35 shortcrust pastry recipes

British-style lemon meringue pie with orange-scented shortcrust pastry, a cornstarch-thickened lemon curd filling, and a soft, lightly browned meringue crown. Old-fashioned and unmistakably citrusy.

This gluten-free plum and raspberry tart recipe is our new favourite dessert recipe. It’s made using an almond shortcrust pastry case that’s not only super healthy and nutritious, but the honey adds a sweet flavour to it too. It tastes far too delicious to be good for you, but it really is. When making the crust don’t be tempted to leave it too thick, about 0.5cm is as thick as we would go with it. Don’t worry about it breaking whilst baking, this should only happen if you forget to grease the baking tins and it might break as you remove the tarts. As long as the tins/cases are greased before you add the almond mixture there should be no breakages or leaks.

Classic Aussie meat pie with ground beef, onion and gravy in a shortcrust pastry base topped with puff pastry. Traditional Australian hand-held hot pie.

Italian-style pineapple ricotta cheesecake with a tender shortcrust pastry, a hidden layer of crushed pineapple, and a light ricotta-cream-cheese filling lifted with whipped egg whites.

New York-style persimmon cheesecake with a buttery shortcrust pastry, dense cream cheese filling swirled with persimmon puree, and an overnight chill. A seasonal showstopper for fall.

Pumpkin cheesecake with a buttery shortcrust pastry, spiced cream cheese filling with allspice, ginger, and cinnamon. Slow-baked and cooled in the oven to prevent cracking.

Scotch black bun, a traditional Scottish Hogmanay fruitcake wrapped in buttery shortcrust pastry and packed with raisins, almonds, brandy, and warm spices. A rich celebration centerpiece.

Baked vanilla cheesecake in a homemade shortcrust pastry with beaten egg whites folded in for a lighter, souffled texture. A from-scratch cheesecake with a delicate, airy crumb.

Glazed apple tart with homemade shortcrust pastry, Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a warm apricot jam glaze. A French-style upside-down tart baked golden.

Italian crostata di frutta with a lemon-scented shortcrust pastry, homemade crema pasticcera, fresh seasonal fruit, and an apricot jam glaze. A classic bakery-style tart.

Peppernut pear tart with fanned ripe pears on a lebkuchen-hazelnut frangipane filling in buttery shortcrust pastry, spiked with ginger wine. A stunning British-style autumn dessert.

Classic British Bakewell tart with homemade shortcrust pastry, a layer of strawberry jam, and a rich ground almond filling baked until deep golden. A teatime essential from Derbyshire.

Individual rustic fruit tarts with shortcrust pastry, apricot jam glaze, and thinly sliced apples or pears. A French-bistro dessert that bakes in 15 minutes and looks gorgeous.

Vegan nut torte with a caramelized walnut and marzipan filling in a lemon shortcrust pastry. A dairy-free, egg-free European-style dessert baked golden in a springform pan.

Pate sucree is the classic French sweet shortcrust pastry for tarts, with butter, sugar, egg, and flour. A buttery, slightly crisp shell that holds custards, fruit, and chocolate beautifully.

Kos lemon pie, a Greek almond and honey tart in a lemon shortcrust pastry, soaked in lemon syrup and dusted with powdered sugar. An elegant Mediterranean dessert with bright citrus flavor.