The perfect shortcrust pastry: how to get beautiful cookies that don’t lose their shape
If you are passionate about decorated cookies, you know how important it is to start with a shortcrust pastry that holds its shape well during baking. A pastry that deforms or spreads can ruin even the most delicate decorations, leaving you with less satisfying results than desired.
In this article, I will reveal the tricks and the recipe for a shortcrust pastry that doesn’t lose its shape, ideal for creating elegant and perfect decorated cookies in every detail. You will learn how to achieve a compact, elastic, and durable dough that stays compact in the oven, allowing you to unleash your creativity with shapes and decorations without worries.
I will guide you step by step in preparing this special pastry, sharing useful tips and little secrets for perfect results. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced pastry chef, this recipe will help you make cookies that are beautiful to look at and delicious to taste.
Get ready to discover how to achieve a shortcrust pastry that perfectly suits any of your decorative creations!
Keep reading and get started right away: your perfect cookies are waiting for you!
Below I leave you many cookie recipes on the Blog:
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/8 cups butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
Steps
Prepare the ingredients: Make sure the butter is very cold and cut into cubes. Sift the flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl to eliminate any lumps and make the dough smoother.
Incorporate the butter: Add the butter cubes to the flour and sugar. Using your fingertips or a hand mixer, work quickly until you get a sandy mixture, similar to breadcrumbs. The goal is to keep the butter cold to obtain a crumbly and compact pastry.
Add the other ingredients: Make a well in the mixture and pour the egg yolk, vanilla extract (if used), and a pinch of salt into the center. Knead quickly with your hands or a spatula just until the ingredients are combined. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water, a little at a time, until you get a compact and workable dough.
Form a ball: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and form a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. But it’s not necessary!
This step helps the ingredients settle and makes the dough easier to roll out.
Roll and cut: After resting, roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use cookie cutters to cut out the desired shapes, trying to maintain an even thickness.
Baking: Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 320°F (convection) or 350°F (static) for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remember that the cookies will continue to harden as they cool.
For decorated cookies, avoid using too much butter or sugar as they could make the dough softer and harder to keep in shape.
If you want an even more resistant pastry, you can add a teaspoon of potato starch to the dough.
To obtain more precise shapes, you can chill the already cut-out dough in the refrigerator for another 10-15 minutes before baking.
Following this recipe, you will get a compact, elastic shortcrust pastry that maintains its shape during baking, perfect for creating beautiful and perfect decorated cookies!
