Sweet Puff Paste for Cheese Cakes
A rich, buttery pastry dough designed specifically for lining small tart molds to make classic Almond or Lemon Cheese Cakes (curd tarts). This historical recipe creates a sturdy yet tender crust by binding flour and butter with a touch of milk and powdered sugar. The dough is rolled out and fitted into individual tins, ready to be filled with your favorite sweet curd or custard filling.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups All-purpose flour (Originally '1 ratal' (1 pound).)
- 2 cups Butter (cold, slightly hard) (Originally '2 ratals' (2 pounds), which is an extremely high ratio. Adjusted to 1 pound (1:1 ratio) for a standard rich puff/pastry texture.)
- 1/2 cup Powdered sugar (Originally 'sweetness sufficient crushed sugar'.)
- 4 tablespoons Whole milk (Use just enough to bind the dough. Originally 'a little milk'.)
- 1 tablespoon Butter (for greasing) (For greasing the tart molds.)
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Instructions
- 1In a large bowl, mix the flour and powdered sugar. Cut in the cold, slightly hard butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk gradually, mixing just enough to bind the ingredients into a stiff dough.
- 2Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/3 inch (or slightly thinner, around 1/4 inch). Cut the dough into square pieces sized to fit your small tart molds (kediya).
- 3Grease the tart molds with butter. Place the cut dough squares into the molds, pressing gently to fit. Trim the excess dough from the edges using a knife.
- 4Fill the lined tart shells with your desired filling (such as almond or lemon cheese curd). Gather any dough scraps, re-roll, and use for additional tarts. Bake according to the instructions for your specific filling (typically at 375°F/190°C for 15-20 minutes until golden).
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