The decadent aroma of a freshly baked blueberry pie (strawberry,
apple or whatever pleases your senses) beats any other experience. I’ve always
wanted to try baking one of those delicious pies that leave people salivating…
But the thought of making pastry has kept me astray. Until recently, I presumed
baking a pie was a job only to be undertaken by trained pastry chefs or even
those few gifted ones. But honestly it’s not the rocket science I assumed it to
be.
Actually, its quite easy… once you get the hang of it. Of course you are
bound to stumble a few places if it’s the first time you are setting foot on
the wonderful path of baking. But that too will pass…
Sweet Crust Pastry
So basically, the base for a pie, or a tart is called ‘Sweet
Crust’ pastry… and it’s not that much different from a ‘Short crust’ pastry,
difference being the addition of sugar in the Sweet crust pastry. A recipe for
sweet crust pastry can be used for all types of sweet pies and tarts and you
can also make a few types of cookies… the kind that are heavenly when had
dipped in a hot cup of tea.
Ingredients
Plain Flour 200
grams
Butter (Softened) 150
grams
Icing Sugar 60
grams
Egg ½
Vanilla Essence 1
tsp
If you wish to make an eggless option (though I suggest you
don’t), instead of adding the half egg you could add about 20-30 grams of
water.
As I said its quite simple… Just make sure you are
scientific with the measurements and the rest will take care of itself.
Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix using
your hands (it feels a bit crummy but it turns out way better than using a
mixer or blender… its all in the touch you see). Use a plastic scraper in one
hand to gather together the mixture and with the other hand just knead the
batter to form dough like consistency, ensuring that there are no lumpy bits.
And that’s pretty much it…
2. Just spread the dough on butter paper or cover with
cling film and pop it into the fridge to rest ideally for 30 minutes (the more
you let the dough rest the better it is to roll out. Once your dough has
rested, you can use it to make one big luscious pie or you could divide that
buttery crust to make 2 individual sized pies, a few tart cases and a few of
those divine cookies as well.
3. All you have to do is roll out the dough, on a baking paper,
to a ½ inch thickness, gently lift from center (its better if you lift with the
baking paper… less chances of the dough developing cracks) and flip it down on
the pie or tart case. Use your thumbs only to gently slide the crust into the
mould. Be cautious not to push the crust a the bottom, instead move your gently
from bottom to top rotating around the mould.
If you have plenty of time and cooking is all you have to
do, I suggest popping the sweet crust lined pie case in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, so it is cold when it goes into the oven. If not and you want to
indulge in the pleasure of a freshly baked pie very soon, fill the mould with
your favorite filling, cover with more sweet crust, brush with egg wash and
bake for 20 minutes and there you have it, a fresh pie with a decadent aroma.
All your baked pies will pretty much follow the same steps.
But if you are
doing a chilled pie, such as Italian chocolate pie… you will first need to
blind bake your pie case and then fill in. Don’t worry… blind baking is simple.
All you have to do is line your sweet crust with baking paper, spread with
baking beans (you can use chick peas as a substitute) and bake in a 170 degree
preheated oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the baking paper and
beans and continue baking for another 5 minutes. And there you have it, a pie
case ready.
For Tarts you have to bake the pastry first and then fill
in. But before baking, all you have to do, is pierce the bottom of the crust
with a fork several times (this is important as it helps release the air
bubbles an lets the pastry rise evenly), then pop it in a 170 degree preheated
oven for about 15 minutes, or until it starts getting a golden color on the
edges. Cool the tart cases before filling in.
Now I did promise that you could get those absolutely
heavenly cookies form this thing we call sweet crust… and of course I never lie
(maybe just sometimes… I am human!). So, how do we turn this batter into
delicious cookies, you ask? Well, this is perhaps one of the simplest ways to
make a teatime cookie I have ever come across.
I call them cinnamon dips (…Cause I like dunking them in a
hot cup of coffee/ tea). To the dough, just add about 1tsp of cinnamon powder
and about ½ tsp baking powder and mix well. (If you like, you can add more
cinnamon, but this is perfect). Make small balls, roll into some castor sugar
and spread on a greased baking tray. Using a fork, flatten out the sugar balls,
forming a pattern on top of the cookies. Bake these in a 170 degree preheated
oven for 15-20mins (until golden) and there you have it, lovely luscious
teatime cinnamon dips. (FYI let the tray cool a bit before you decide to remove
the cookies… I wouldn’t want you to burn your hands… let alone dismantle the
cookies :P)
Now are we on the same page… Isn’t it simple to make your
own pie or tart??? Simple but yet delightful.
