Flan Basics

Pastry Flan Cases

Plain Shortcrust Pastry may be used for making a flan case, but if a sweet filling is to be used, sugar may be added to the pastry 25 g (1 oz) sugar to 225 g (8 oz), after the fat has been rubbed in.

1	Lay pastry over flan tin.

2	Press pastry home into fluted edges.

3	Then roll off any surplus pastry.

4	Baking Blind, cover pastry with greaseproof paper and weigh down with rice or beans.

To Bake Blind

Line flan ring (fluted for a sweet filling, plain for savoury) with rolled out pastry. Place circle of greaseproof paper over the pastry, then a layer of rice or beans (store in jar for future use). Bake in a moderate oven 190ºC, 375ºF, Gas Mark 5. If the case is for immediate use, with a hot filling, e.g. custard tart, bake for 15 minutes, fill and reheat. When making a case for a cold filling, or to store for future use, bake for 20 minutes. Remove paper, beans and flan ring, then return to oven for a further 5 minutes until crisp and firm.