A basic recipe is needed from time to time, right? Here is a new shortcrust pastry for you, the shortcrust pastry with coconut oil, a recipe that is almost exotic to me since coconut oil is an ingredient I’ve only recently become familiar with. So far I’ve only tried it in pastries, substituting coconut oil for butter or using the vegan version.

Today I present the ‘normal’ version with the egg, and I’ll tell you about the vegan version another time, as I have some details to clarify, and I’d end up rambling too much. 😃

Today’s version – similar to a classic shortcrust but with coconut oil instead of butter – I’ve tried in two ways: with solid coconut oil (in winter) and with liquid coconut oil (in summer).

That’s right: it is a characteristic of coconut oil to shift from a solid state (that is buttery, with a dense and soft consistency like butter or lard) to a liquid state (that is oily and transparent) depending on room temperature: it starts to liquefy above 74-75°F.

The first time I noticed it, I thought it had gone bad (!), I had bought and used a couple of jars but always in winter, and I had always seen (and used) it in solid state. I had made tarts and cookies, and I didn’t know it could also be used in liquid form.

Then, during this sweltering summer, after discovering it transformed into oil (which upon reflection was also logical, but I hadn’t thought about it!), I informed myself better about its properties and characteristics and learned better how to manage and use it.

One of the things I learned by researching is that coconut oil contains saturated fats (similar to those present in butter and lard) despite being a vegetable fat. And this is the main reason why many consider it a food to avoid.

I won’t delve into the technical details about the difference between long-chain or short-chain saturated fats, what struck me is that opinions among supporters and detractors of coconut oil sometimes differ, as alongside those who consider it harmful, there are also those who claim that not only is it not harmful but that it actually has positive characteristics: it would increase HDL cholesterol (i.e., the good cholesterol), help burn fat and thus lead to weight loss, be antibacterial and antioxidant, even beneficial for people with Alzheimer’s.

I don’t know who’s right, but as always, I read all the information with great interest because I like to inform myself, to then arrive at the usual conclusion: that what you eat in small quantities and occasionally doesn’t do much harm in the end (if you don’t have specific disorders or diseases, of course), and so the best thing to do, in my opinion, is to vary the diet as much as possible. Occasionally indulging in some saturated fats, be they animal or vegetable. 😃

At this point… how to use this coconut oil?

In many ways, as we’ve always done with oil and butter. So far I’ve used it to make tarts and cookies, for which I won’t fail to write the recipes (the first one in just a few days). But let’s take it step by step, and today we start with this basic recipe.

Are you ready? 😊

〰〰〰

👇 If you like alternative recipes, here are the links to three other non-traditional shortcrust pastries: 👇