Foolproof Tart Shell (Crispy & Buttery, with a vegan option)
/What is it like?
- Delicately crisp
- Buttery
- Great for savory dishes too - just omit the sugar!
Recipe
One 9 or 10-inch tart, prep 1 hours
Ingredients
3/4 cup flour mix, 100g
1/4 cup almond flour, 18g
2 tbsp powdered/icing sugar (13g)
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cold, 113g or vegan substitute (I used Miyoko’s)
4-6 tbsp ice water or 1 egg (see note)
Directions:
For the tart shell. Chop the butter into eight pieces. Add the flour to the food processor along with all of the other ingredients, except the ice water or egg, whichever you are using. Process until the flour and butter mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. If you are using water, skip to the next step. Add the egg and process until a dough starts to form.
(If you used an egg, skip this step.) Next add 4 tablespoons of ice water. Process once or twice. If a dough is still dry and not sticking together, add another tablespoon of water and process just until a dough forms.
Work the dough very briefly on a floured surface, giving it just a couple of turns to ensure the ingredients are mixed together. The dough should look amalgamated and uniform in color. Shape it into a disk and place in the fridge to cool for at least twenty minutes.
While the dough is cooling, preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C.
On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch (3 -7 millimeters) thick. The thinner the better. Flour the top of the surface the rub a little flour on the rolling pin as well. Then use a spatula to slide the crust into a metal tart pan (see note). Lift the edges of the tart crust and set them into the “corners” of the tart pan, where the side meets the bottom. Do not squish it in with your fingers or the dough will tear and the butter will melt. Next, press the dough into the edge using your fingers and then use a knife to slice off the over hanging dough. I bake the extra dough in another pie pan as it makes a tasty snack!
Blind bake the tart shell, by placing parchment paper over the shell, followed by about two cups of loose dry beans (or you can use pie weights). Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is just starting to turn golden on the edges.
Notes:
When you bake a tart, make sure you use a metal tart pan. I like to use this carbon steel one because it is affordable, nonstick, and non-toxic. When I started baking tarts I used a ceramic tart pan until I realized it was heating up too slowly in the oven, causing all of the butter to run out of my pastry. All of the hard work for nothing. A ceramic tart pan is really best for tarts that have minimal butter/fat content in the crust.
