This is a sweetened shortcrust pastry recipe excellent for cream pies, tarts and custard fillings.
Prepare: 10 minutesmins
Bake: 30 minutesmins
Chill Time: 1 hourhr
Total Time: 1 hourhr40 minutesmins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 ½cups(225g) flour
½cup(113g) cold butter or margarine
3tbs(37.5g) sugar
3tbs(45mL) water
1large(20g) egg yolk
1tsp(5mL) white vinegar or lemon juice
⅛tsp(.625g) salt
Instructions
Cube butter into 1/2" (1.27cm) pieces. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. With your fingertips, rub the cubed butter into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix together the egg yolk, water and vinegar. Using a butterknife, cut the water mixture into the flour until a dough begins to form. Turn out onto a clean work surface. Squeeze and fold the dough until it comes together.
Pat into a round disc about 1" (2.54cm) thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
Bring out pastry 20 - 30 minutes prior to shaping. Flour work surface. Roll into a 12" (30cm) circle, turning frequently to prevent sticking. Add more flour to work surface as needed.
Place pastry dough into tart or pie pan and trim off excess. Chill in pie pan* 20 - 30 minutes while oven preheats to prevent shrinkage. Dock the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Place a layer of parchment or aluminum foil on top of the pastry. Fill with rice, flour, sugar, beans or pie weights.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C.) Blind bake pie shell for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully remove parchment paper or aluminum foil to avoid spilling weights. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 - 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove pie crust or tart shell from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*Glass bakeware can break, crack or shatter under extreme temperature changes. If using a glass pie pan, bring the dish back up to room temperature prior to placing in the oven.