Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
I had actually planned to use this recipe as part of a gorgeous plum frangipane tart, but needless to say the frangipane recipe needs a little tweaking still haha!
So rather than scrapping the whole thing I thought I’d still blog the pastry recipe as it’s super versatile and can literally be filled with your choice of fruit or sweet treat.
I prefer to blind bake my pastry to avoid that soggy bottom effect but I know many don’t bother. You can pick up a tub of baking beans really cheaply from most supermarkets or home stores so it’s well worth a purchase. If you’re using fruit in your recipe I’d definitely advise using them as the water content of the fruit could ruin all of your hard work. And a crisp pastry base is sublime!
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Author Ella Nurse | Date 2/10/2019
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes to blind bake
total time: 35 minutes
Servings: one 23cm loose bottomed tart tin
Ingredients:
250g plain flour
70g caster sugar
125g chilled salted butter
1 large egg
Instructions:
Add the flour, butter, sugar and egg to a food processor and pulse until a dough is formed
Remove from the processor and form a ball of dough with your hands then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Prehaet the oven to 180 degrees C fan
After this time remove the pastry from the cling film, generously flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll the dough to approximately 5mm thickness in a circular shape
Grease a loose bottomed 23cm tart tin with a little butter
Using your rolling pin as an aid, gently place the rolled pastry into the tart tin and press into the sides, leaving a little overhand
Prick the bottom of the pastry base with a fork multiple times
Place a layer of baking paper on top of the pastry and fill with baking beans
Place the tart onto a baking tray and blind bake for 15 minutes
Remove from the oven after this time and take out the baking paper and beans, then return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes
Whilst the pastry is blind baking begin making your filling, following your favourite recipe
