How to Make a Flan Case
A flan case is a traditional Scottish pie crust that can be filled with fresh fruit, custard or cream. UK brand Saxby's retails a ready-made frozen version, but even the most humble home cook can make her own flan case. What distinguishes the flan case from other pie crusts is its fluted edge and open faced filling. It is typically prepared in a 2-inch deep tart pan, which has allows for the formation of a deep crust and easy slicing.
The following flan case recipe adheres to all of the basic principles of pastry dough preparation, however a box grater is used to form the crust instead of the standard rolling pin. Grating the chilled dough will produce a flan case that is even more crumbly and flaky.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 bowls, one large and one small
- A rubber spatula
- A food processor
- A whisk
- A box grater
- Ice cubes
- An 8 inch tart pan, 2 inches deep
- Parchment paper
- Pie weights or dried beans
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/8 cup ice water
Instructions
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Make Your Flan Case
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1
In a large bowl, completely sift the flour and add sugar. Fold the mixture with a rubber spatula to fully combine.
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2
Add the blended flour and sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Add chilled cubes of butter and process the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. 10 to 20 seconds.
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3
In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk and whisk in the icy water. Run the food processor again, gradually pouring the egg mixture through the feed tube. Pulse the dough until it holds together and the wet ingredients are fully integrated. Do not blend for more than 30 seconds.
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4
Remove the dough from the food processor and gather it into a ball. Wrap in cellophane and chill in the freezer for at least an hour -- or until it solidifies enough to be grated.
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5
Remove the ball from the freezer and using the coarsest side of a box grater, grate the chilled dough in long strokes over the tart pan.
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6
When it's been fully grated, chill your finger tips with ice cubes and begin to lightly press the grated dough into the tart pan. Cover the pan's bottom and edges evenly with dough.
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7
Add the tart pan to the freezer and chill until ready to bake, or at least one hour.
Bake Your Flan Case
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8
Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the tart pan from the freezer and use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust. This will create vent holes that prevent puffing.
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9
Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. These weighted contents will enable the flan case to maintain its shape while baking.
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10
Place the tart pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust begins to lightly brown.
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11
Take the tart pan out of the oven and remove the weights and parchment lining. Return to the oven and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes.
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12
Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding any filling.
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1
Tips & Warnings
As with all pastry crusts, the flan case should be made with cold ingredients to ensure a light, shortened texture. The butter should be properly chilled and the water should be icy when they're added to the flour, sugar and eggs.
It is also essential to have the dough rest in the freezer before it is pressed into the tart pan. A resting time of at least 30 minutes will relax the glutens and facilitate proper water distribution throughout the dough.
If you are concerned about the edges of the flan case browning too quickly while baking, cover the edges with a foil rim before placing it in the oven.
When combining the ingredients, do not work the dough too much. Excessive blending or kneading can develop the dough's glutens and create a tough, rubbery flan case.
