A pastry folder is a useful kitchen tool for making double-crust pies, ravioli, and sugar cookies. It is cheap and readily available in kitchen supply stores and online. Wooden handles may not be dishwasher safe, and double-headed types can be difficult to manipulate. It can also be used as a toy for children.
A pastry folder is a useful kitchen tool, particularly if you like making double-crust pies. The folder looks like a small pizza cutter, usually featuring a wooden or plastic handle, and a metal wheel with grooves or inserts that joins the crusts together and provides that professional seamed-to-the-outer-crust look. Occasionally you’ll find two-headed varieties of the pastry folder, one with a straight round blade and one with a fluted round blade so you can cut the crust or fold it.
Of course, you don’t always need to use a pastry creaser, and you can instead use your index finger and thumb to pinch the crust into a nice shape. You really need to make sure a two crust pie is sealed tightly because a good pie can be ruined if the pie filling leaks between the crusts. Some like to use a folder on single crust pies too, so they can get that pretty fluted edge that looks so professional.
Yet the pastry crease isn’t just for pieces of fruit. You may also see these utensils advertised as a pastry cutter. They are just the right shape for making individual ravioli, giving the ravioli the lovely rippled, fluted edge. Crimpers can be used to cut pasta sheets into lasagna dough or a variety of other shapes.
If you like sugar cookies, you can also make use of a dough folder to separate the cookie dough rolled into any shape you like. Crimpers and cookie cutters are great for this purpose, especially if you’re having trouble cutting cookies out of molds. Simple triangles, diamonds or even circles are easy to make with this tool and add a nice touch to the end of any cookie.
It’s easy enough to find a pastry folder, and they’re cheap. You might look for one with a plastic handle that can go in the dishwasher. Those with wooden handles will degrade over time and may not be dishwasher safe. The cost for a simple bender averages about $5-10 US Dollars (USD) and they are readily available in kitchen supply stores, department stores and on a number of internet sites. You can pay a little more for double-headed types, and these might be a little harder to find.
Some people feel that double-headed types, mainly because the flat blade is a bit sharp, are a bit difficult to manipulate. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a pastry creaser and a flat pastry cutter. Since both are reasonably priced, they easily fit into most people’s budgets and are a significant aid to a variety of cooking applications.
For people with children, any child who likes to play with clay can really enjoy playing with a pastry folder. You can find some with plastic heads that aren’t sharp at all, allowing kids to practice the art of pastry safely, or just draw cute designs on their clay.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
