors for Success
 Leave prepared pastry in fridge to cool, relax before cooking, the gluten relaxes and
the pastry is less likely to lose its shape or shrink.
 Cook in a hot oven to ensure starch grains in flour burst, absorb fat, resulting in a
flaky texture. Cool oven temperature will make pastry greasy and heavy
Safety
 Always wear oven gloves when placing or removing pastry slices from the oven to
avoid burns.
 Be careful to plug in, unplug, the electric mixer with dry hands to avoid electric
shock
Hygiene
 Wash hands, scrub nails and personal hygiene is paramount to avoid food poisoning
because the pastry requires a lot of hand preparation ie, rolling, cutting, shapes, filling
and icing cooked pastries.

6. Evaluation
Appearance: the pastries were well risen, light golden brown, nicely decorated with a
thick glossy glacé icing.
Flavour: The pastry had a rich buttery flavour the cream was flavoured with a hint of
vanilla essence, the glacé icing was sweet.
Texture: The pastry was flaky, cream was moist and thick, the icing was sticky and
nicely set.
Modifications: I could use puff pastry sheets instead of block. I could add a spoonful of
sugar to the whipped cream with white icing, or simply dredge with icing sugar for longer
to ensure a flakier texture and more risen appearance, if my class time was longer. Finally
I made a sweet pastry dish using “Jut Roll” chilled, block puff pastry.
Advantages of Commercially Prepared Pastry
 Easy preparation, easy to use, saves time, no unnecessary rolling
 Less skill required to make difficult pastries eg. Puff, filo
 Consistent texture especially if you are a beginner cook.
Disadvantages of Commercially Prepared Pastry
 Chilled pastry has a shelf life in the fridge of 7 days maximum
 Commercial pastry has less flavour than the equivalent home made version
 Frozen pastry needs time to defrost

7. Evaluation
Appearance: the pastries were well risen, light golden brown, nicely decorated with a
thick glossy glacé icing.
Flavour: The pastry had a rich buttery flavour the cream was flavoured with a hint of
vanilla essence, the glacé icing was sweet.
Texture: The pastry was flaky, cream was moist and thick, the icing was sticky and
nicely set.
Modifications: I could use puff pastry sheets instead of block. I could add a spoonful of
sugar to the whipped cream with white icing, or simply dredge with icing sugar for longer
to ensure a flakier texture and more risen appearance, if my class time was longer. Finally
I made a sweet pastry dish using “Jut Roll” chilled, block puff pastry.
Advantages of Commercially Prepared Pastry
 Easy preparation, easy to use, saves time, no unnecessary rolling
 Less skill required to make difficult pastries eg. Puff, filo
 Consistent texture especially if you are a beginner cook.
Disadvantages of Commercially Prepared Pastry
 Chilled pastry has a shelf life in the fridge of 7 days maximum
 Commercial pastry has less flavour than the equivalent home made version
 Frozen pastry needs time to defrost