Shortcrust pastry for tart with decorations. There are different ways and preparations to make shortcrust pastry, depending on the use you want to make of it. Since for some time I have been delighting to prepare pies with particular geometric themes, I am sharing with you the recipe that I use to make pies that have a perfect consistency for making decorations.
This shortcrust pastry is simple to roll out into fairly thin discs and to obtain various decorations that do not lose their shape during cooking. We will prepare it using the sandblasting technique and without using yeast, precisely so that it does not deform. If you roll it out not too thick (3-4mm) is at the same time sufficiently crumbly and soft, to also have an excellent effect, not only on the eye but also on the palate.
Shortcrust pastry for tart with decorations
Ingredients (for a stuffed tart 22-24cm):
- 330g flour 00 + 1 Tsp for the pastry board
- 165g cold butter
- 1 whole egg (medium)
- 130g granulated sugar
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 Tsp of vanilla extract (or 1 sachet of vanillin)
Directions:
- Start cutting the butter into small cubes. Then move on to sandblasting with flour and butter. You can use a food processor if you have a large enough one. In this case, start it several times for a few seconds until you get a sandy compound. It is not recommended to leave it running consecutively, as it would heat the dough too much. Alternatively, as I have always done, you can instead rub butter and flour between your fingers, still obtaining an excellent result. Also in this case, do not hold the mixture too much in your hands, so as not to overheat it.
- Then add the sugar, butter, vanilla and lemon zest and mix everything for a few minutes, until you get a homogeneous dough.
- At this point, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least half an hour, so that it compacts well, before rolling it out.
- On a floured pastry board, roll out two discs of dough. The lower one serves slightly larger, as it will also have to line the edges of the pan.
- At this point, line a greased and floured (if not non-stick) pan with the bottom disc. Fill it with your favorite jam, cream or fruit and then cover with the second disc. Remove excess edges with the help of a rolling pin or knife.
- Bake your tart for 25-40 minutes at 180° C in a static oven. Cooking times vary greatly depending on the filling. For example, with hazelnut cream or very thick jams, 25 minutes are usually enough. It takes longer if you have used more liquid jams, apples, berries or other fresh fruit.