Shortcrust Pastry: Recipes, Nutritional Properties and Role in the Diet by R.Borgacci

What's this

What is shortbread?

Short pastry is a very popular pastry dough.

In its innumerable variants, it is necessary for popular recipes such as tarts and biscuits, or more sought after but not less traditional, such as the Ferrara-style pie - a savory single dish similar to a pie, covered with shortcrust pastry, filled of maccheroni mashed with white ragù, béchamel and truffle.

Those of the pastry are very caloric and rich in fat recipes. They do not have a precise framework in the VII fundamental food groups and have promiscuous nutritional characteristics - conferred by flour, eggs and animal fats. Due to the presence of useful factors such as vitamins and minerals, it is undeniable that they have a very high nourishing power. On the other hand, they cannot be included in the food therapy of obese or metabolic patients - such as diabetes mellitus type 2 or hypercholesterolemia - celiac disease and lactose intolerance - if containing butter.

In principle, it could be defined that the dough of short pastry mainly contains:

Flour: type 00 of soft wheat; some use the whole or inulin enriched for diet recipes
Dressing grease: of animal origin, solid and mostly saturated, like butter or lard. Few variants are based on margarine or vegetable oil
Caster sugar: table granular, such as beet white or brown cane sugar. Some prefer stevia as a natural sweetener
Egg yolk: usually of hen, of medium size, but go very well also of goose, guinea fowl, turkey, duck, quail and ostrich - logically, proportioning the doses
Aroma: may be a grated lemon peel, vanilla bean or vanillin, bitter cocoa, etc.
Fine salt

Note : some enrich it with a pinch of chemical yeast or baking soda, to lightly leaven it, making it softer and lighter.

Light pastry

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Ingredients

Requirements and characteristics of the ingredients for the short pastry recipes

Before illustrating the most common recipes, let's try to understand what the fundamental requirements of the ingredients are to obtain a "successful" shortcrust pastry:

Flour: that for the classic shortcrust pastry must be a wheat flour of soft wheat, refined and not very "strong". Specifically, the use of a 00 (white) and with a FORCE> 90 or between 90 and 160 is recommended; Manitoba flour is not suitable for the preparation of shortcrust pastry.

Note : the force is a parameter obtained from the correlation between tenacity and extensibility index, which can be placed in a numerical scale that includes from <90 to 370; the symbol of the unit of measurement is "W".

Fats: the fats used for shortbread are solid in refrigeration and, some, also at room temperature. The favorite ingredient is certainly butter, responsible for the typical structure of the aroma of cooked shortcrust pastry. There are also substitutions of butter with lard or margarine. The latter is cholesterol-free but, following the hydrogenation process with the same saturated fat content; it is also more caloric, because it is poor in water. Lard is more caloric than butter but can be used in smaller quantities than butter (-15%); in this case the mixture could require the use of a small amount of water or milk, or in doses such as to reach the same weight as the butter. It is necessary that the fats for the short pastry are of solid consistency, therefore cold, at the time of processing; the melted butter tends to activate the glutinous network and, like oil, does not allow to reach the ideal consistency for the dough.
Sugar: aside from the use of sweeteners other than soluble carbohydrates, the sugar most commonly used in the production of short pastry is certainly granular saccharose - white table granulated. But we must not forget that the glucide with the greatest sweetening power is fructose, which is also available in granular form, a characteristic that would allow us to use much lower quantities than sucrose (-33%).
Yolks: egg yolk is an essential ingredient, because it gives the dough an intense yellow shade - thanks to the presence of carotenoids - it allows to emulsify fats obtaining a homogeneous compound - thanks to lecithins - and to increase hydration favoring the malleability of the dough. The most widely used product is undoubtedly the egg yolk, even if the alternatives are different; all egg yolks are suitable for this purpose, for example: goose, duck, turkey, guinea fowl and even ostrich or quail. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that, in the area of collective catering, the use of eggs or their exclusively pasteurized (brik) or freeze-dried components has recently been imposed. Needless to point out how a similar choice, although mandatory, could negatively affect the quality of the food; therefore, since it is a recipe "to cook at high temperatures", at home it might be permissible to prefer fresh ones.

Note : it is essential to use only, or in clear prevalence, the yolk with respect to the albumen, to obtain the right consistency of the dough. The albumen, in addition to supplying an excessive quantity of water - which would compromise the mixing phase - confers an excessive compactness to the product reducing its desirable friability; to overcome this last problem, the egg whites could be whipped - with not a few difficulties in incorporating the rest of the ingredients - but the result would be very far from that of a traditional pastry.

