Guide to making chocolate shortcrust pastry


Guide to making chocolate shortcrust pastry

Shortcrust is used as the base of a tart or pie. Here's how to make a chocolate one



Video Credit: Anas Thacharpadikkal/Gulf News

All you need are five ingredients (and a hidden ingredient) for this very easy recipe of shortcrust pastry. Shortcrust pastries are used as a base for sweet tarts, and a savoury version is also made, serving as a quiche. In this guide, I demonstrate how to make a chocolate shortcrust. Fill in chocolate or raspberry or strawberry flavours for a brilliant dessert. The secret ingredient for the dough? It’s a pinch of salt for that extra touch of flavour!

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
Ingredients for shortcrust pastry Image Credit: Stefan Lindeque/Gulf News

187 1/2 gms butter

87 1/2 gms sieved icing sugar

10 gms cocoa powder

250 gms T45 flour (finely ground flour with less gluten), or just all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

25 gms beaten egg

Method

Shortcrust pastry
Add butter and sieved icing sugar

1. To make in a food processor, add butter to the mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, followed by sieved icing sugar. Mix in a slow speed setting to incorporate butter and sugar together.

Shortcrust pastry
Mix at a slow speed

2. Mix cocoa and flour together. Add one half of the mixture to the butter and mix gently until well incorporated. Then add the second half. Stop the mixer time to time and scrape the bottom of your bowl so flour stuck at the bottom doesn’t create lumps.

Shortcrust pastry
Mix cocoa and flour together
Shortcrust pastry
Add the cocoa and flour, mix one half at a time

3. Add the beaten egg to bind all the ingredients together.

Shortcrust pastry
Add the eggs

4. Scrape the mixture off the paddle and the bottom of the bowl. This is your shortcrust dough. Mix all the ingredients until all the lumps of butter are mixed in. Rest in a chiller until solid for 20 minutes to an hour.

Shortcrust pastry
Ensure you scrape the mixture off the paddle and the bottom of the bowl
Shortcrust pastry
Place in the chiller for 20 minutes to an hour

5. Dough is now workable. Take a piece of dough and roll it out. Then put greaseproof baking paper over and press the dough till desired thickness.

Shortcrust pastry
Roll out the dough
Shortcrust pastry
Laminate the dough...
Shortcrust pastry
...until you reach desired thickness

6. Cut out strips to make the edges of the round moulds, then place into moulds. Cut out circles for the base. Place cling film over, leaving the edges hanging out. Fill the pastry up with rice, cover with cling film, and bake in the oven, 160C for 20 minutes.

Shortcrust pastry
Cut out strips and circles
Shortcrust pastry
Place the strips on the edges
Shortcrust pastry
Place the circles as the base
Shortcrust pastry
Add cling film
Shortcrust pastry
Add rice over

7. Remove from oven, leave rice to cool down so the crust firms up, then remove and pipe in your desired filling!

Shortcrust pastry
After baking, let it rest so it firms up

Tip: You don’t need a food processor to make shortcrust pastry. Just mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl and knead until all ingredients bind together into a dough. Just ensure your butter is at room temperature if kneading by hand!

Shortcrust pastry
Delicious shortcrust is ready for fillings of your choice!
Shortcrust pastry
Pipe in chocolate mousse for a great dessert!

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