How to make sure your tart shells are baked just right!

Raspberry & Vanilla Pastry Cream Tart

When it comes to blind baking tart cases, there is a delicate balance between pastry that is too pale and too dark.  Too pale and it looks unappetising but when it’s too dark it becomes bitter to taste.

Take a look at these tart shells we made – each one has been baked differently.

Tart Case 1: Too Pale / Tart Case 2: Just Right / Tart Case 3: Too Dark

Underbaked

The first case is an example of being slightly underbaked.  This is too pale to be served as a finished tart case.  But it is how a blind baked tart shell should look when it come out of the oven if it is going to be baked again with a filling that needs to be cooked (e.g. a frangipane).  In this case the tart shell should be taken out of the oven a little earlier, when it looks this sort of colour.  Then it can be egg washed before going back in the oven with whatever filling needs to be baked. 

Just Right

If the tart shell is not going to contain a filling that needs to be baked again (e.g. it is going to be filled with a  pastry cream), then it can be taken a shade darker as per tart shell 2.

Too Dark

Tart shell 3 is an example of a tart that has been over baked.  It will taste bitter and spoil the eating experience.  Remember that pastry will continue to cook a little once it comes out of the oven.  So don’t let your pastry get to a borderline dark colour as it will turn a shade darker once it comes out of the oven.

Egg Washed Pastry Case

This image shows the first three tart cases with a fourth tart case that has been egg washed (bottom right hand corner).  It is always important to egg wash your tart shells  - this not only gives the tart shells a lovely golden colour but also acts as a protective barrier that helps to keep your tart shells from going soft.  When tarts are filled with creams, curds and jams, the moisture content of these fillings will turn the pastry soggy much more quickly.  This is prevented if you have a barrier in place. The tart shell in the bottom right hand corner is how your tart cases should look once they have been egg washed and baked and are ready to serve.

So here is an egg wash recipe and method for you to try the next time you make a tart 

Recipe:

50g Egg Yolk (organic free-range)

12g Whipping Cream (grass-fed).

If you don’t have whipping cream then use any cream that you have to hand.

Method:

Mix the two ingredients together.  When the tart case is nearly baked in the oven (about 5 mins left of the bake time), use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash onto the tart case.  Then put it back in the oven for the remaining baking time. 

N.B. Don’t saturate the brush as you don’t want egg lines on the pastry.  You want a nice, thin and even layer.