Food and cooking tips and techniques:

FILO PASTRY : TECHNIQUES AND HOW TO USE
by Jus-Rol

Glazing filo pastry

1.	Filo Pastry contains virtually no fat but a light brushing of melted butter, ghee or oil imparts a sheen to the baked recipe and adds to the eating qualities.	2.	Use a pastry brush and brush the sheets very lightly before using each one in the recipe. Brush the finished dish again before baking.
TIP: You can introduce a flavouring such as spice, chopped herbs, garlic etc. into the butter to compliment the filling.

Forming filo tartlets

1.	Lay stack of filo sheets on work surface and using a sharp knife, cut stack into two equal strips down it's length.	2.	Cut each strip into four equal squares as shown.
3.	You will end up with the stack cut into 8 equal squares.	4.	Keeping all other filo squares covered with cling film to prevent them drying out, lay one square onto work top and brush lightly with melted butter.
5.	Top with a second square, offset to allow corners to show.	6.	Brush lightly with butter.
7.	Repeat with further two squares so all corners are offset.	8.	Gently press the layered pastry into one of the forms of a muffin tin and repeat the process with remaining pastry. Bake at 190ºC (170ºC for fan assisted ) / 375ºF /Gas M. 5 for approx. 8 -10 mins until golden brown. Cool and store in an airtight container until required.

Forming filo triangles

1.	Unfold thawed filo pastry and lay required number of sheets on work surface, cut sheets into four equal strips.	2.	Then make a cut across the middle of the strips to give eight equal sized strips.
3.	Brush one strip with melted butter.	4.	Place a teaspoonful of filling off centre, approximately 1.5cm from end of pastry nearest you.
5.	Fold over left hand corner of pastry to cover filling.	6.	Fold over wrapped filling to give a triangular shape.
7.	Continue folding triangle, ensuring points are tucked in to avoid filling seepage.	8.	Fold to end and brush with butter.

This article comes from Jus-Rol which offers an exciting and convenient range of ready-made pastry products.

The Jus-Rol story dates back to the days when convenience foods were a rarity and luxury food items were almost non-existent. It started in the 1930s, in Coldstream, Northumberland when a family man named Tom Forsyth opened his own bakery business. Little did he know then, that after surviving the war and the great depression, that his business would lead him to become the founder of the UK’s pioneering pastry company, Jus-Rol.

In the early 1950s Tom began selling puff pastry to his bakery customers and ‘Just-Roll’ was soon in regular demand. The locals loved his puff pastry and it was within no time at all that his pastry rose not only to be popular for its great taste and quality but above all, convenience. Tom soon realised that there was an opportunity to produce the product for a wider audience and so he struck while the iron was hot and began trading nationally in 1954.

The name ‘Just-Roll’ originated from the ladies that worked in the bakery, who were encouraged to take home cuttings from the pastry products prior to cooking. When asked what they did with it they replied “we just-roll it out and . . .”

The name stuck, but when registering the company, “Just Roll” was considered too descriptive and so was shortened to “Jus-Rol”. The rest as they say is history . . . but if you would like to find out more visit www.jusrol.co.uk

Published 25 November 2008