shortcrust pastry

Like Swiss army knives and mobile phones, shortcrust pastry can be used for loads of different things.
You can use this recipe for every kind of pie or tart you can imagine, from jam tarts and mince pies to pork pies and apple cake.
The wains love cutting out shapes, dropping on a blob of jam and baking them.

250g pack of butter.
400g plain flour
100ml cold water

My mother-in-law uses twice as much flour (by weight) as butter, but I find it works better if I use a bit less.

Rub the butter into the flour until it’s all crumbly. If you want to top a rhubarb crumble or something, this is the stuff to use.
If you’re going the whole hog and making the pastry, add your 100ml of water, the colder the better, and use it to bind the crumbs into a solid lump.
Put it in a sandwich bag or cling film and when you smooth it out it should look sort of marbly.
Leave it for half an hour to rest before rolling and cutting it.

Fill it and bake it. How long you bake it for depends on what’s in it, but about 200ºC for 20 mins should do it.

You can freeze it if you don’t use it all.
If you find a good use for shortcrust pastry, add a comment.