Easy Shortbread Pastry

4.68 from 37 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: French

Keyword: all butter pie crust, Easy Shortbread Pastry, pastry dough, Pâte sucrée, shortbread pie crust

Servings: tart

Author: Pat Nyswonger

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

For one 11-inch x 1-inch tart pan with removable bottom
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. 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

The bottom of a metal measuring cup can be used to press the dough smooth.
Also, a pizza rollers is a great tool that smooths the bottom and fits up against the inside edge
The back of a teaspoon also works well on the inside edge of the pastry
For a tart with a baked filling par-bake the pastry shell for 15-minutes
For a tart without a baked filling, bake the pastry shell for 15-minutes, transfer from the oven and remove the foil; then return to the oven and bake an additional 15-minutes.
Pressing the foil on top of the pastry before baking it will ensure that the pastry holds its shape while baking and prevent the edges from slumping. Make sure you spray the bottom of the foil with non-stick spray first.
If you make this for a pie, use pie weights. Since the edges are taller in a pie dish, the pie weights will be needed to keep the walls from slumping while the crust par-bakes.

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