And life goes on ....

The most painful and difficult challenges in life involve loss.
Past week we felt very bad inside, very sad. But, today, I am feeling a little better already, and as my mom always said: The best therapy that I know is keep hands busy. And really works out to me. So, I decided to bake,
I choose bake this classic Italian crostata: Pasta frolla. Italians and argentines (In fact is very ordinary here) use it to line pans for baking a variety of pies, sweet and savory, and to make simple sugar cookies and all sorts of elaborate filled cookies. Using it as a base for bar cookies is simply an extension of its pan-lining capabilities.
I had better results if the dough is best made in a food processor, but you can also make it by hand, rubbing in the butter and incorporating the eggs with a fork. You'll have to knead handmade dough a little to get it smooth; just don't overdo it. Pasta frolla can be made and refrigerated 3 to 4 days in advance.

Pasta frolla



Adapted from Il cucchiaio d'argento - The Silver Spoon

Ingredients 200g all purpose flour 100 g caster sugar 100 g unsalted butter (chilled) and cute in dices 3 eggs yolks 2 tbsp finely grated lemon or orange zest ¼ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Pulse 3 or 4 times to mix. Add the butter and process 10 to 15 seconds or until it is finely mixed into the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, and zest. Pulse a few times, until a ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Form the dough into a fat cylinder and use immediately, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.