Makes enough to line a 7 inch tart tin
Prep time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 30 minutes

I need to confess that shortcrust pastry is my biggest food nemesis. It is my cookery downfall – I’m hopeless at it. It’s either too short and crumbly and falls apart when I try to line a tart tin, or its too tough and chewy. Finding the right shortness and getting that crisp, buttery texture can give even the most confident cook the heebie jeebies. By adding a spot off egg to your pastry you will guarantee that crispness. O.K it’s a cheat, but it will quash all your pastry dilemmas for good so that’s got to be worth it. I have not had a pastry nightmare since!

225g plain flour
Pinch of salt
100g iced cold butter cubed
2 tbsp iced cold water mixed with 1 egg, whisked

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Place the flour in a food processor with the salt and whiz for a few seconds. This is a great way of ditching the arduous process of sifting the flour. Add the butter and whiz again for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

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Turn out into a fridge cold mixing bowl, (I know this sounds crazy but it helps prevent the butter melting) and with a cold knife mix in 1 tbsp of the egg and water mixture. This will just about bind the mixture together. You may need up to 3 tbsp of the mixture but it needs to feel like it could do with a little more liquid, in order for it to form a firm pastry.

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Bind into a ball. The pastry being kneaded at all will make it tough so really try to handle it as little as possible. Lay the pastry on a baking tray and roll out to flatten a little. (This makes it easier to roll later on). Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to rest for 30 mins or until you need it.

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Heat the oven to 180C. Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave to sit for a minute or two. Dust the kitchen surface and the rolling pin with flour. Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a 50 pence piece. Roll the pastry out turning a little as you go. Keep turning the pastry as you roll it to ensure you get an even circle. This will make it much easier to line the tart tin.

Fold one end of the pastry over the rolling pin then quickly transfer it over a 22cm loose bottom tart tin. (It is not necessary to line the base of the tin with greaseproof as there is so much butter in the pastry and it is unlikely it will stick, but if your nervous then feel free to.) Gently ease the pastry into the corners of the tin and fold the rest of the pastry over the edges of the tin. Leave - resting helps prevent the pastry shrinking during baking. I like to leave the excess pastry folded over the edge of the tart tin and bake it like this. I find it easier to trim of the edges once the tart has cooked and feel I get a neater finish.

Baking Blind

To blind bake line the raw pastry case with a sheet of greaseproof paper. I find you can really get it into the corner if you crumble the paper first. Fill with either baking beans or any dried pulse you like. Bake in the oven for 25 mins or until the pastry has become cooked through but still only has a little colour, then remove the beans and greaseproof lining and bake for another 5 minutes. This will guarantee a nice snap when the pastry is cut.  You will notice that the edges of the pastry that have been folded over the edge of the tin will get a little bit darker, but they will be trimmed off later so don’t worry.

Keep the pastry case in the tart tin while you cool it for 20 mins on a wire rack. With a knife gently ease the excess pastry away from the edge of the tart tin and neatly level the edges off. The pastry is a bit like polyfilla at this stage and is more durable than you think but still be quite careful while doing this. (If the tart case happens to break or split try sealing it by painting on some egg wash and popping it back in the oven for a minute or two.) Now you’re ready to fill your tart.