General Chat

Please can you cooks help me out! I have the pastry and the dish, but no baking beans. Need to know what else I can use to bake 'blind' before adding my filling. Thank you!! Maz. XX

Small clean pebbles or any dried beans.

Maz, I've used dried beans or peas before now, failing that a small Pyrex saucer or plate or a few eggcups over some greaseproof paper would keep the pastry flat during most of the baking time, then you could just remove it for the final 5-10 minutes to cook the rest of it. That should work if you prick the pastry base thoroughly all over with a fork first. Good luck! CB >|<

Maz I've used rice or dried lentils in the past Jeanette x

pasta or rice, and it helps if you take the blindfold off 1st lol sandra

i've used bread crusts Bev

Hi Maz It has to be rice . Val ptfg

Oh and I forgot to say - don't try and eat the rice or lentils afterwards! lol

Thank you ladies!! I will prick it with a fork then put a layer of rice over it. Will let you know how it turns out! Maz. XX

THANK YOU Christine - the others seem to labouring under the delusion that I have even HALF a clue what I'm doing!!! And yes, you WERE in time lol!!! Maz. XX

Well, it may not have LOOKED wonderful, but it TASTED fab!!! Kids enjoyed it and so did I - its all gone!! I also now have much more of an idea about how to do it, next time should be blindin'!!! Thanks for your help folks! Maz. XX

Did we find out what you were cooking? Ros

Maz, Go get yourself some ceramic 'baking beans' (better than the metal ones), then you won't have so much bother next time, but you do always have to prick the pasty with a fork and use greaseproof paper under the beans. Remember to let them cool properly before you put them back into their container if it's plastic - unlike clever clogs here who once forgot and ended up with a very weird-shaped object that the lid wouldn't fit back on! Glad you enjoyed a good pud! CB >|< X

Maz, What was it you baked, after all that! Lemon meringue pie, perhaps? Kathy

Minced beef and onion pie and it was YUM!!! Maz. XX

Sound lovely, Maz! If you put pastry on top as well as the bottom, it'll go further. You won't need to blind bake it then! Hope you don't mind the comment - just thinking of you feeding your hungry family...... Kathy xx

Just buy a large bag of dried peas. I have a large jar I keep them in in between bakes. Much cheaper than ceramic beans. Ann