Mürbeteige

The word “Mürbeteig” (the plural form in German is “Mürbeteige”) is compounded from the words mürbe and teig and translates from German to English as “shortcrust.” This translation is not exact. Teig means dough. Translations for the word mürbe are soft, tender, delicate, easily falls apart, or crumbly. These words help us to envision the consistency of this type of dough. While shortcrust typically contains just flour, butter, a little salt, and perhaps some ice-cold water, Mürbeteig traditionally contains butter, sugar, flour, a dash of salt, egg, and sometimes a small amount of baking powder and flavoring. The result is a delicate yet durable pastry crust, ready to use as a canvas for pies, tarts, and cheesecakes.