This pastry is perfect for baking fruit mince tarts and jam tarts, but can also be baked as unfilled tart shells (no need to fill with baking beans as it is shortbread and will not rise much in the oven) to be filled with other ingredients, i.e. chocolate ganache, caramel, custard, lemon curd, etc.
Unfilled baked tart shells will keep for a couple of weeks in a sealed container in the pantry … once filled place into the fridge where it will “hold” well with the filling for at least 48 hours, and perhaps longer based on the filling used (ganache will hold for a few days, caramel, lemon curd or custard for at least two days).
Baking time:
1. For unfilled tart shells bake 150 degrees fan forced for 20 minutes, turn tray around and continue for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden
2. For covered tarts (like fruit mince tarts), bake 150 degrees fan forced for 20 minutes, turn tray around and continue for 20 minutes, or until top is lightly golden
3. For large jam tart (recipe following), I increased oven temperature to 160 degrees fan forced as there was quite a bit of thickness to the tart with the layers of pastry (bottom, plus top with crossover pastry), plus the filling
So the message with baking times is to be guided by what you are making, and adjust cooking time accordingly.
If making the jam tart, you will have leftovers of the dough, but it can be gathered together and frozen for another time (double wrap in Glad Wrap if doing this), or make small individual tart cases which will keep in a sealed container in the pantry for a good couple of weeks.