EGGLESS AND BUTTER-FREE SHORTCRUST for cookies and tarts, including VEGAN
It’s clear that I’m a dessert fanatic, just take a look at my recipe blog filled with cakes, cookies, spoon desserts, and leavened goodies. Recently, I received numerous requests to make a Shortcrust Pastry both EGGLESS and BUTTER-FREE, which could be suitable for those who, for health or personal reasons, cannot or do not want to use these ingredients, and I willingly accepted the challenge.
After several attempts, I finally found the right recipe to prepare a SHORTCRUST without Butter or other dairy products and without Eggs that is not only good but also elastic enough to avoid breaking when rolling it out.
This Shortcrust Pastry, also VEGAN, is a variation of the basic recipe for CLASSIC SHORTCRUST PASTRY (which you can find HERE) perfect for making Tarts or Shortcrust Cookies.
The recipe for Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Vegan Shortcrust Pastry is very simple: a Shortcrust with Oil instead of Butter and brown sugar instead of granulated, as elastic as the Classic Shortcrust Pastry that you can roll out perfectly to create a VEGAN TART or VEGAN SHORTCRUST COOKIES.
If you love Shortcrust Pastry and want to try different variations, don’t miss the: CHOCOLATE SHORTCRUST, HAZELNUT SHORTCRUST, BUCKWHEAT SHORTCRUST without GLUTEN, WHIPPED SHORTCRUST for COOKIES, and obviously the CLASSIC SHORTCRUST.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very affordable
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: CAKE DIAMETER 10 IN OR 40 COOKIES
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 254.48 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 40.41 (g) of which sugars 15.64 (g)
- Proteins 3.87 (g)
- Fat 9.91 (g) of which saturated 1.35 (g)of which unsaturated 4.15 (g)
- Fibers 0.88 (g)
- Sodium 78.97 (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
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup fine-grain brown sugar (with fine grain)
- 3 1/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or an equivalent amount of seed oil to add to the others)
- 3 1/3 tbsp seed oil (or 6 2/3 tbsp if you want to use only seed oil)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 packet baking powder (about 8 g)
- 1 lemon zest
- salt (a pinch)
Tools
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Rolling pin
Steps
In a large bowl, place brown sugar, olive oil, seed oil, water (cold), lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Mix with a spoon or hand whisk until smooth and homogeneous. At this point, gradually add the previously sifted flour with baking powder and mix initially with a spoon, then transfer to a work surface and continue kneading by hand.
Once you have obtained a dough with the same consistency as Classic Shortcrust, form a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to rest for about 2 hours, or if you want to speed up the process, 30 minutes in the freezer.
After resting in the refrigerator, knead the Vegan Shortcrust a few minutes with your hands to warm it before proceeding to roll it out with a rolling pin. At this point, you can decide whether to use the butter-free and dairy-free Shortcrust to make a tart or to create fantastic VEGAN COOKIES, simple yet delicious.
NOTES
SUGAR: For this vegan shortcrust recipe, I used fine-grain brown sugar, but if you prefer, you can also use regular granulated sugar in the same quantity. The only thing to ensure is that the sugar has a fine grain; if not, blend it for a few seconds in a mixer.
OIL: The recipe includes both olive oil and seed oil. If you prefer a more delicate taste, you can use only seed oil, replacing the olive oil with an equal amount of seed oil. Any type of seed oil will work.
BAKING POWDER: Normally, Classic Shortcrust does not contain baking powder, but in this case, it is recommended to use it to achieve a consistency as similar as possible to classic shortcrust.
BAKING: Whether you want to make vegan cookies or a vegan tart, the oven temperature should be around 350°F in static mode. Obviously, the baking time will vary depending on whether you’re making cookies or a tart and their size. Adjust as you would for a classic shortcrust cookie or tart recipe.
USING VEGAN SHORTCRUST: With the quantity from this Vegan Shortcrust recipe, you can make about 40 vegan cookies or fill a 9.5-inch tart mold with the relative lattice. Roll out the shortcrust to about 1/8 inch thick for cookies and 1/6 inch for a tart.
VARIATIONS: If you want to transform this VEGAN SHORTCRUST into a VEGAN CHOCOLATE SHORTCRUST, simply remove 60 g of all-purpose flour from the indicated amount and replace it with 40 g of unsweetened cocoa powder.
