This was my first attempt at sweet pastry, it was actually quite simple and tasted amazing.  I was making a bakewell tart. (recipe to follow)

250g plain flour

50g icing sugar

125g unsalted butter, cool

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 large egg

Splash of milk

1. Sieve the flour and icing sugar into a bowl
2. Chop the butter into cubes and gently work it through the four mixture so that it resembles breadcrumbs                                                                 
3. Beat the egg with the milk and vanilla essence, add to the flour mixture and bring together to create a ball of pastry. Do not over work.
4. Sprinkle a little flour onto a work surface and flatten pastry to about 2.5cm thick, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.                               
5. Using a 25cm spring form tart tin, lightly oil all over.
6. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry to about 1/2 cm thick. Using the rolling pin  wrap pastry around and unroll over the tart tin. Ease the pastry into the tin pushing to the sides. Trim of any excess pastry.
7. Prick the base with a fork and put in freezer for 30 minutes.
   

   
8. Remove and line baking paper over the pastry, fill with baking beans and blind bake for 10 minutes at 180 deg. Remove the paper and beans and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool.