This classic sweet pastry is the ultimate foundation for lemon tarts, fruit pies, and indulgent desserts. Made with just flour, sugar, and a generous amount of cold butter, it delivers a tender, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. The high fat content creates a luxurious mouthfeel, while the subtle sweetness complements both fruit-based fillings and creamy custards. Perfect for holiday baking or special weekend treats, this dough is forgiving to work with and can be easily patched if it tears. Keep it chilled until ready to use for the best results.
Sweet Pastry
Description
This classic sweet pastry is the ultimate foundation for lemon tarts, fruit pies, and indulgent desserts. Made with just flour, sugar, and a generous amount of cold butter, it delivers a tender, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. The high fat content creates a luxurious mouthfeel, while the subtle sweetness complements both fruit-based fillings and creamy custards. Perfect for holiday baking or special weekend treats, this dough is forgiving to work with and can be easily patched if it tears. Keep it chilled until ready to use for the best results.Ingredients
Directions
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Ensure butter is well chilled and cut into small cubes.
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Place flour and sugar in a food processor bowl and pulse 1-2 times to aerate.
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Roll the chilled butter cubes in a little flour to reduce stickiness, then distribute over the flour and sugar mixture.
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Process briefly until the mixture resembles fine meal.
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Drop the egg (and lemon zest, if using) down the chute while the processor is running.
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Process briefly just until the egg is incorporated and the dough begins to clump.
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Turn the dough out onto a surface covered with plastic wrap and form into a ball.
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Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.
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On a surface covered with plastic wrap, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch, making it about 3 inches larger in diameter than your flan tin.
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Carefully transfer the dough into the tin, trim the edges, and return to the fridge for at least one hour.
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Preheat oven to 375&# 194;°F (190ðC).
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Bake the pastry-lined tin in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
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If the edges begin to brown too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 325ðF (160ðC).
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 1
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 958.4kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 71.6g111%
- Saturated Fat 44.8g224%
- Cholesterol 188.1mg63%
- Sodium 564.3mg24%
- Total Carbohydrate 72.1g25%
- Dietary Fiber 2.0g8%
- Sugars 15.3g
- Protein 8.3g17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
This pastry has a high fat content, making it quite sticky. Using a food processor is highly recommended for best results.
If you do not have a food processor, you can rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, but keep your hands cool to prevent melting.
While rolling, you may add a small amount of extra flour if sticking occurs, but be aware this will slightly toughen the texture.
The dough is forgiving and can be easily patched if it tears during transfer to the tin.
This pastry is particularly well-suited for Lemon Tarts, providing a rich flavor contrast to the tart filling.
Ensure the butter is very cold before starting to maintain the flaky texture.
