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Sweet Tart Crust

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Makes about 15 minutes 1x

Time one 9-inch tart shell

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) very cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon ice water, plus more if necessary

Instructions

  1. Generously butter a 9-inch tart pan. Use a food processor to pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has the texture of cornmeal. If you’re making the dough by hand, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, then use your fingertips, 2 knives or forks, or a pastry cutter to mash the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the egg yolk and pulse to combine, or use a fork to incorporate it. Pulse in the ice water, adding a tablespoon more at a time if necessary, until the dough starts to form a ball. If you prefer to make the dough by hand, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a large bowl. With your fingertips, 2 knives or forks, or a pastry cutter, work the butter pieces into the dry ingredients, being sure to incorporate all of the butter evenly, until the mixture has the texture of small peas. Then stir in the egg yolk and ice water. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it just until it’s combined and smooth. (You can make the dough to this point and refrigerate for up to a couple days or freeze for months.)
  2. To press the dough into the pan: Gently press the dough evenly into the tart pan, being sure to tuck it into the contours.
  3. To roll out the dough: Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Dust a clean work surface with a large pinch flour. Unwrap and put down the dough; sprinkle a bit more flour over it. Use a rolling pin to firmly and evenly roll out the dough, starting in the center and working outward, rotating the dough a quarter-turn from time to time to make an even circle. If the dough is too stiff, let it rest for a few minutes. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking. When the dough circle is about 2 inches wider than the tart pan and less than 1/8 inch thick, it’s ready. Roll the dough up halfway onto the pin so it’s easy to move, then center it over the tart pan and unroll it into place. Press the dough into the contours of the pan without squishing or stretching it.
  4. Trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Before filling or prebaking, put the tart pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes or freeze for at least 10 minutes, until the crust feels cool to the touch.

– Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition 

Recipe variations

Savory Tart Crust
What you want for savory tarts or for any type of sugarless tart crust: Omit the sugar. (All the other variations except the chocolate one can be made savory by omitting the sugar.)

Nutty Sweet Tart Crust
Substitute 1/2 cup ground nuts, like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, macadamias, or peanuts, for 1/2 cup of the flour. Decrease the sugar to 2 tablespoons. If your dough seems a bit dry, add a tablespoon or 2 more ice water to it when you’re kneading.

Chocolate Tart Crust
An even richer-flavored crust; be sure it doesn’t overwhelm the filling: Substitute 1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the flour.

Spiced Tart Crust
For the main recipe or the variations; subtle is best: Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon, or 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, black pepper, red chile, or star anise.