[pey-stree] 
| 1. | a sweet baked food made of dough, esp. the shortened paste used for pie crust and the like. |
| 2. | any item of food of which such dough forms an essential part, as a pie, tart, or napoleon. |
| pas·try (pā'strē) n. pl. pas·tries
[Middle English pastree, from paste, paste, dough; see paste1.] |
pastry
stiff dough made from flour, salt, a relatively high proportion of fat, and a small proportion of liquid. It may also contain sugar or flavourings. Most pastry is leavened only by the action of steam, but Danish pastry is raised with yeast. Pastry is rolled or patted out into thin sheets to line pie or tart pans and to enclose fillings. Poultry, tenderloin of beef and other cuts of meat, and pates are sometimes prepared en croute, wrapped in a pastry crust. Thicker sheets may be formed into cases, pinwheels, crescents, or braids, with or without fillings and glazes or icings
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