Sweet Tart Pastry

Pre-heat the oven.
Rub some butter around the inside of a 23cm/9” tart or flan dish.
Put the flour into a mixing bowl.
Chop the butter into cubes and add it to the bowl.
Using a fork or pastry blender work the flour and butter cubes together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar.
Add the egg yolks and stir well.
Using your hands gather the mix together to form a smooth ball of pastry dough.

Blind Baking

Dust the work surface with flour, put the dough in the middle and sprinkle it with flour.
Roll out the pastry into a circle 5cm/2” larger than your dish and lift it into the dish, OR simply press it into the baking dish using your fingers.
Cut away any pastry that hangs over the edge of the dish.
Prick the pastry all over with a fork.
Lay a large piece of parchment paper over the raw pastry, making sure all the edges are covered.
Scatter ceramic baking beans (or rice or flour) over the parchment paper, spreading them all over the surface.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper and contents off the pastry.
Return the pastry to the oven and cook for a further 4-5 minutes without browning too much.
Take the dish out of the oven and gently remove the warm pastry case out of the dish and leave to cool.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart

Slice the strawberries in half.
Wash, dry and slice the rhubarb into pieces the same length as the strawberries.
Put the rhubarb and strawberries into a mixing bowl, sieve the tapioca on top, stir gently to combine and leave to stand for at least 10 minutes.
Transfer the rhubarb and strawberries to the pastry case, arrange them attractively and sprinkle the sugar over the top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.