Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

SWEET SHORT PASTRY

Well this is the suprise extra recipe to help you out with those mince pies - wouldn't be Christmas without them!

Ingredients

flour	250	gm
butter (softened)	100	gm
icing sugar	100	gm
eggs	100	gm
salt

Method

Method #1

1. Sift flour, icing sugar and salt onto workbench or into a bowl
2. Put in butter and work with fingertips until a crumbly texture
3. Make a well and add the eggs
4. Gradually draw in flour to make a homogeneous paste
5. Knead the paste two or three times with heel of hand until very smooth
6. Roll into ball, flatten slightly, wrap in gladwrap and refrigerate for several hours

Method #2

1. Make a well in the centre of the sifted flour
2. Cream the butter, sugar and salt together and then mix in the eggs
3. Put into the well and mix in the flour quickly
4. Knead 2 - 3 times until very smooth
5. Roll into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in gladwrap
6. Chill for two hours

Chef's Tip

Try not to eat them all at once!

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 04 December 2000