Pastry for Tarts
450g (1lb) Butter
Flour
5-6 Egg Yolks
2 tbsp Caster Sugar
Cream the eggs and butter together in a large bowl.
Add the sifted flour and sugar.
Work together into a paste.
Roll out thinly.
When you add a lid to tarts the pastry should be rolled thinner than that used for the base.
Prick the lids with fork to prevent blistering.
Brush with water and sprinkle over a little caster sugar before baking.
To make Paste for Tarts
Take the yolks of five or six eggs, just as you would have paste in quantity; to the yolks of eggs put a pound of butter, work the butter with your hands whilst it take up all the eggs, then take some London flour and work it with your butter whilst it comes to a paste, put in about two spoonfuls of loaf sugar beat and sifted, and about; when you have wrought it well together it is fit for use.
This is a paste that seldom runs if it be even roll'd; roll it thin but let your lids be thiner than your bottoms; when you have made your tarts, prick them over with a pin to keep it from blistering; when you are going to put them into the oven, wet them over with a feather dipt in fair water, and grate over them a little double-refined loaf sugar, it will ice them; but don't let them be bak'd in a hot oven.
English Housewifry - 1764
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