Shortcrust Pastry

This rich shortcrust pastry is a great base for a quiche, pies or mini canapes. It takes very little time to pull together but the chilling time in between is important to achieve a crisp pastry.

You can make the base ahead and it will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Simply add the filling and bake when you are ready.

Method

Makes enough to fit a 23cm flan tin or 60 mini-tin canapes.

Prep time: 10 mins Chill time: 1 hour Cook time: 15 mins

To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Cut the butter into small chunks and tip into the flour. Rub the flour and butter together until it is the texture of fine bread crumbs.

Mix the egg yolk with the very cold water. Add half straight into the flour and butter mixture and immdediately mix together with a knife, turning the bowl. Inf you need more, gradually add teaspoon amounts until the dough comes together but isn’t sticky.

Use your hand at the very end to finish bringing the dough together and tip it out onto a floured surface. Knead very briefly, form into a ball and flatten a to form a disc.

Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the clingfilm and roll out on a floured surface to the width of the mould or tin you are using plus a bit more for the height of the sides. If you are lining a large tin, loosely wrap the pastry round the rolling pin to help lift it over the pastry case.

Gently push the dough down into your chosen case and use your fingers or the end of a wooden spoon handle to push the pastry into the tin fluting. Roll the rolling pin over the edges of the flan tin to cut off the excess pastry. Chill for another 30 minutes or overnight.

Bake blind at 200c/180c fan/Gas Mark 6 for 10-15 minutes on a baking tray, filling the pastry with baking beans. Remove from the oven and take out the baking beans and parchment and return to the oven from 5 more minutes until the base is cooked and there are no grey areas.

If you are using a liquid mixture, you can brush the pastry lightly with beaten egg to seal the pastry. If you like you can return the pastry to the oven for another minute to set the egg but usually the residual heat of the pastry is enough.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Ingredients

250g plain flour

140g salted butter

pinch of salt

2 medim egg yolks

50g chilled water

Plus 1 beaten egg for brushing the pastry