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Doughs

Shortcrust Pastry

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One of my favourite doughs for meat pies, tarts, hand pies or meat turnovers is a Shortcrust Pastry because of its sturdy, crispy and buttery characteristics. When a pastry is eaten out of hand, a sturdier, leaner pastry is most suitable. In this post, I will guide you through how to make a shortcrust pastry.  I also include a gluten-free option. The tips and techniques provided will simplify the overall process to inspire the chef in you.

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Blenditarian Turnovers | urbnspice.com

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Chocolate Short Dough

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Chocolate Short Dough is a great dough to have in your pastry recipe repertoire. It is a versatile dough that can be rolled out with a rolling pin, or, for those of you who claim to have a ‘fear of crust’, it can easily be pressed into tart shells. I like to use this dough in Chocolate Pecan Pie, warm chocolate tart or one of my favourites:  Chocolate Truffle Tart.

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Chocolate Short Dough | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Short Dough

Chocolate Short Dough

Yield:  Crust for 1 – 9″ pie shell    

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:

CHEF TALK: This is a crust that can be rolled out with a rolling pin or pressed into the tart shell.  It can easily be adapted to gluten-free crust by substituting a gluten-free flour blend.  For a dairy-free tart, substitute the butter for coconut butter.

INGREDIENTS                

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
  • 8 oz. (1/2 lb) unsalted Butter (softened, but cool)
  • 1/2 cup Icing (confectioners) Sugar

METHOD: 

  1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.
  2. Place the butter in the mixer.  With a paddle,  beat on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly creamed. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
  3. Add the icing sugar and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together – approximately 30 seconds.  Gather the dough into a disk or log as shown above.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill for at least 4 hours.
  6. Roll or press out and dock bottom of the dough.  CHEF TIP:  For tarts or small pies, I like to shape the dough into a log (or cylinder).  Slice off 1/2 inch slices to make it easier to roll out (or press in) the tart shells individually.
  7. To pre-bake, the dough: blind bake the large tart shell for 15 minutes, remove the pie weights and bake 6 minutes more. Cool before using.

Here is a visual step-by-step in photographs How to prepare a Chocolate Shortcrust:

Chocolate Short Dough | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Short Dough is chilled and then cut into small rounds as shown for tarts or larger pieces to press into a tart pan

Preparing the pan and coating with cocoa powder | urbnspice.com

Prepare the tart pan by brushing with butter and dusting edges well with cocoa powder

Preparing the tart pan with a parchment circle | urbnspice.com

Add a circle of parchment paper into the bottom of the prepared tart pan

Pressed In Chocolate Shortdough Crust | urbnspice.com

The Chocolate Shortdough Crust is pressed into the bottom of the prepared tart pan

Pre-baking chocolate crust | urbnspice.com

Pre-bake the chocolate shortdough crust and cool slightly

Decadent Dark Chocolate Tart | urbnspice.com

The Shortdough crust is filled, baked and chilled before cutting

Chocolate Short Dough | urbnspice.com

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Chocolate Short Dough

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 1 9" crust

Chocolate Short Dough is a great dough to have in your pastry recipe repertoire. It is a versatile dough that can be rolled out with a rolling pin, or, for those of you who claim to have a ‘fear of crust’, it can easily be pressed into tart shells. I like to use this dough in Chocolate Pecan Pie, warm chocolate tart or one of my favourites:  Chocolate Truffle Tart.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
  • 8 oz. (1/2 lb) unsalted Butter (softened, but cool)
  • 1/2 cup Icing (confectioners) Sugar

Instructions

  1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.
  2. Place the butter in the mixer.  With a paddle,  beat on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly creamed. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
  3. Add the icing sugar and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together – approximately 30 seconds.  Gather the dough into a disk or log as shown above.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill for at least 4 hours.
  6. Roll or press out and dock bottom of the dough.  CHEF TIP:  For tarts or small pies, I like to shape the dough into a log (or cylinder).  Slice off 1/2 inch slices to make it easier to roll out (or press in) the tart shells individually.
  7. To pre-bake, the dough: blind bake the large tart shell for 15 minutes, remove the pie weights and bake 6 minutes more. Cool before using.

Notes

For further details, including step-by-step photographs, please refer to my original post.

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Courses Dessert

LEARNING TIPS:  

  • Blind Baking
  • Creaming
  • Docking
Chocolate Short Dough in a warm chocolate tart plated dessert | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Short Dough is used to line a warm chocolate tart

More Like This from Urb’n’Spice:

Learn How to Make a Chocolate Short Dough Tart

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Crunchy Topping

Milk Chocolate Torte with Almond Praline Crust

If you try my recipe for Chocolate Short Dough, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy! 

Denise Pare-Watson - The Urb'n'Spice Chef | urbnspice.comDenise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

 

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