The classic shortcrust pastry for pies or cookies is a delicious base for many of our desserts, both pies and cookies.
It has many variations and methods of preparation; I describe three different shortcrust pastry recipes, but the first is most recommended for pies.
Traditional Shortcrust Pastry: work the butter at 57°F with sugar until creamy, add the liquids until absorbed, then the flours and flavors.
Sand Shortcrust Pastry: the butter must be cold and is combined with the flours using your fingers or a paddle attachment, making the mixture sandy rather than compacting the ingredients.
Whipped Shortcrust Pastry: bring the butter to 55°F and work until creamy, add the powdered sugar, then the beaten eggs until a cream is obtained. Then incorporate the flour with the paddle attachment. Unlike the first two doughs, this one does not need to rest in the refrigerator and should instead be portioned with a piping bag or cookie press to maintain the right softness.
recipe also drawn
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SHORTCRUST PASTRY
The recipe I propose is for shortcrust pastry excellent for making desserts like cookies, pies, and filling them as desired.
You might also be interested in:
Stuffed cookies
Ricotta tart
Jam tart with Philips Pasta Maker
Peach tart with fruit chunks
GRANDMA’S COOKIES
Ice cream cookies
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Ingredients for Classic Shortcrust Pastry for Pies and Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 lemon zest
RECIPE FOR SHORTCRUST PASTRY
If you’d like a good classic shortcrust pastry without the fuss, blend the sugar with a mixer (or use powdered sugar) and mix it with the flour; if the butter is firm, make it soft by working it first with a wet hand on the work surface. Handle the mixture as little as possible.
If convenient, you can make this pastry a day in advance. Remaining raw doesn’t harm it, and when cooked, it improves over time as it becomes more shortcrust.
If you use powdered sugar, it will be easier to roll out.
It’s always recommended to add some flavor to shortcrust pastry, like lemon zest or orange flower water.
Preparation
How to prepare Classic Shortcrust Pastry for Pies and Cookies
Bring the butter to room temperature, grind the sugar to a powder
Carefully mix all the ingredients until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Then, knead on the floured work surface until you achieve a smooth and uniform dough. If necessary, add a little flour to make the dough less sticky. Form a ball with the dough and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using it. You can also use a stand mixer with a K beater or a food processor.
Turn on the static oven at 320°F
Take ¾ of the shortcrust pastry and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper.
with the help of a brush, butter the pan well (I use one with a removable bottom).
very gently turn the rolled-out shortcrust onto the parchment paper and adjust the edges.
with the help of a fork, prick the bottom of the shortcrust. Spread the preserve or cream on top of the pricked shortcrust, or both, keeping them separate. If the preserve is too stiff, you can soften it over the fire with a few tablespoons of water.
with a rolling pin, roll out the remaining dough and use a knife or pastry cutter to form strips of equal size, still on parchment paper.
above the pie filling, lay strips of rolled dough at equal distances from each other, about two fingers wide, crossing them to form a lattice and moistening with water to attach them well.
with a bit of beaten egg, brush the surface of the shortcrust pastry and bake the tart in the oven.
improves after a day or two
Tips and notes…
Tips and notes…
The tart can be stored in the refrigerator.
To store the tart in the refrigerator, it’s important to wrap it well in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out or becoming too soft. When ready to serve, it can be left at room temperature for about half an hour before serving.
To store the tart in the freezer, it’s important to wrap it well in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. To defrost it, it’s advisable to leave it at room temperature for several hours, preferably overnight, to prevent it from breaking during the defrosting process.
the recipe for ricotta and chocolate chunk tart here
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