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The Pastry School: Sweet and Savoury Pies, Tarts and Treats to Bake at Home
'If you think that Julie Jones's beautiful creations are beyond you, think again. This is as clear and approachable a cookbook as you could wish for. Jones shares all her tips and tricks as she gently walks you through ten different pastries and gorgeous recipes for sweet and savoury pies and tarts. It's worth buying the book for the chicken and chorizo pie recipe alone. Absolutely inspiring.' Diana Henry'Julie Jones has a way with dough' Martha Stewart Magazine'This really is a bible for baking' BBC Good Food MagazineA masterclass in preparing, baking and decorating pastry, from delicate tarts to comforting pies.Julie Jones is renowned for her highly decorative bakes packed with bold layers of flavour and texture. She is leading the pastry revival, believing that with a bit of patience and a love for food, anyone can create delicious, beautiful bakes.A comprehensive Pastry Recipes & Methods section guides you through 10 different types of pastry with step-by-step instructions. These include loved classics such as Shortcrust and Hot Water, as well as a versatile Vegan and Gluten-free, that can be swapped in or out of recipes with a helpful Alternative Pastry Key.Chapters include Fruit, Cream & Cheese, Nuts, Vegetables, Meat & Fish and Crunch & Crumb, featuring more than 50 sweet and savoury recipes ranging from a crowd-pleasing Vegetable Patch(work) Tart to stunning Vanilla Slices.Dive in and be inspired by Julie's delicate decorations and full-on flavours - these bakes are fun and achievable, with swaps and creativity encouraged.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2020
127 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 23, 2020
Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever think that I was capable enough to create gorgeous, flowery, and fantastical pastry just like Julie Jones does. It turns out that with good instructions and much patience, I could, in fact create a tart equal to those that Jones posts to her Instagram feed. The Pastry School is aptly named because it describes the focus of the book -- to instruct home bakers on the finer points of making pastry dough, then filling it with all manner of both sweet and savory fillings. In some ways, receiving this cookbook during quarantine was perfect because I had time on my hands to devote to pastry making. With so many options (and not as much flour as I would have liked), I settled on trying one sweet recipe and one savoury. Going with an iconic choice, my daughter and I decided to try our hand at making the Apple Rose Tart (2020) because when I think of Jones' work, the apple tarts immediately spring to mind (also, they are so beautiful too).
What Julie Jones does well is to demystify the process of making pastry and she does this through clear, step-by-step instructions as well as including series of photos that show different points in the pastry making process. It's as Jones says in her introduction, "Patience with pastry is key!" -- there is no instant gratification here. At times, I found myself having to take a breath and remind myself that if I wanted to have a final product worth eating then I'd need to take it slowly, one step at a time. I really appreciated how Jones breaks down the process into different steps so that making the crust, filling, and rolling apple roses doesn't have to happen in one day. My daughter and I, in fact, completed this tart over a few days. As a beginner, I found doing this especially helpful because it stopped us from trying to rush to complete. And, as this tart has three distinct parts -- the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, the frangipane filling, and the apples -- there were natural points at which to stop at without effecting the final tart.
One of the ways that Jones ensures the success of the home baker is to provide ingredient measurements in weights -- the only way, in my opinion, that a home baker can have success and consistent bakes. Her precision even goes as far to provide weighted measures (in grams) for eggs (as she does for the frangipane filling recipe), rather than just provide the number of eggs (which she also does for some recipes, like in the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry recipe). All of this to say that when I made a batch of the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, it turned out beautifully! We got it filled and then spent time learning how to roll apple roses. At the beginning Katie and I felt like we were 'all thumbs' but as we practiced, we could see the tart decorations take shape. Again, we exercised quite a bit of patience as we rolled (what seemed like hundreds of) apple roses.
The recipes are organized into seven chapters: Pastry Recipes & Methods, Fruit, Cream & Cheese, Nuts, Vegetables, Meats & Fish, and Crunch & Crumb. Take note -- there are recipes for vegan as well as gluten-free pastry too! She offers additional information on where to source supplies and what equipment you may need (Jones uses a free-standing mixer for her recipes). I was lucky to have found a square tart tin at a thrift store that was the perfect size for the Apple Rose Tart (2020) and, since I didn't have decorative cutters I cut out the leaves with a knife. It may seem like a big investment upfront to buy equipment or bakeware but, I think, it will make a big difference with the end results. Jones is based in the UK so the specialty bakeware she uses is different than what I can buy here in Canada.
What really caught my attention is the amount of the book that is devoted to savoury recipes as well as the sweet (I'd say it's close to a 50/50 split) -- making this book a little more versatile. For our savoury choice, we went with the Beetroot Tarte Tatin. If you've never tried a tarte tatin before, it's a puff pastry dish, where the filling is on the bottom and is topped off with a disc of puff pastry. After it is baked, you flip the baking tin over so that the puff pastry is on the bottom with the saucy filling on top. I've tried different kinds of tarte tatin before -- apple, onion, plum -- but this was my first time tasting a beetroot version. To prepare the beets, they're boiled until tender, then mixed with oven-roasted onion and garlic and arranged in a baking tin that has a lovely, mouth-watering caramel sauce made from pomegranate molasses (tart in flavour), vinegar, and brown sugar. The resulting dish is a bit sweet, saucy, and buttery and, I served it with a side salad.
