Shortcrust Pastry Shell with Blind Baking. The sweet shortcrust pastry shell for tarts is a very simple basic recipe to make, a perfect recipe to obtain a shortcrust pastry shell with a crumbly texture.

A delicious and versatile basic preparation, a variant of the classic shortcrust pastry, made with butter, sugar, and eggs that make the dough manageable and easy to roll out.

An easy and quick recipe to prepare. What I love about this shortcrust pastry is that after a short rest in the fridge, it rolls out without cracking, so you won’t have any trouble lining a tart pan.

As for the aroma, I used the grated zest of a lemon, but feel free to use other citrus zests you prefer, vanilla, almond extract, or a pinch of cinnamon!

Have fun filling it with whatever your imagination suggests!

Once baked, it will be delightful on the palate, crumbly with every bite.

The Shortcrust Pastry Shell with Blind Baking is prepared in a few minutes, and the baking only takes 30 minutes.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Very Economical
Rest time: 3 Hours
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 10 People
Cooking methods: Electric Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

319.43 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 319.43 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 35.81 (g) of which sugars 14.84 (g)
Proteins 4.87 (g)
Fat 18.26 (g) of which saturated 11.16 (g)of which unsaturated 6.93 (g)
Fibers 0.68 (g)
Sodium 122.49 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 60 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry Shell with Blind Baking

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 1/2 oz butter (cold from the fridge)
3 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar (or erythritol in equal weight)
1 pinch salt
lemon (grated zest)

Tools

Pan
Parchment Paper
Food Scales
Ceramic Baking Weights

Steps

Shortcrust Pastry Shell with Blind Baking

To prepare the shortcrust pastry for blind baking.
First, start with the rubbing method: in a bowl, pour the sifted flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt and the cold butter from the fridge, coarsely diced, and the grated zest of a lemon.
(Organic lemon).
Work until you get a sandy-looking mixture.
Add the egg yolks.
Then start to bring everything together.
Knead briefly, just long enough to compact the dough for a perfect shortcrust pastry.
Form a dough ball and wrap it in plastic wrap, place it in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 3 hours.
Once the shortcrust pastry has rested in the fridge for at least 3 hours, roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured work surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.
(To make it easier, I suggest rolling out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper.)
(If it’s a sweet shortcrust pastry, I suggest working it with your hands for a few seconds before rolling it out to make it elastic again but without heating it too much).
Line a greased tart pan with the pastry using non-stick spray or butter and flour.
Trim the excess edges with a small knife.
Prick the bottom with a fork and cover it with a disc of parchment paper.
Place ceramic baking weights (or legumes like dried beans or chickpeas) inside and bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
I suggest removing the legumes and parchment paper after the first 15 minutes of baking, then continue baking for another 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and let cool.
The shortcrust pastry shell with blind baking should be allowed to cool completely before removing it from the pan and filling it.
The shortcrust is ready to be filled as you prefer.