Hazelnuts aren't just for creamy delights. Following numerous requests, I'm thrilled to share my recipe for hazelnut shortcrust pastry that I commonly use in tart shells!
P.S. Don't hesitate to get creative. Give it a whirl with almonds too! ✨
Equipment
Stand mixer (optional)
Tart rings. I'm using ⌀ 5.5cm from DeBuyer
Baking mat. I'm using Air Mat from Silikomart
Dough roller
Rulers (optional), for a uniform thickness
Brush, for coating
Shortcrust pastry
206g Wheat flour
13g Corn starch
62g Hazelnut flour. Keep in mind that you can grind toasted hazelnuts to achieve this, but exercise caution and avoid over-grinding to prevent the almonds from releasing excess oil.
2g Salt
125g Unsalted butter
62g Icing sugar
30g Whole egg. Note that this is less than 1 egg. Adding more might make the dough sticky and this would require you to use additional flour.
Put flour, cornstarch, almond / hazelnut flour, icing sugar, salt and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Mix at low speed with a paddle until you reach a sandy texture.
Add the egg and mix increasing the speed until the dough comes together.
Roll out the dough to the desired thickness, wrap and keep it in the fridge for around 24 hours. Rolling out the dough from the beginning is recommended. In this way you won't need to touch it too much when it's time to bake and this will prevent the butter from melting, making the whole dough hard to manage.
Bake at 160°C degrees for around 16 mins with the desired shape (you can prepare tart shells but also cookies).
Coating
1 Egg yolk
5g Heavy cream
5g Icing sugar
Coating has 2 main advantages. It gives a shiny look to your tarts and reduces the absorption of the humidity coming with the filling.
Mix all the ingredients together until reaching a smooth texture.
Brush your tarts with a thin layer
Bake at 200°C degrees for 3-4 mins, just for the coating to dry. Be careful when your remove the tarts from the oven, since they will be soft.