Rich Shortcrust Pastry for Jam Tarts

Rebecca's tarts. She thinks they need more jam, but the pastry is yummy.

Last night I taught my 12 year old daughter to make pastry the old-fashioned way, which was pretty messy but fun. I needed to show her how to just use your fingertips and treat the pastry very gently. Don't press too hard with the rolling pin!

This pastry can be used for any sweet pies or tarts.

Ingredients:

8 oz (225g) plain flour
pinch of salt
5-6 oz butter or margarine
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons water


Method:

Old fashioned:
Sift flour and pinch of salt into a large bowl. Add butter or margarine and cut into pieces. Using fingertips, gently rub fat into the flour to form a crumbed texture. Stir through the sugar. Mix the egg yolk with the water and add sufficient of this to the flour mixture to form a dough. Add extra flour or water if necessary to get the right consistency.

Alternate method:
Put flour, salt, butter and sugar in a food-processor and process to form crumbs. Add yolk and as much water as necessary to form dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before rolling out.

For jam tarts, preheat the oven 200C (180C fan forced). Grease 2 bun tins with oil. Roll out half the pastry: First form the pastry into a ball, then sprinkle the ball of pastry, rolling pin and work surface or board with flour to prevent sticking. Flatten the ball of pastry with your hands to begin with and then use the rolling pin to roll out pastry to a thickness of about 3-4mm. Using an 8cm fluted cutter cut rounds of pastry and gently lift with a spatula onto the tin. They shouldn't need much help to sag into the shallow cups of the tin. Form the trimmings into another ball, flatten and roll out as before, then repeat process with the remaining pastry.

Put 1-2 teaspoons of jam in each pastry case and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.

Makes about 15 tarts.