Basic sweet pastry
This dough is very short with a high butter to flour ratio. It holds its shape and is perfect for holding pie filling. It can be kept overnight in the fridge and also freezes well. This recipe makes enough for two pie bases and two lids.
Ingredients
500g unsalted butter, softened but still cold
50g icing sugar, sifted
200g castor sugar
2 tsp salt
5 egg yolks (save the whites for the lemon raspberry meringue pie)
660g plain flour
Method
Put the butter, icing sugar, castor sugar and salt in a bowl and using a wooden spoon, mix well to combine. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Fold through the flour until just combined. Turn out onto a clean work surface and gather together.
Divide the pastry into four portions and shape into round, flat discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or freeze for future use).
Remove the pastry disc from the fridge 20 minutes before using. Roll the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm-thick. Place on trays and refrigerate again for at least 20 minutes.
Use this pastry to make:
Chocolate ganache and espresso, buckwheat and pecan caramel pie (pictured)
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Katrina Meynink is a cookbook author and Good Food recipe columnist.
