Basic shortcrust pastry is the easiest pastry to make, it is a versatile pastry suitable for sweet or savoury dishes. Sometimes a sweet shortcrust pastry is needed, especially for desserts and sweet pies as it adds extra flavor and depth. A rich shortcrust pastry recipe is similar to basic shortcrust but has an egg and sugar added to it. This pastry is also known as pate sucrée.<br />
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Though it may at first seem a little sticky, rich shortcrust pastry is easier to handle than basic pastry but as with any pastry recipe, resting is the key to success as once rested in the refrigerator, the pastry will keep its shape during cooking.<br />
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Preparation:This quantity makes 10 oz/300g pastry.<br />
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Place the flour, butter and sugar into a large clean bowl.<br />
Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm.<br />
Add the egg to the mixture and using a cold knife stir until the dough binds together, add milk, a teaspoon at a time, if the mixture is too dry.<br />
Wrap the dough in Clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes, up to 30 minutes.<br />
The dough can also be made in a food processor by mixing the flour, butter and salt in the bowl of the processor on a pulse setting. When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add the milk, slowly, through the funnel until the dough comes together in a ball. Wrap in Clingfilm and chill as above.<br />
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Tip: Use equal quantities of all-purpose/plain flour and cake/self raising flour for a lighter pastry.