Lesson on Shortcrust Pastry

there is a different recipe of shortcrust pastry in almost every tart or cookie or anything else recipe which requires it. being a kitchen geek, i couldn't help seeking for an exaustive lesson [in italian!] on what is shortcrust and how it is supposed to be and made.
in short, shortcrust has to be crumbly and easy-to lay flat, not elastic as a leavened dough.
and to do this, it is important to create an environment where the formation of gluten is not facilitated: choose a flour with low content of proteins (below 9%), and eventually add a 10% of starch, use ingredients cold from the fridge and knead them for the smallest time needed.
with the following recipe i made about 800gr of pastry, i used half for a tart and i freezed the other half.

Shortcrust Pastry
(makes two tarts)

mix 360gr flour and 40gr of starch with 200gr of butter (from the fridge, cutted in pieces) and two tablespoons of lemon juice. the dough should look as grain of sand now, and thanks to the fats of butter, we have partially isolated the flour, impeding the gluten to form. now add 120gr of icing sugar and form a volcano. add two beaten eggs with a pinch of salt and blend until your pastry is well formed. together with the beaten eggs, you can add flavourings such as vanilla seeds or lemon zest. before use, let it rest in the fridge for at least one hour.

some may wonder what i finally prepared with the pastry, so here it is:

Grapes Tart

cover a baking tin with grapes cutted in half (be careful to take the seeds off). prepare the filling mixing 200gr of ricotta cheese, one egg and two tablespoons of sugar. cover the grapes with the filling and bake in 180 degrees preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the filling becomes slightly golden.

thanks again to La Dolcetteria for the ispiration!

Vintage Lemon Pasta

talking about vintage 80s recipes, here's one very very simple that i enjoy. actually, lemon pasta features many variances, this is my "infallible" recipe version :)

Lemon Pasta
(for 2 or even 3)

for the sauce: lightly fry half onion in olive oil. salt. add the minced zest of one lemon, its juice (be careful to the seeds!) and mix. add 200 ml of cream and cook for 6-7 minutes, mixing once in a while. salt and serve with pasta al dente and black pepper.

ps- to make it even more 80s, i would add a sprinkle of vodka together with the lemon juice

Vintage Carrot Muffins

my favourite meal of the day is, undoubtedly, breakfast. i just feel confortable with my cup of green tea and some fresh muffins while reading the news of the day.
these muffins are just perfect to help you wake up from the night sleep, their delicate taste is a pleasant feeling. carrots and almonds are a consolidated couple, and give me some sense of 80s vintage childhood, as i'm getting ready to wear my blue pinafore and go to elementary school again! so thanks to La Dolcetteria for the morning treat!

Vintage Carrot Muffins
(makes 15)

beat 2 eggs with 190gr of sugar. add 80gr of minced almonds, 200gr of grated carrots, the vanilla extract, 80gr of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of milk. when mixed, add 230gr of flour and baking powder. fill the muffins liners for 2/3 and bake in the oven at 180degrees for 20 minutes.

dull saturday

autumn is officially back from today, and that means i can spend entire days with the oven on without sweating my guts out! and so i baked all day. but before, i couldn't resist to take inspiration from threadbanger and sew my DIY apron from an old pair of jeans. i am so proud of my creation and i just adore it! after watching the tutorial, i searched for more apron models on the internet to figure out the best way to make it and i discovered this amazing site featuring some hot-cooking-geek-aprons.
actually, i even thought about taking pictures of the making of my apron, but i was too excited to "waist" time following the right light ;) and anyway, it is soooo easy to make! don't you just love it??