1. Blind baking is where the pastry is cooked before adding filling. Roll shortcrust pastry out to required size and thickness for recipe and tin to be lined, fold it over rolling pin and then lay over top of tart tin.
2. Gently lift pastry and ease it into side and base of tin, be careful not to stretch pastry when doing this. Use a small piece of excess pastry to press and smooth pastry into place. With a fork, pierce a few holes in base of pastry.
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3. Roll rolling pin over top of tin, to smoothly remove excess pastry and give an even finish to top of pastry case. Chill lined tin for 10-15min, to firm up.
4. Scrunch up a piece of greaseproof paper so it moulds to shape of pastry without any gaps, then unroll it and lay it in tin. Make sure it’s big enough to cover rim so that the top of the pastry won’t scorch in the oven.
5. Pour in baking beans and arrange so there’s a thicker layer at edge to support sides of pastry as it cooks.
6. Put tin on a baking tray and bake at 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7 for 15min until sides of pastry have cooked and feel firm.
7. Remove beans and paper. Then bake for a further 5-10min until base is cooked through and feels sandy to touch. Remove from oven, and leave to cool completely before using in desired recipe.
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Ceramic baking beans, Cooling rack, Lakeland. Loft 24-piece dinner set, Zwilling J.A. Henckels. Classic glass bowl (0.5 litres), Pyrex. Tart tin, rolling pin, chopping board, baking tray, chef's own.
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