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Extract from the September 2008 Magazine - Oak and Country Issue
September 2008 Magazine Pages 4-5 COLD HANDS, WARM HEART
A brief look at rolling pins, both decorative and functional

by Robin Hildyard
Exactly when the happy combination of milled grain and oil produced the world's first pastry is difficult to determine, but it is thought that if the Romans and Greeks knew the secret, then it was probably also known to the ancient Egyptians. Once discovered, pastry and many associated types of flat bread became the staple diet of major cultures, from the pirozhkys of Russia to the corn tortillas of South America, not forgetting the humble oatmeal Staffordshire pancake, the noble Yorkshire pork pie and the infinitely adaptable Cornish pasty.
September 2008 Magazine Page 34
Figure 10. Flint-glass decorative pin with dragged white thread decoration (above), second half 19th century, and opaque white pin with transfer-printed ship and group of figures with inscription'Success to Commerce', and painted English and French flags with 'To a Friend 1855'. The white example probably made in Sunderland. Max length: 16in. (Courtesy Trustees of the Victoria & Albert Museum)
As might be expected, however, it was in France - notably under the great master Antonin Careme (1784-1833) - that the ultimate refinements took place, giving the world such varied delights as choux and mille feuilles. That England, and particularly the Court, shared this appreciation is confirmed by the fact that the future George IV presented Julius Jacob Bohn, employed as Baker and Roasting Cook at Carlton House 1812-27, with a pair of cut-glass goblets from the spectacular and expensive service made by Perrin Geddes & Co of Warrington in 1806-8 as a gift of the Corporation of Liverpool - unsolicited but intended to enlist the Prince Regent's support against William Wilberforce's campaign to abolish the lucrative slave trade. As an aside, it was a happy day for the Victoria & Albert Museum when a descendant of the favourite royal pastry cook walked in off the street and generously added these glasses to make a suite with a numbered decanter which had mysteriously 'got away' from the rest of the service at Windsor Castle.
Paradoxically, while pastry-making eventually came to symbolise all the domestic virtues by providing the family with an unending supply of pies and tarts, cartoonists seized on the fact that the rolling pin was an effective weapon for dealing with recalcitrant husbands, especially those whose defences were weakened by a skinful of strong ale. Thus the buxom housewife boiling with indignation, sleeves rolled up and brandishing a rolling pin, was transformed into a kind of female Falstaff with sword, in the 20th century a veritable gift to the creators of seaside postcards.
As for the making of pastry itself, only two pieces of equipment were absolutely essential, namely a flat surface and a pin. Commonly a board of suitable size would be kept especially for pastry, or in larger kitchens a marble-topped table would be permanently available (figure 1), offering an ideal cold surface. Pins came in all shapes, sizes and materials, various close-grained non-absorbent hardwoods such as beech or maple being preferred. Small wooden pins with swelling centres and minimal handles facilitated quick and deft work without allowing warmth from the hands to reach the pastry (figure 2), while longer cylindrical pins enabled the cook to keep hands well away from the middle. In recent times the problem of warm hands has been addressed by offering smart black marble pins which can be chilled before use, as well as by various stainless steel versions, some of which can be filled with cold water.