Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar next and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

Step 2

Gradually incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into your beaten butter and sugar.

Step 3

Add the salt to a small bowl with the flour, stir to mix it in. Then add the flour to the buttery egg mixture, all at once. Combine until the flour is incorporated and you have a loose crumbled texture.

Step 4

In the bowl, or turned out onto a clean working surface, gather the crumbled texture dough together and form into a ball. Wrap with plastic cling film wrap and flatten into a disc shape.

Step 5

Chill the dough, either by refrigerating the wrapped dough for 30 minutes to an hour, or by placing the dough in your freezer. Chill in the freezer for only 10-20 minutes, or until the dough is firm (which will depend on the thickness of your formed disc).

Step 6

Choose a tart pan that will work best. Grease or coat the 8-9 inch tart pan with non-stick baking spray (oil and flour combination spray). *My preferred tart pan is metal, that also has a removable bottom. However, this sweet shortcrust pastry dough will form into any shape pan.

Step 7

Rolled Method: The dough can be rolled into an even layer about 10-11 inches in diameter, then transferred carefully over the tart pan. Allow the dough to loosely fill the tart pan, try to stretch the dough as little as possible to prevent shrinking while baking. Use your fingers to firmly press the dough into place along the pan edges.Pressed Method: The dough can be spread in the pan using your fingers. Pat the dough until it has an even bottom layer and sides are firmly pressed into place.

Step 8

Trim the filled pastry edge or excess, either using a rolling pin (rolled over the top of the tart pan from one side to the other) or a sharp knife. Use a fork to prick, or 'dock,' the shortcrust pastry dough. Doing this helps to leave space for filling as the pastry crust swells and puffs during baking.

Step 9

Once the dough is filled into the pan, trimmed and docked, cover it with plastic cling film and chill again. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes while your oven preheats to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for blind baking. *You should place a sheet pan in the preheating oven for putting the tart pan on during blind baking as well.

Step 10

Remove the chilled pastry crust and cut a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper that is larger than your pie or tart pan. *Leave excess edges for ease of removal while the baked crust is still warm/hot. Fill the lined shortcrust pastry with pie weights, dried beans or rice. Use enough of whatever you're using as weights to hold down the paper and keep the dough from puffing while baking.

Step 11

Bake the weighted shortcrust pastry dough on the preheated baking sheet in the center of your oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes, or until the dough is about half-baked. *The parchment paper or aluminum should lift away easily, without sticking to the dough, when at this partially baked point.