My Favorite Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Food

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Put 150g plain flour and 75g unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix in 50g icing sugar and a pinch of salt followed by 1 egg yolk. If the pastry feels too dry to form a dough, add 1 tbsp water. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it out into a disc, wrap it in cling film, then chill for at least 30 mins before using in your recipes. You could try using it to make our apple & blackberry pies.

MY FAVORITE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Put the flour, almonds, and confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and mix together until well combined.
• Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub into the flour until you get a mixture that looks like fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg yolk (save the white for glazing) and 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir into the flour with a round-ended knife. The mixture will start to clump together after you have mixed for a minute or so, but there will still be some floury patches in the bowl. Turn the contents of the bowl onto a large piece of cling film and knead briefly until all the pastry has come together into a ball. Wrap in the cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until you are ready to use it.
• Blind baking:
• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Roll out the chilled pastry between two pieces of cling film until it is a few centimeters larger than your tin. You could also do this on a floured surface, but the pastry is so fragile I find it easier to handle between cling film. Peel off the top layer of cling film then invert the pastry circle into the prepared tart tin, gently pressing it into all the edges. Put the pastry-lined tin into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Remove the cling film from the pastry, prick the base all over with a fork then line the inside with baking parchment and baking beans (you could also use uncooked lentils or rice if you don't have baking beans-anything that will weigh the paper down).
• Bake for ten minutes, then carefully remove the paper and beans and bake for a further ten minutes, until the base is crisp. You are now ready to fill the case.

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY FOR CHEESECAKES....

Steps:

• Sift flour and powdered sugar together.
• Add cold butter pieces and make coarse crumbs.
• Beat the egg in a small bowl with the vanilla.
• Stir mixture into the dry until a dough forms.
• Wrap and chill at least one hour.
• Roll out on a lightly floured surface.
• Place into proper 9 inch spring form pan.
• Always prick, and then chill again.
• Fill with your cheesecake filling, and bake according to your recipe.
• This can also be made in your food processor.
• Keeps in the fridge for at least four days, or freezer up to 2 months.

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift plain flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl (or in the bowl of the food processor).
• Rub in the butter with finger tips (or use pulse button on the food processor) until mixture resembles course breadcrumbs.
• Gradually add water until dough becomes a ball.
• Remove and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

THE EASIEST SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Simply mix together the ingredients and press into a pie dish.
• If you are going to use a raw filling to bake later, pre-bake the pastry shell for 10 minutes at 180°C.
• To use with cooked fillings or for unbaked pies, pre-bake the pastry shell for 30 minutes at 180°C.
• For a savoury pie, omit the sugar and add 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.
• For extra flavour, add 2 tablespoons grated coconut to the pastry mixture.