Pastry is a baked good made from ingredients like flour, fat, sugar, eggs, milk or butter. It can refer to both the dough and the final baked product. Common pastries include pies, tarts, quiches and small cakes. Pastry is distinguished from bread by its higher fat content, which gives it a flaky or crumbly texture. When making pastry, care must be taken to thoroughly blend the fat into the flour to coat the flour granules and prevent gluten development. Puff pastry appetizers can feature a variety of fillings, both cooked and uncooked, and use leftover dinner ingredients.

1. Pastries
A mixture of flour, fat, possibly egg and sugar, the fat usually dispersed as small solid
globules coated with flour and the whole brought together with liquid prior to shaping
and baking. There are many types of pastry. Pastry is the name given to various kinds
of baked goods made from
ingredients such as flour,
milk, butter, shortening,
baking powder or eggs.
Small cakes, tarts and
other sweet baked goods
are called "pastries".
Pastry may also refer to
the dough from which
such baked goods are
made. Pastry dough is
rolled out thinly and used
as a base for baked goods. Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts and quiches.
Pastry is distinguished from bread by having a higher fat content, which contributes to
a flaky or crumbly texture. A good pastry is light and airy and fatty, but firm enough to
support the weight of the filling. When making a short crust pastry, care must be taken
to blend the fat and flour thoroughly before adding any liquid. This ensures that the
flour granules are adequately coated with fat and less likely to develop gluten. On the
other hand, over mixing results in long gluten strands that toughens the pastry. In
other types of pastry, such as Danish pastry and croissants, the characteristic flaky
texture is achieved by repeatedly rolling out dough similar to that for yeast bread,
spreading it with butter, and folding it to produce many thin layers of folds.
Many pie recipes involve blind-baking the pastry before the filling is added. Pastry
dough may be sweetened or perhaps unsweetened.

2. Puff pastry appetizers know no limit other
then your imagination. In some cases you'll
want to cook the filling before baking it in
the puff pastry, but lots of times you can
just use an uncooked filling. Try smoked
salmon, goat cheese, or tapenade and don't
forget to include a few fresh herbs. Many
times you can successfully garnish puff
pastry with last night's dinner. Cut rounds
from the puff pastry, then in the center
place a few tablespoons of leftover
ratatouille or whatever you may have. You
might like to add a sprinkle of cheese. Fold
the puff pastry on itself and press and roll
the edge to seal. Bake at 400ºF for 12
minutes.