To Make Short Paest for Tarte

To Make Short Paest for Tarte is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a classic shortcrust pastry, the basis for many pies and tarts. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of To Make Short Paest for Tarte.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

20 minutes

Additional Time:

(+20 minutes resting)

Serves:

6–8

Rating:

Tags : Baking Recipes British Recipes

To Make Short Paest for Tarte: a classic Elizabethan British recipe for a traditional rich, shortcrust pastry made from a blend of flour and butter coloured with saffron and bound with egg and water that has a crumbly texture when baked.

Original Recipe

To Make Short Paest for Tarte (from A Proper Newe Booke)

Take fyne floure and a curscy of fayre water and a dysche of swete butter and a lyttel saffron, and the yolkes of two egges and make it thynne and as tender as ye maye.

Modern Redaction

The use of saffron in this recipe indicates quite strongly that this was a pastry for special occasions only. The everyday pie crust would probably be more like that which is presented here.

Ingredients:

175g plain flour
60g butter (salted)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
6 saffron threads ground into 1 tbsp water in a pestle and mortar and allowed to seep.

Method:

Take the butter out of the fridge and allow to warm before use. Once it is malleable, cut the butter into small cubes and add to flour that has been sifted into a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour with two knives and complete the mixing by rubbing the remaining butter into the flour with your fingers.

Mix the saffron (and its seeping water) into the egg yolk and beat well. Add this mixture to the flour and mix together. If the mixture is a little dry add some more water until it binds together into a ball. Knead this for a while to increase the flour's elasticity. If it's a little hard to work with, cover in clingfilm and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Cover a cold work surface with flour and roll the pastry out. The recipe makes enough for a 22.5 cm pie dish (including lid).