Makes: One 9-inch tart shell
Time: About 15 minutes
Tart shells are generally sweeter than traditional piecrusts and have a finer crumb. They’re the perfect complement for custard and cream fillings especially, as the tighter crumb structure prevents cracks and leaks. I love them for fruit tarts too—the buttery, light sweetness accentuates the flavors of the filling.
1. Use a food processor to pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it has the texture of cornmeal. If you’re making the dough by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl; then, use your fingertips, 2 knives or forks, or a pastry cutter to mash the butter into the flour mixture.
2. Add the egg yolk and pulse to combine (or use a fork to incorporate it), then pulse in the ice water, adding more ice water as necessary, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it until it’s just combined and smooth.
3. Gently press the dough into a generously buttered tart pan, being sure to tuck it into the corners. Trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Freeze the crust in the pan for 20 minutes before baking. To roll out the dough instead, form the dough into a disk and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Dust a clean work surface with a large pinch of flour. Add the dough and sprinkle just a bit more flour over it. Use a rolling pin to firmly and evenly roll the dough, starting in the center and working outward, rotating a quarter-turn each 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.
4. When the dough circle is about 2 inches larger than the tart pan and less than ⅛ inch thick, it’s ready. Roll the dough up halfway onto the pin so it’s easy to move, then center it over the pie plate and unroll it into place. Press the dough into the contours of the pan without squishing or stretching it. Trim the excess dough even with the top of the pan. 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, before filling or prebaking.
CORNMEAL TART CRUST A delicious, rustic crust that’s ideal for jammy fruit fillings: Add ½ cup cornmeal and decrease the flour to 1 cup. Decrease the sugar to 2 tablespoons.
NUT TART CRUST A wonderful base for a Chocolate Tart : Substitute a nut flour of your choice—I like hazelnut or almond—for ½ cup of the flour. Decrease the confectioners’ sugar to 2 tablespoons. If your dough seems a bit dry, add a tablespoon or 2 of ice water to it when you’re kneading.
CHOCOLATE TART CRUST I love a chocolate crust at the bottom of a Berry Tart : Substitute ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder for ¼ cup of the flour.
SPICED TART CRUST A natural pairing for an Apple Tart : Whisk 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves into the flour mixture.
COCONUT TART CRUST Add ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut and decrease the flour to 1 cup. Toast the coconut on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 8 minutes, until golden brown. For a tighter crumb, pulse the coconut together with the dry ingredients in a food processor until combined, then add the yolk and pulse a few more times until a soft dough forms.