Pastry Cabinet

French pastry master, Marie-Antoine Carême (1784–1833), is widely considered to be the first 'celebrity chef', bringing pastry into the world of grande cuisine. His elaborate creations graced the windows of his Paris patisserie shop, before he went on to cook for European leaders including George IVShortcrust pastry is a French-style dough with a crumbly, biscuit-like texture. This style of dough is "short" because the amount of flour is usually double the amount of fat, allowing it to break apart more easily than American-style pie dough (a closer ratio of flour to fat).Pastry products are a versatile medium which can be considered as an 'edible packaging'. The intimate contact between pastry and the different fillings used yields a wide range of product textures, moisture contents and water activities.