Discover how to make the perfect shortcrust pastry for tarts and cookies, tested many times with success. The method used is the one with softened butter which, unlike cold butter, guarantees a more compact and less crumbly consistency. The doses are calibrated for a 26 cm tart pan. You can use it to make tarts or cookies, the result will always be excellent. You choose, based on your taste, whether or not to use lemon zest.
In a bowl, work the softened butter with the sugar and the grated lemon zest using a spatula, until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.
Incorporate the whole egg and the egg yolk into the butter cream, mixing until they are completely absorbed. Add the sifted flour and the baking powder, work the dough with the spatula and mix well.
On a work surface, knead quickly only for the time necessary to obtain a homogeneous ball. The shortcrust pastry must not be worked much, otherwise it tends to heat up and will not have the same yield. Thanks to the softened butter, you will notice how elastic and easy to handle the dough is.
Wrap the shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Baking powder is actually optional, but I always add it.
This shortcrust pastry is perfect for making cookies
