Strudel Tart

How easy is it to make sweet shortcrust pastry?

Shortcrust pastry is not hard to make, but you have to be very careful not to overwork the pastry dough too much!

When you overwork the dough, you’ll form too much gluten, which will make the pastry really difficult to roll. Overworked pastry is also more likely to shrink during cooking and will be tough once cooked. The dough will even become less elastic and the result will not be tender and flaky. 

Tips

1. Keep cool.
   Your kitchen, worktop and hands should all be cool when handling the pastry so that the fat in the dough doesn’t become too soft.

2. Don't overwork the dough.
   Roll and handle shortcrust pastry as little as possible as overworking it can produce tough and unpleasant results.

3. Chill
   Always rest the pastry in the fridge after handling it to allow the fat to firm up again.

One of the most common uses for sweet shortcrust pastry is the classic apple pie, so today I’ve put my twist on it and created a modern version with a hazelnut & ricotta cinnamon mousse. It’s a super delicious alternative so be sure to give it a go! 

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:
(2x20cm Tart)

200g Plain flour
100g Cold butter, cut in small cubes
50g Water
1g Salt
25g Caster sugar
15g Egg yolk

1. Sift the flour in a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Add the water, salt, sugar and egg yolk. Mix into a dough using your fingers.

3. Knead the dough briefly and gently. There must be no visible butter remaining.

4. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hour, ideally overnight.

5. Roll the pastry between 2 sheets of baking parchment, adding flour towards the end if you need to until it is 3mm thick. Drape the pastry over the rolling pin and use to line a 20cm tart tin.

6. Chill for half an hour in the fridge or freezer. This will help the pastry to shrink less.

7. Preheat the oven to 175°C . Line the pastry case with a circle of baking parchment and fill with baking beans then bake for 10 minutes.

8. Remove the baking beans and parchment and return the tart case to the oven for 10 minutes until lightly golden and dry to the touch.

9. Let the tart case cook completely before adding the filling.

Apple cinnamon compote

Ingredients:
(20cm Tart)

150g Diced apple (1 large apple)
10g Raisins
10g Brown sugar
10ml Rum
5g Cinnamon powder

1. Add apples, raisins and brown sugar in a small pan. Continue cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes, or until apples are softened, stirring occasionally.

2. Add cinnamon and rum and cook for few minutes more.

3. Let cool completely and pour on the base of the tart case.

4. Let set in the fridge while preparing the hazelnut mousse.

Hazelnut mousse

Ingredients:
(20cm Tart)

40g Brown sugar
40g Hazelnut paste
25g Cream + 2g Gelatine leaf
150g Cream

1. Soak gelatine leaves in a bowl with 10g cold water for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Remove from bowl and squeeze out excess water. Next, dissolve the gelatine with 25g of cream and brown sugar.

2. Pour over the hazelnut paste and mix well.

3. Semi-whip the cream and fold carefully in the hazelnut mix.

4. Pour the hazelnut mousse on the apple cinnamon layer and place in the fridge to set while you prepare the next step.

Cinnamon Ricotta Mousse

Ingredients: 
(20cm Tart)

150g Ricotta
15g Icing sugar
3,5g Cinnamon powder
10g Cream + 2g Gelatine leaf
50g Cream 

1. In a bowl mix well ricotta, icing sugar, cinnamon.

2. Soak gelatine leaves in a bowl with 10g cold water for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Remove from bowl and squeeze out excess water. Next, dissolve the gelatine with 10g of cream.

3. Add the melted gelatine to the ricotta mix and leave aside.

4. Semi-whip the cream and fold carefully in the ricotta mix.

5. Pour in a piping bag and pipe on the hazelnut layer.

Please if you ty the recipe tag me on @ila_riapastry on instagram!