Mum's 60th birthday Recipe Requests - Shortcrust Pastry

So, I think it is fair to say that one of the cookery, um, skills (?) I am best known for is anything pastry related.

Generally sweet pastry, the kind that goes with apple pie, pecan pie, and all those good things.

For Mum's birthday I made a couple of savoury tartlets. One was filled with roast vegetables, the other with caramelised onions & goats cheese. The next post will be musings on the subject of tarlet-fillings.

This is how I made the tartlet shells: it is a recipe from Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 1.

Basic Shortcrust Pastry
2 cups plain flour
145g (5oz) butter
some iced water

Process the flour & the butter in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. As I have noted in my previous post it is important not to overwork the pastry mix. Always bear this in mind: there is nothing more dispiriting than tough, flat pastry.

Once you have 'breadcrumbs' slowly, in small increments, add enough iced water to form a smooth dough. I usually find that it doesn't come together into a 'ball', and adding more water ruins the mix. What I do is add a table spoon or two of the iced water, and once you have blended it through the mix, turn off the motor and take a teaspoon and press it against the mix. If it looks like it will 'hold' so that you can form into a smooth ball. It will likely take several tablespoons, but it can vary: in my experience there is no rhyme or reason as to how much water it takes!  Once you have the mixture to the right consistency turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and very gently knead & roll into a circular disk, wrap in clingwrap, and refrigerate for one hour.

You can then roll it out and shape it as required e.g. for a large pie tin, or for individual tartlets.

Individual Tartlets

Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Dip a large, upended tumbler glass in flour, and then use it to cut out circles from the pastry, and then line a muffin tray. I use the tumbler as I find cookie-cutters to be too small. Just pick something that will give you a smooth edge, & the right shape.

NEVER grease the tray first when baking pastry: there is enough butter in the thing to stop it from sticking!

Once you've filled all 12 muffin-holes w/ the pastry, place it into the freezer for 20 minutes.

Line each uncooked tartlet case with a square of baking paper, and baking weights (rice, pulses etc work too). Pop into an oven preheated to 180'c for 12 minutes, remove weights & baking paper, and put back into the oven for another 12 minutes, or until golden.

You can fill these whilst still warm, you can let them cool & then fill, or you can let them cool, then put them into the freezer to save for another time.