Basic Pastry Flan Case Recipe

175 g plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
75 g hard block margarine, diced
Cold water, to mix

Method:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the margarine and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Wrap the pastry (paste) in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for at least 15 minutes.

Roll out and use to line a 20 cm/8 in flan tin (pie pan) or a flan ring set on a baking (cookie) sheet. Prick the base with a fork and fill with crumpled foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/ 400°F/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes to dry out. Use as required.