Do Over

It drives me crazy when I find something that I think I should be able to do well but, in fact, can't.  It is a personality trait that I have long since accepted.  I am reasonable about it.  For example, I don't think I should be able to climb Mount Everest.  I almost dropped dead when Ian made me climb a glacier in New Zealand (and that was ten years ago!), so the thought of not being able to climb Everest does not bother me in the least.

Us halfway up the glacier in New Zealand in 2008.
I am masking my exhaustion.  I wanted to die.

Yet, my inability to reliably make good pastry does bother me.  I know that makes me a bit nuts (I accept this) but so be it.

After yesterday's failed pastry attempt, today I gave it another go.  I measured the flour and shortening very precisely, switched from pastry flour to all purpose flour, and put ice cubes in the water.  Happily, my pastry turned out much better.  Flaky and not crumbly or tough, though Ian said it did not have enough salt (feedback my Dad will appreciate).

Practice might make perfect, but it also leaves us with a heck of a lot of butter tarts.

Seamus and I plan to take a walk tomorrow to drop some off to our unsuspecting neighbours.  We will likely save at least one more for Liam though.  He seems to really like them.

He actually licked his plate clean.