Shakira says “hips don’t lie,” and while my stiff body and lack of coordination betray me, these pastry pointers never abandon me on the dance floor. Follow along and they won’t forsake you, either. Allow them to lead, and you’ll be cha-chaing your way to success, fancy fruitwork and all.
MAKING DOUGH: Tart pastry is easier to make than pie dough in that it’s much more forgiving. But there is still the risk of overworked dough, which can result in a tough crust. Keep your butter cold, follow the directions, and don’t go overboard with the food processor. You’ll be crust fine.
ROLLING DOUGH: I roll out my tart dough directly on the counter, so flouring the surface and my rolling pin before and during the rolling process is crucial. I continuously rotate my dough 45 degrees as I roll to ensure it isn’t sticking to the counter, and once I’ve achieved the desired size I transfer the dough to the tart pan. If you’re rolling and the dough isn’t moving outward, it’s probably stuck to your work surface. Gently pull or scrape it up, flour the surface, and resume. Alternatively, you can roll dough directly on parchment paper or a pastry cloth made of cotton canvas.
Rotating the dough 45 or 90 degrees every few rolls can also help with achieving even circles. Consistently obtaining nicely shaped rolled dough largely comes with repetition and practice, though, so don’t stress too much if you’re a beginner and find yourself rolling cumulus clouds or other gorgeous blobs instead.
FREEZING TARTS AND DOUGH: Wrapped and rested disks of tart dough can be sealed in a bag or container and frozen for up to four months. Allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling.
With the exception of the ice cream tart (Truth or Square), the tarts in this book are not suitable for freezing. Pastry shells filled with curds and custards don’t handle the freezing and thawing process well, and the fresh fruit designs are best, well, fresh. Instant gratification is the name of the game here, so your creations are best consumed within two days of assembly, though day of is ideal.
BAKING TART CRUSTS AND SHELLS: Once you’ve lined your tart pan tightly with dough and trimmed the edges as directed, save a small ball (about 1 tablespoon) of dough scraps to patch any cracks post-bake. If the baked shell emerges from the oven with outsize cracks beyond minor patching, opt for a thicker filling like the chocolate hazelnut ganache or matcha white chocolate cheesecake. Fillings that start as a loose liquid like the egg custard or black tea panna cotta will leak through and cause much tartache.
For all rolled pastry, thoroughly chill the dough in the tart pan in the refrigerator or freezer before baking. This will help prevent shrinkage. Another preventative measure against dough shrinkage is to ensure that the foil lining is pressed tightly into all the inner elbows of the tart and then filling with baking weights.
I always bake tart shells and filled tarts on rimmed baking sheets to catch any errant butter drips while baking, and to provide added stability when transferring the tart in and out of the oven.
REMOVING TARTS FROM THE PAN: Be sure to read each design recipe thoroughly before starting, as some tarts call for the crust to be removed to a plate and others require the shell to remain in the tart pan until the end of the design process.
To remove a tart from the pan, rest it atop a stable can or cup, gently loosening the pan edge with your hands and allowing the sides to drop away. Then move the tart to a flat surface, such as a cutting board, and use a chef’s knife to ease the bottom plate off.
CUTTING FINISHED TARTS: Place the tart, removed from the pan, on a cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife or serrated knife to make small, gentle sawing motions to cut through the fruit or top garnish without destroying the design. Press firmly to cut through the crust. Wipe the knife clean between cuts. Slide the knife under the slice to transfer to a plate.
