I have no idea why I haven't come across a rolling pin like this before. We all know how essential non-stick frying pans are but whenever I roll out pastry or pasta, it ALWAYS sticks to the pin! (Note: I'm not the world's most patient or proficient baker.)

The OXO Good Grips non stick rolling pin is a heavy beast. Aside from the coating,  I love the shaped handles that always remain the right way up due to the weighted design. The handles enable you to keep your grip (rather than rolling with the flat of your hands) and also stop your knuckles bashing the worktop.

The pin is also 30cm wide, so you can get a decent crust top or size rolled out evenly.

Although I don't use a lot of pastry, when I do, it's normally a beautiful, glossy crostata, which is a large Italian jam tart. Delicious on its own or with a big dollop of sweetened marscapone.

Ingredients

500g self-raising flour

200g butter  

150g white sugar

Grated rind of one lemon

3 egg yolks plus l whole egg

Vanilla essence (few drops)

One jar of jam (any flavour) or Nutella!
Milk or beaten egg for glazing

Method 

• Cut butter into cubes & rub into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add sugar and grated lemon rind
• Beat eggs and add to mix with the vanilla essence
• If mixture is dry, add a little milk until it all comes together and forms a ball (take care not to make it too wet – add milk a little at a time)
• Leave to chill in fridge for half an hour

Preheat the oven to Gas mark 5 / 190°C / 170 °C (fan)

• Grease a large, loose bottomed flan tin approx 12 inches in diameter
• Roll out pastry sufficiently to cover bottom and sides of flan tin
• Gently ease the pastry into flan tin and trim off any excess pastry around rim of tin
• Add jam to the pastry inside the flan tin and spread out evenly to cover the base
• With remaining pastry, roll out and cut strips half an inch wide (use pastry wheel if you have one to make the edges of the strips decorative) and arrange on top of the jam, leaving an inch or so between each strip.
• Fold down the pastry on the sides of the flan tin until they seal in the strips & press firmly all around.
• Brush with beaten egg or milk and bake on the middle shelf of a preheated oven at Gas 5 for about 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
• Take out and leave to cool completely in the tin.