Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry, Pasta Frolla al Cacao

How to make Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry, suited to making tarts, pies, cookies and more! This recipe is so easy to make and is incredibly good with an intense chocolate flavour and solid crumb!

Welcome to the chocolate version of our classic Italian Pasta Frolla and like the classic recipe this chocolate pastry can be used in an endless amount of ways!

Use it to make crostatatarts pies and good cookies, it's so easy and tastes good.

Shortcrust pastry is what's also known as pie crust in the US. It's a crumbly dough that comes together perfectly and doesn't require any kneading.

See our full recipe below including step by step photos, tips, uses and a helpful video!

Ingredients – what you need

See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this recipe plus some important tips on ingredients!

• Flour – to make it the Italian way use 00 flour or you can use all-purpose flour if you don't have it.
• Cocoa powder – use a good quality cocoa powder for the best chocolate flavour.
• Baking powder – make sure your baking powder hasn't expired.
• Egg – use a large egg.
• Butter – make sure your butter is unsalted and cold straight from the fridge.
• Sugar – you can use white or light brown sugar.
• Salt – a pinch helps enhance the flavour.

Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl then add the rest of the dry ingredients, stir to combine (photos 1 – 3).

Add the egg and butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a spatula or pastry scraper to form rough crumbs (photos 4 & 5).

Start to bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough. Knead the pastry until all the flour is fully absorbed and it becomes a smooth ball (it will seem crumbly at first but will soon form a dough) (photo 6 & 7).

Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour (photo 8).

After the dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface (we mix a little flour and cocoa together) using a rolling pin until ¼ inch (½ cm) thick (photo 9 & 10).

At this point you can make the pastry into cookies or line a pie or tart dish.

How to make a pie crust

Lay the pastry over a tart or pie tin tucking in the sides until it fits evenly (photos 11 & 12).

Roll the rolling pin over the tart case to cut the edges (you can also trim the edge with a knife) (photo 13).

Prick the base with a fork then place it back in the fridge for 30 minutes. Fill with filling of choice and bake as directed in the recipe (photo 14).

How to blind-bake

To blind bake the pastry, add the pastry to a tart or pie pan as directed above then line with baking parchment (photo 15).

Top with baking beads or uncooked rice and bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 30 minutes (photos 16).

Remove from the oven, remove the baking parchment and baking beads and allow to cool completely.

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Consistency of the dough – shortcrust pastry is crumbly and it's meant to be. The dough will seem dry and crumbly at first but will soon come together into a ball, don't add more liquid or butter.
• Let it chill – it's important to let the pastry chill for at least 1 hour prior to rolling out or it'll be too soft.
• Rolling out – you'll need to lightly dust your worksurface with flour for rolling. You can use regular flour or mix it with a little cocoa like we do for colour.
• Tarts and pies – you can either bake the tart/pie together with the filling or blind bake it first to add an unbaked filling such as custard or jam (see instructions for blind baking).
• Cookies – to make cookies roll out to your desired thickness and cut out with cookie cutters. Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 350F/180C for 10-12 minutes.

How long do we knead the dough for?

Try to knead the pastry dough for as little time as possible or it'll tighten up and won't be as crumbly. knead the dough enough to bring it together into a smooth ball.

Our dough keeps cracking, what do we do?

Shortcrust pastry will crack and split as you roll it out and shape it into a pie or tart case but don't worry it's completely normal, press it back together and you'll never notice.

How long does it last?

The pastry will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can we freeze it?

Yes, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil or store it in suitable containers and defrost completely before using.

Ways to use it

• Replace the classic pastry in this Crostata for the chocolate version and fill with any flavoured jam you like.
• Use it to make this Italian fruit tart you can replace the vanilla pastry cream with our chocolate pastry cream and top it with strawberries.
• Make our Rich Chocolate Tart with Hazelnuts
• Roll it out and cut out cookies of any shape, bake at 350F/180C for 12 minutes.

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings

• 2 cups* 00 flour or all-purpose flour ((250g) *spooned and levelled)
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder ((30g))
• ½ cup caster sugar (golden or white (80g))
• 8.5 tbsp cold butter (cubed (120g))
• 1 large egg
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

1. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl then add the rest of the dry ingredients, stir to combine.

2. Add the egg and butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a spatula or pastry scraper to form rough crumbs.

3. Start to bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough. Knead the pastry until all the flour is fully absorbed and it becomes a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

4. After the dough is chilled, remove from the fridge and roll out using a rolling pin until ¼ inch (½ cm) thick.

5. You can cut out cookies at this point or make it into a tart or pie.

6. To make a tart, lay the pastry over a tart or pie pan tucking in the sides until it fits evenly. Roll the rolling pin over the tart case to cut the edges (you can also trim the edge with a knife).

7. Prick the base with a fork then place back in the fridge for 30 minutes.

8. Fill with filling of chocice or blind bake according to the recipe.

How to blind bake

1. To blind bake the pastry, grease a tart/pie pan with butter then add the pastry to the pan as directed above.

2. Line with baking parchment. Top with baking beads or uncooked rice and bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 30 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven, remove the baking parchment and baking beads and allow to cool completely.

Kitchen notes

• Consistency of the dough shortcrust pastry is crumbly and it's meant to be. The dough will seem dry and crumbly at first but will soon come together into a ball, don't add more liquid or butter.
• Let it chill it's important to let the pastry chill for at least 1 hour prior to rolling out or it'll be too soft.
• Rolling out you'll need to lightly dust your work surface with flour for rolling. You can use regular flour or mix it with a little cocoa like we do for colour.
• Tarts and pies you can either bake the tart/pie together with the filling or blind bake it first to add an unbaked filling such as custard or jam (see instructions for blind baking).
• Cookies to make cookies roll out to your desired thickness and cut out with cookie cutters. Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 350F/180C for 10-12 minutes.
• Storage and freezing chocolate shortcrust pastry will keep well in the fridge (covered) for 3-4 days or can be frozen. Defrost in the fridge before using.