Puff Paste for Tarts
A rich, sweet shortcrust pastry historically designed for creating decadent tarts and tartlets. This dough combines equal parts of refined flour, butter, and sugar bound with cream to produce a sturdy, cookie-like crust with a melt-in-the-mouth texture similar to shortbread. It serves as an excellent, sweet foundation for fruit preserves, custards, or creamy fillings.
Ingredients
- 1 pound All-purpose flour (Originally 'First number wheat flour' (refined flour).)
- 1 pound Powdered sugar (Originally 'ground very fine sugar'. This 1:1 ratio with flour creates a very sweet, cookie-like dough.)
- 1 pound Butter (cold and hard) (Keep cold for best texture.)
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream (cold) or warm milk (Quantity estimated. Use enough to bind the dough. Original allows for either cold cream or warm milk.)
- 2 tablespoons Butter (For greasing the tart pans.)
Instructions
- 1Sift the flour into a large, tinned platter or mixing bowl. Add the finely powdered sugar and mix well with the flour.
- 2Add the hard butter to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- 3Gradually add the cold cream (or warm milk) a little at a time, mixing until the ingredients bind together into a stiff dough. Do not overwork the dough.
- 4Grease your tart dish or tartlet molds generously with butter. Roll out the dough on a clean surface. For a large tart, roll to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Carefully lift the dough and place it into the prepared dish, smoothing it from the bottom to the rim. Trim any excess dough hanging over the edges.
- 5Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Cool before filling.