Easy Shortbread Pastry
This easy shortbread pastry crust is traditionally used for baking tarts. It is rich and buttery with a cookie-like texture. It is made in a food processor and is a press-in, no-roll pastry.
Servings: 1 tart
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- ½ cup powdered sugar 60 grams
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter cold; cut into pieces, 169 grams
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of the food processor, pulse to combine.
- Distribute the butter pieces over the flour mixture and process the until it looks like fine sand.
- In a small dish, whisk the egg yolks, cream and vanilla together and add to the mixture. Pulse just until the mixture is crumbly.
- Tip the pastry mixture into the tart pan. With your fingers or the back of a tablespoon, press dough up the sides of the pan. See notes if you are using a pie pan.
- Use the bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of the tart pan.
- Prick the dough with a fork and place the tart pan on a baking sheet then set it into the freezer for 30-minutes to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Remove the frozen pastry tart from the freezer.
- Spray one side of a large piece of aluminum foil with non-stick oil and place it, oiled side down, over the pastry. Press the foil tightly against the pastry molding it to the crust and over the edge. There is no need for pie weights if you use this for a tart pan. Add pie weights if you use this recipe for a pie dish.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15-minutes if using for a tart that requires the filling to be baked. If the filling does not require baking, bake the crust for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Let the pastry cool completely before filling.
Video
Notes
Pan size: Fits an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
Prevent slumping: Press a greased sheet of foil directly against the dough before baking. Spray the bottom of the foil with non-stick spray first.
If making a pie: Use pie weights. The taller sides of a pie dish need the extra support to keep from slumping.
Smooth the base: The flat bottom of a metal measuring cup works well for pressing the dough evenly.
Use a pizza roller: Perfect for smoothing the base and pressing right up against the inside edge.
For baked fillings: Par-bake the pastry shell for 15 minutes.
For unbaked fillings: Bake the pastry shell for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, carefully lift off the foil, and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g