After all my descriptions and discussion about Julie Jones' The Pastry School, what you are really wondering about is: was all that effort worth it? After smelling those beautiful pastries baking in the oven and, thinking about the time spent making them, I will tell you that it was totally worth it! Not only are the finished results beautiful, they taste delicious -- whatever else Jones intends for her bakes, she intends them to be enjoyed. There is something to be said for eating and enjoying beautiful baked goods. Even during all this time spent at home during the global pandemic, now more than ever, I think people are turning to home baking to pluck up their spirits and improve their skills. And The Pastry School offers tangible ways to achieve these intentions.
Please note that this is an excerpt of a longer review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Manda Book Group and Kyle Books for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
What Julie Jones does well is to demystify the process of making pastry and she does this through clear, step-by-step instructions as well as including series of photos that show different points in the pastry making process. It's as Jones says in her introduction, "Patience with pastry is key!" -- there is no instant gratification here. At times, I found myself having to take a breath and remind myself that if I wanted to have a final product worth eating then I'd need to take it slowly, one step at a time. I really appreciated how Jones breaks down the process into different steps so that making the crust, filling, and rolling apple roses doesn't have to happen in one day. My daughter and I, in fact, completed this tart over a few days. As a beginner, I found doing this especially helpful because it stopped us from trying to rush to complete. And, as this tart has three distinct parts -- the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, the frangipane filling, and the apples -- there were natural points at which to stop at without effecting the final tart.
One of the ways that Jones ensures the success of the home baker is to provide ingredient measurements in weights -- the only way, in my opinion, that a home baker can have success and consistent bakes. Her precision even goes as far to provide weighted measures (in grams) for eggs (as she does for the frangipane filling recipe), rather than just provide the number of eggs (which she also does for some recipes, like in the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry recipe). All of this to say that when I made a batch of the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, it turned out beautifully! We got it filled and then spent time learning how to roll apple roses. At the beginning Katie and I felt like we were 'all thumbs' but as we practiced, we could see the tart decorations take shape. Again, we exercised quite a bit of patience as we rolled (what seemed like hundreds of) apple roses.
The recipes are organized into seven chapters: Pastry Recipes & Methods, Fruit, Cream & Cheese, Nuts, Vegetables, Meats & Fish, and Crunch & Crumb. Take note -- there are recipes for vegan as well as gluten-free pastry too! She offers additional information on where to source supplies and what equipment you may need (Jones uses a free-standing mixer for her recipes). I was lucky to have found a square tart tin at a thrift store that was the perfect size for the Apple Rose Tart (2020) and, since I didn't have decorative cutters I cut out the leaves with a knife. It may seem like a big investment upfront to buy equipment or bakeware but, I think, it will make a big difference with the end results. Jones is based in the UK so the specialty bakeware she uses is different than what I can buy here in Canada.
What really caught my attention is the amount of the book that is devoted to savoury recipes as well as the sweet (I'd say it's close to a 50/50 split) -- making this book a little more versatile. For our savoury choice, we went with the Beetroot Tarte Tatin. If you've never tried a tarte tatin before, it's a puff pastry dish, where the filling is on the bottom and is topped off with a disc of puff pastry. After it is baked, you flip the baking tin over so that the puff pastry is on the bottom with the saucy filling on top. I've tried different kinds of tarte tatin before -- apple, onion, plum -- but this was my first time tasting a beetroot version. To prepare the beets, they're boiled until tender, then mixed with oven-roasted onion and garlic and arranged in a baking tin that has a lovely, mouth-watering caramel sauce made from pomegranate molasses (tart in flavour), vinegar, and brown sugar. The resulting dish is a bit sweet, saucy, and buttery and, I served it with a side salad.
After all my descriptions and discussion about Julie Jones' The Pastry School, what you are really wondering about is: was all that effort worth it? After smelling those beautiful pastries baking in the oven and, thinking about the time spent making them, I will tell you that it was totally worth it! Not only are the finished results beautiful, they taste delicious -- whatever else Jones intends for her bakes, she intends them to be enjoyed. There is something to be said for eating and enjoying beautiful baked goods. Even during all this time spent at home during the global pandemic, now more than ever, I think people are turning to home baking to pluck up their spirits and improve their skills. And The Pastry School offers tangible ways to achieve these intentions.
Please note that this is an excerpt of a longer review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Manda Book Group and Kyle Books for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
February 3, 2024
It is a master class for pastry arts. Easy to read and understand instructions. She has imparted her great knowledge in making pastry.
January 10, 2022
Such an amazing book - the recipes look amazing - although well beyond my skill level
September 16, 2023
The Pastry School is absolutely stunning. The pictures are vivid and make your mouth water.
I appreciate the detailed instruction, the ingredients in weight and volume, that the recipes are on one single page and that the author is so encouraging:
4 stars
I appreciate the detailed instruction, the ingredients in weight and volume, that the recipes are on one single page and that the author is so encouraging:
"I'm not saying this pastry is a doddle, but it is something you'll get better at with practice, and believe me, I say this from experience."Never in my lifetime with my baked goods be that artistic and stunningly beautiful, though. Thank you to Julie Jones for including this prominently, opposite a gorgeous example of her work:
'Artistry aside, what we mustn't forget is that the fundamental, most important and rewarding aspect of making and baking with pastry, will always be the eating.'
4 stars
April 11, 2020
Beautifully illustrated with detailed descriptions of Julie Jones' amazing pastry creations. Jones' writing style and step-by-step instructions inspire the reader to attempt and master seemingly impossible pastries.
May 22, 2022
For someone like me, this is more of a coffee table book than an actual cookbook. The pictures are quite beautiful, but these recipes will never be duplicated in my kitchen! But I enjoyed reading it anyway.
December 31, 2020
Very pretty and instructional and good recipes but to do those decorations are way too hard
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews