Lovely French Tart Shell

A good tart shell can be a daunting task to attempt, but this classic French style recipe from David Lebovitz and Paule Callait, is so simple, and tastes so amazing!

Time:

Prep: 25min

Cook: 15min

Ingredients:

• 90g Unsalted Butter, cubed
• 1Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 3 Tbsp Water
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1/8 Tsp Salt
• 150g Plain Flour

Equipment:

• 23cm tart mold
• Medium sized, oven proof bowl (pyrex is best)
• Good oven mits
• Wooden spoon
• Fork

The Pastry

1. Pre-heat the oven to 210˚C
2. In the pyrex bowl, combine the butter, sugar, salt, water, and oil
3. Cook in the oven for 15min, until the butter is starting to brown around the edges. Be extremely careful when removing the bowl from the oven, and when using the bowl on the bench as it is very easy to grab it with your bare hands!
4. Dump in the flour and stir it in quickly until the dough forms a ball, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Be careful when adding the flour, it is likely that it will spit and sputter a bit
5. Transfer the dough into the tart mold, and spread out a little with a spatula
6. Once the dough has cooled enough to handle, pat it into the mold using the heel of your hand, and work it up the sides with your fingers. Keep a small amount of (almond sized) for patching up cracks later.
7. Reinforce the dough to the sides with a fork
8. Prick the dough all over with a fork
9. Bake for 15min
10. Patch up any cracks with spare dough, but rolling it between your fingers, and wedging it into the crack and smooth with your pinky
11. Allow the shell to cool before filling.

This crust is ideal for fillings such as ganaches, and will definitely cure you of any pastry baking fears! Avoid using custard like fillings, as this crust is much too light and flaky for such a dense filling.

Keep Smiling,

Jo

xoxo

Simple Scones

Scones are a brunch favourite all around the world, but sometimes the perfect scone can seem impossible to make! It's really not as hard as it seems, all you need is to know the right technique.

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Self-Raising Flour
• 1 Tbs Caster Sugar
• 80g Butter, cubed, room temperature
• 1 Cup Milk

Equipment:

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Baking Tray
• Baking Paper
• Round-bladed knife or wooden spoon
• Rolling Pin
• 5cm Round cookie cutter (you can use any shape you like, but the round is the traditional shape)

The Scones

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220
2. Measure out ingredients
3. Combine the flour and sugar in the bowl
4. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. It is best to rub the butter one cube at a time, with your palms facing up. This ensures that plenty of air gets into the mixture, and ensures your scones will be nice and light
5. Add the milk all at once, and combine using the knife/wooden spoon. Use a cutting motion until the mixture holds together, and the milk is incorporated. Do not over mix as this will make you lose all your lightness from step 4. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
6. Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead gently 4-5 times. Do not over work the dough, as once again this will effect the lightness of the scones, and cause the texture to become tough
7. Roll out the dough to about a 2cm thickness
8. Using a straight up and down motion, cut out the scones with a lightly floured cookie cutter. Twisting will effect the rise.
9. Place scones 1cm apart on the baking tray. It is very important that the distance is kept even, as this will ensure the scones rise evenly.
10. Bake for 10-12min. Scones are done if when you tap them, they sound hollow.
11. When you remove the scones from the oven, wrap them in a tea towel immediately to ensure a soft crust.
12. Serve as desired.

With Australia Day looming, scones are a popular treat. Hopefully this recipe will mean your friends actually eat your scones instead of using them in some peculiar drinking game!

Keep Smiling

Jo

xoxo