How to bake blind

The purpose of this exercise is to make a cooked pastry case which can then he filled. In order to stop the base of the pastry case rising it is lined with foil or greaseproof/waxed paper and covered with a weight. The weight is normally dried beans, hut you can now buy ceramic beans which serve the purpose very well. They hold and generate heat very efficiently, thus cooking the pastry a little quicker than dried beans. Bake the case in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 for about 10 minutes. Remove the weight and foil, then return the case to the oven for 2-3 minutes to dry out.