Sweet shortcrust pastry

Jamie Oliver Old-fashioned sweet shortcrust pastry recipe

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Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver

Date Published:
31/01/2008

Jamie:

"This pastry is perfect for making apple and other sweet pies. Even if you've never made pastry before, as long as you stick to the correct measurements for the ingredients and you follow the method exactly, you'll be laughing. The one place where you can experiment is with flavouring. If you don't fancy using lemon zest, try another dry ingredient like orange zest instead. Or a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa powder. Vanilla seeds are great too. Just remember to be subtle and don't go overboard with any of these flavours!

"Try to be confident and bring the pastry together as quickly as you can - don't knead it too much or the heat from your hands will melt the butter. A good tip is to hold your hands under cold running water beforehand to make them as cold as possible. That way you'll end up with a delicate, flaky pastry every time"

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Makes about 1kg

Ingredients

  • 500g organic plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 100g icing sugar, sifted
  • 250g good-quality cold butter, cut into small cubes
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 large free-range or organic eggs, beaten
  • A splash of milk
  • Flour, for dusting

Method: How to make old-fashioned sweet shortcrust pastry

1. Sieve the flour from a height on to a clean work surface and sieve the icing sugar over the top. Using your hands, work the cubes of butter into the flour and sugar by rubbing your thumbs against your fingers until you end up with a fine, crumbly mixture. This is the point where you can spike the mixture with interesting flavours, so mix in your lemon zest.

2. Add the eggs and milk to the mixture and gently work it together till you have a ball of dough. Flour it lightly. Don't work the pastry too much at this stage or it will become elastic and chewy, not crumbly and short. Flour your work surface and place the dough on top. Pat it into a flat round, flour it lightly, wrap it in cling film and put it into the fridge to rest for at least half an hour.

Jamie At Home book

Recipe taken from Jamie At Home by Jamie Oliver
©Jamie Oliver 200[8]. All rights reserved
Photography © David Loftus. All rights reserved

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Comments

  1. Thanks for allowing me to use your recipe, sweet pastry also the helpful tips turned out just perfect
    Posted by Susan Baker on 03/03/2009 16:19:43
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  2. Cheers Jamie for a perfect recipe. Am in Romania this Xmas and have had to make mincemeat from scratch - total success - and your sweet shortcrust pastry - alongisde my abfab mincemeat is a complete hit with all the neighbours who have never tried them before.
    Posted by Dave on 23/12/2008 18:35:16
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  3. hi can you tell me how to make the perfect egg custard thats not to bad for my waist, love your programs and hope to hear from you soon. thanx becca from manchester
    Posted by becca on 12/11/2008 18:09:33
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  4. i've been looking at your website for half on my design tec for a recipe for and sweet and savour pastry to make for tomorrow, i don't know what to do? but thanks to you! i've found something to do and your gorgeous! haha
    Posted by jodie seeds on 22/10/2008 08:41:51
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