Aroma: the classic aromas of short pastry are grated lemon rind or lemon essence in drops and vanilla berry or vanillin or vanilla essence in drops. Other less used are bitter cocoa and coffee - not ground, but soluble. Many believe that the use of lemon is essential to compensate for the fatness of the dough, or to lighten the flavor of the yolks, balancing the recipe. Likewise, it is assumed that pure vanilla is able to amplify the fragrance of butter and fresh yolk. The choice of one or the other aroma would therefore depend on the result to be obtained. In my opinion it is purely a matter of taste and the choice of one or the other aroma depends exclusively on the final use of the pastry.
Salt: the use of fine salt is minimal but decisive; its function is to counteract the sweet taste of sugar by enhancing its potential sweetener. Its presence does not compromise the consistency of the short pastry, which is why it would also be possible to avoid using it.
Extra ingredients: in the production of "special" shortbread, there are many extra ingredients; the most common are: oilseeds or dried fruits - pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts, etc. - and chocolate pieces.
Raising agents: as anticipated, the use of chemical yeast or sodium bicarbonate is totally at the discretion of the pastry chef, but it is not part of the traditional recipe.

Protein shortcrust pastry without butter

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Recipes

Some recipes for pastry

Short pastry - version 1

Ingredients: 1kg of flour, 600g of butter, 350g of sugar, 60g of yolks, 1 lemon, vanilla QB, salt a pinch.

Procedure: soften the butter with your hands and add it to sugar, salt, grated lemon rind and vanillin. Add the egg yolks. Add the sifted flour. Store in the refrigerator to rest 60-120 'before use.

Short pastry - version 2 (more crumbly)

Ingredients: 1kg of flour, 600g of butter, 500g of icing sugar, 60g of yolks, 5g of salt.

Procedure: using a whisk, whisk butter and sugar, then add the egg yolks and finally the sieved flour. Store in the refrigerator to rest 60-120 'before use.

Short pastry - version 3

Ingredients: 750g of flour, 550g of butter, 230g of sugar, 50g of yolks, 1 orange, vanillin.

Procedure: using a whisk, whisk butter and sugar, then add the egg yolks, grated orange peel and vanillin. Add the sifted flour and knead for a few minutes. Store in the refrigerator to rest 60-120 'before use.

Short pastry - version 4 (for pies)

Ingredients: 1 kg of flour, 500g of butter, 250g of sugar, 160g of egg yolks, 10g of salt, 100ml of water, 1 lemon.

Procedure: sift the flour, mix it with the sugar and the grated lemon rind. Form a fountain with dust; in the center place the softened butter and the yolks with water. Knead the dough as little as possible and place in the refrigerator to rest 60-120 'before use.

Almond short pastry - version 5

Ingredients: 1kg of flour, 400g of peeled almonds, 400g of butter, 250g of sugar, 60g of yolks, 2 whole eggs, 10g of salt, 1 lemon and possibly milk QB.

Procedure: finely chop the almonds with half the sugar and add them to the sifted flour. Using a whisk, whisk the remaining butter and sugar, then add the egg yolks and the eggs, the grated lemon rind and finally the flour with the almonds. Store in the refrigerator to rest 60-120 'before use.

Short pastry for pastries - version 6

Ingredients: 1kg of flour, 500g of butter, 400g of sugar, 200g of whole eggs, 150g of yolks, 1 lemon.

Procedure: using a whisk, whisk butter, sugar and grated lemon peel; continuing to whip, then add the egg yolks and the whole eggs. Stir in the sifted flour to obtain a mixture that can be worked with a pastry bag.

Short pastry for pastries - version 7

Ingredients: 1kg of flour, 700g of butter, 300g of sugar, 80g of almond or walnut paste, 60g of egg yolks, 10g of salt, 1 lemon.

Procedure: soften the butter with the sugar and salt and, separately, work the almond paste with the egg yolks. Combine the compounds together with the sifted flour and the grated lemon rind. Place in the fridge and leave to rest for 60-120 minutes before use.

Chocolate shortcrust pastry - version 8

Ingredients: 650g of flour, 450g of butter, 200g of sugar, 50g of cocoa, 60g of yolks, 2 whole eggs.

Procedure: using a whisk, whip butter and sugar, then add the egg yolks, whole eggs and grated orange peel. Combine the sifted flour with the cocoa and mix for a few minutes. Store in the refrigerator to rest 60-120 'before use.

Did you know that ...

