Almond Shortcrust Pastry Recipes

MY FAVORITE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Put the flour, almonds, and confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and mix together until well combined.
• Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub into the flour until you get a mixture that looks like fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg yolk (save the white for glazing) and 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir into the flour with a round-ended knife. The mixture will start to clump together after you have mixed for a minute or so, but there will still be some floury patches in the bowl. Turn the contents of the bowl onto a large piece of cling film and knead briefly until all the pastry has come together into a ball. Wrap in the cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until you are ready to use it.
• Blind baking:
• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Roll out the chilled pastry between two pieces of cling film until it is a few centimeters larger than your tin. You could also do this on a floured surface, but the pastry is so fragile I find it easier to handle between cling film. Peel off the top layer of cling film then invert the pastry circle into the prepared tart tin, gently pressing it into all the edges. Put the pastry-lined tin into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Remove the cling film from the pastry, prick the base all over with a fork then line the inside with baking parchment and baking beans (you could also use uncooked lentils or rice if you don't have baking beans-anything that will weigh the paper down).
• Bake for ten minutes, then carefully remove the paper and beans and bake for a further ten minutes, until the base is crisp. You are now ready to fill the case.

BASIC SHORT-CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Add butter and quickly cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add ice water and mix briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a soft dough. Remove dough, shape into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling.
• To roll, lightly flour dough and counter. Roll out gradually, periodically letting dough rest for a moment before continuing. This makes rolling easier and will keep dough from shrinking back during baking.
• Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.

BLUEBERRY & ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Beat together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 1 min. Stir in the almonds, egg and almond extract.
• Stir in half the blueberries and spoon into the pastry case. Smooth the top using the back of a metal spoon, then scatter over the remaining blueberries, pressing them in lightly. Bake for 45-50 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden, and the filling is golden and feels firm to the touch.
• Cool the tart for 10 mins in the tin, then lift onto a serving plate. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

RASPBERRY TART WITH ALMOND PASTRY

Steps:

• Make the pastry by tipping all the ingredients, except the yolk, into a food processor and pulsing to the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the yolk, then pulse until it all comes together to form a soft pastry. The pastry will be too soft to roll out, so press it evenly into a loose-based 25cm tart tin until the pastry comes up above the edges of the tin. Rest in the freezer for at least 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line the tart case with baking parchment and baking beans, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 mins until the edges are starting to brown. Remove the beans and paper, then continue to cook for 10 mins until biscuity. Leave to cool, trim the edges with a knife, then carefully remove from the tart tin.
• To make the filling, whisk the crème fraîche with the sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest until thick. Spread over the bottom of the tart case, then meticulously place the raspberries on top in concentric circles. Meanwhile, heat up jam in the microwave or in a pan with 2tbsp water until bubbling. Push the glaze through a sieve into a bowl, then paint it over the raspberries with a pasty brush. Bring the whole tart to the table and serve in slices.