Short crust pastry is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie and even for pizza! It is so quick and easy to make, so resist the temptation to buy that pre-made crust from the supermarket!
Follow these steps for a golden, crisp and extremely light short crust pastry. And once you master it, you are sure to be able to try various mouthwatering food items using these short crust pastries ranging from a sweet raspberry tart to a savory chicken pie.
Ingredients
225g plain flour
100g butter, diced
Pinch of salt
Method
- Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the salt, and then add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix until the dough becomes firm. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill.
Tip
-
Add sugar, if making a sweet pastry.
- Never roll out freshly made pastry because it will shrink when it's baked.
Here are some options for fillings;
Sweet
Chocolate or white chocolate chips
Just insert, roll the pastries up and brush on the egg wash.
Fruit filler
Cut-up fruit, such as strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blueberries. Fill the pastry with a mix of all the fruits or individually and top fruit with a pinch of sugar before sealing it.
Treacle
Mix golden syrup, breadcrumbs, double cream, grated lemon zest and lemon juice together in a bowl.
Savoury
Chicken
Sauté some chicken, leeks/onion, bacon and mushrooms in Astra and a little oil. When soft, add a Knorr Chicken Cube, some milk and flour to get a creamy consistency. Seasoning can vary (Chili, Chinese, Masala etc).
Seafood
Boil fish and de-bone. Mix cheese, prawns, flaked fish and season. Separately, whisk together cream, milk and egg. Spoon the fish mixture onto pastry and pour in the egg mixture.