The short pastry can also be prepared in a light, vegan version and so on and so forth! Follow Alice's recipes, our personal cooker, in mypersonaltrainertv.

Cocoa shortcrust pastry

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Nutritional Properties

Nutritional properties of short pastry

Short pastry is a pastry base used mainly in the formulation of biscuits and tarts. This means that the nutritional characteristics shown here on the side - regarding the raw and not stuffed dough - do not follow the actual properties of the recipes in which the dough is used. Always keep in mind that cooking dehydrates food, obviously to varying degrees depending on temperature and duration. Furthermore, there are fillings with a higher caloric density, but many others with a lower energy level. Each case should be assessed on its own.

Short pastry is not included in any of the VII basic food groups and, containing promiscuous ingredients, has undefined nutritional properties.

That of pastry is a high-calorie recipe, whose energy comes primarily from carbohydrates and lipids, almost equally, and then from proteins. Carbohydrates are mainly complex (starch), predominantly saturated fatty acids and high and medium biological value peptides - due to the presence of various kinds of food.

Contains fiber in moderate amounts, while cholesterol is abundant. It brings gluten, lactose, purine and phenylalanine amino acid to significant levels, which can harm hypersensitive individuals. It does not provide histamine and histamine-free ingredients.

The short pastry has an interesting vitamin profile, even if the very prolonged cooking tends to impoverish it significantly. It has a fair concentration of water-soluble molecules of group B, especially niacin (vit PP); there are also thiamine (vit B1), riboflavin (vit B2), pyridoxine (vit B6) and cobalamin (vit B12). The concentration of the liposoluble vitamin A, understood as retinol and equivalents (vit A and carotenoids, RAE) is excellent; the level of calciferol (vit D) should also be appreciable. Small concentrations of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) can be inferred, not really relevant to the daily balance.

With regards to minerals, the sodium level stands out above all; phosphorus, potassium, iron and probably also zinc are not negligible but not too significant.

Shortbread	Values for 100 g
Power	444.1 kcal
TOT Carbohydrates	55.9 g
of which complex carbohydrates	37.8 g
of which soluble sugars	18.1 g
fibers	1.3 g
of which soluble	- g
of which insoluble	- g
TOT fats	23.3 g
of which saturated fatty acids	15.5 g
of which monounsaturated fatty acids	6.6 g
of which polyunsaturated fatty acids	1.2 g
Protein	6.2 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (vit B1)	0.06 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	0.04 mg
Niacin (vit PP)	0.50 mg
Pantothenic acid (vit B5)	- mg
Pyridoxine (vit B6)	- mg
folate	- mcg
Vitamin B 12	- mcg
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	0.6 mg
Vitamin A	213.4 RAE
Vitamin A	- IU
Vitamin D	- mcg
Vitamin K	- mcg
Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol)	0.8 mg
Minerals
Football	20.2 mg
Iron	0.4 mg
Magnesium	- mg
Manganese	- mg
Phosphorus	56.1 mg
Potassium	73.6 mg
Zinc	- mg
Sodium	197.1 mg
water	14.3 g

Vegan shortbread - Eggless and Butter free

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Diet

Shortcrust pastry in the diet

Short pastry is not an easily digestible food. It is therefore inappropriate, especially in meals that precede sleep, in the diet for impairments and dysfunctions of the stomach and esophagus such as: dyspepsia, stomach acid, hypochloridria, hyperchlorhydria, gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, hiatal hernia and excess reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Short pastry is contraindicated in nutritional therapy against overweight, due to excess caloric, much of which is attributable to the combination of lipids and carbohydrates. For the non-negligible level of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids, it can be considered unsuitable for the ordinary diet of those suffering from hypercholesterolemia. It also has a glycemic load that can negatively affect the diet for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia; moreover, the considerable importance of soluble sugars could increase the probability of tooth decay in particularly predisposed subjects.

Short pastry should be consumed in moderation in case of hyperuricemia, especially with gouty attacks, and tendency to renal uric acid lithiasis (calculosis). Nor is it considered pertinent to dietary therapy against phenylketonuria. It should be totally excluded from the celiac regime. In the case of lactose intolerance, its adequacy depends on the level of individual sensitivity to milk sugar.

Containing a good dose of high biological value proteins, short pastry helps to satisfy the nutritional demand of those who find themselves in conditions of increased need for essential amino acids. It is not a nutritional source of primary importance for vitamins or minerals in particular; it contains several, but in modest quantities - except for vitamin A. This is why it is considered a very nutritious food but not for this determinant.

The average portion of short pastry is 30 g (about 135 kcal).