vegan sweet shortcrust pastry

(originally adapted from a  @napier_quarter recipe)

Makes enough for two 9” tart shells

60g vegan margarine 
60g coconut oil or vegetable shortening (Copha)
235g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
30g almond meal
90g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp fine salt 
3 tbs chilled aquafaba*

First, in a microwave-safe bowl or in a pan on low heat, melt together your margarine and coconut oil or shortening. Pour this into a bowl and place it in the freezer for about an hour or until set hard. Once set, remove it from the bowl and cut into 1” pieces. Keep the pieces chilled in a bowl until ready to use.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, almond meal and sugar together.

Add the cubes of marg/oil to the dry ingredients and toss to coat. Using your fingers, a fork or a pastry cutter, smash the oil into the flour mix until it resembles wet sand. If it’s a hot day, or you find the marg/oil cubes melting too quickly, pop the bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes and resume mixing.

Add the aquafaba and mix until just combined - don’t overmix it. Form a disk with the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Take the dough out, rest it out of the fridge for 10 minutes and then roll out into a circle about 5mm thick. (I lightly dust mine with flour and roll it out between two sheets of baking paper.)

Flip the disk onto your rolling pin and carefully transfer it to your tart tin, gently pushing the dough into the edges. If it tears anywhere, use a bit of pastry to fill the gap.

DON’T trim the edges yet - leaving a little over-hang of pastry while you blind bake it will stop it shrinking below the edge of the tart tin.

Rest again in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 160C, line your dough with aluminium foil and fill it with baking weights (I use uncooked rice or dry beans). Place your tart tin on a large baking tray to catch any melted oil that may leak out.

Place the baking tray and tart tin on the middle rack of your oven and blind-bake for 20 minutes. Take everything out and remove the aluminium foil and baking weights - you’ll want the edges of your pastry a light golden and the base just starting to turn golden.

Trim your edges while the pastry is hot and soft. Run a sharp knife around the edge of your tin (you can save and finish baking the off-cuts to make tiny weird skinny cookies for snacking). Return your tray and tin to the oven and, turn the heat up to 170C and continue baking for 10 minutes.

If you’re going to use your tart shell for an uncooked filling like cream or chocolate ganache, bake it for at least another 10 minutes until golden and biscuity.

Once the shell is blind-baked, allow it to cool before filling it with your choice of filling and baking again.

*aquafaba ~ the starchy water you get in a can of beans or chickpeas. This remarkable liquid can be used as a very versatile egg replacer, so don’t throw it out!