Lemon Tarts - 2

So, to the pastry.  I do know how to make puff and rough puff pastry but why bother when it is so cheap to buy.  The time taken to make the pastry isn't worth it when you can buy it.  In the days when you had time to cut in the butter, fold, chill, re- roll, fold chill etc. maybe.   Besides I like a short pastry for tartlets.

Before you start make sure everything is cool, even chilled. This mixture makes 36 pastry cases.

Basically you need ;

1cup Self Raising Flour + 1 cup Plain flour, sifted into a bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.

125g Butter (6 and a bit tablespoons) Cut into the flour with a knife and then rubbed in with the fingertips till the mixture looks like bread cumbs.

Add 1 beaten egg + 1/3rd cup of cold water or milk using a knife.

(You could just use 2/3rd cup of cold water if you want.)

By using a knife you keep the mixture cool and your hands clean.  Now at this point you have to turn the dough onto a floured surface.  Because I hate scrubbing boards I cover my bench with cling wrap and then flour.  At the end the cling wrap and excess flour go straight into the bin.

And I flour my hands as well.

Turn out you mixture onto this surface and knead until smooth.  (Not as much as bread but more than scones.)   Then wrap in cling-wrap and put into the fridge for about 20 mins to allow the dough to rest and relax.  If you don't do this it might shrink in the cooking. 

Then it is time to take it out of the fridge and roll out.  I usually cut my dough in half just so that it is easier to manage.  Again I flour my surface and the rolling pin.

With every pass of the rolling pin I move the dough either turning it over or at least lifting if from the surface.  It is really easy for the pastry to stick and this will prevent this from happening.  With some sweet pastries you will find that they are very moist and stick to everything.  If this happens chill the dough again and roll out between two pieces of cling wrap or baking paper.  For this recipe make sure you roll out the dough thinly.  If the dough is too thick it becomes rather like cake because of the egg.

I use shallow small cake trays that have a curved surface.  I don't have to do anything to the teflon coated one but the older un-coated one I very lightly grease with butter.

I then cut the pastry shapes using an egg ring.  It is just the right shape and gives you enough size to push the pastry easily into the depression.

I then put the cases into the freezer for another 5 mins to make that butter solid again.

Before putting them into a moderate oven I prick the bottom with a fork .

The cases take about 15 mins too cook.  This is slightly different in other ovens.  You can tell if they are cooked if the bases are a light  golden colour.

Now comes the best part.  One heaped teaspoon of lemon butter in each.

Yum.

Comments

[RachelandDesign]

Yum indeed! I have recipes for puff pastry, but as you say, when the bought stuff is really pretty good, why bother? Whereas shortcrust is so easy, why not?

[Carolyn Foley]

You have hit the nail right on the head.

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