Blind Baking a Tart Shell

Line the tin with chilled pastry and prick the base all over with a fork. Freeze it 15 minutes. Cover it with a scrunched sheet of parchment and fill it to the top with ceramic baking beans, dried beans or rice, pressing them into the corners. Bake at 190°C for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges look dry. Lift out the paper and weights and bake another 10 minutes until the base turns pale gold. For a wet filling like custard, brush the hot shell with beaten egg and bake two minutes more to seal it.