Matcha Green Tea Tart Pastry Shell

A matcha pastry shell is a vehicle for injecting maximum color into a design, but she’s not just beauty, she’s brains, too. The earthy green tea notes are especially wonderful for balancing sweeter fillings.

1 cup (142 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough

½ cup (57 grams) powdered sugar

3 tablespoons (18 grams) matcha green tea powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup (1 stick/113 grams) cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1. Put the flour, powdered sugar, matcha powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse 5 times to incorporate. Sprinkle the butter cubes over the dry mixture and pulse 15 times to break up the butter. Add the egg and milk and pulse quickly 25 times, until the dough begins to come together.

2. Turn the mixture out onto your work surface and gently press it into a flattened disk with your hands. Wrap it tightly in plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

3. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Carefully roll the dough onto your rolling pin and gently unfurl it over a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Ease the dough into the inner elbows of the pan. Take care not to stretch the dough to fit the pan, as this contributes to dough shrinkage when baking.

4. Trim the edges of the dough using kitchen shears, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Fold the dough overhang back into the pan and press to adhere the dough, nestling it securely into the fluted border. Run a paring knife parallel to your work surface along the top edge of the tart pan to trim any excess dough. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

6. Line the frozen tart shell tightly with foil, ensuring the corner crevices are snug. Fill with baking weights all the way to the top. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any butter drips that occur during baking and to provide stability as you transfer the tart shell in and out of the oven.

7. For baking instructions, refer to step 8 of the Basic Tart Pastry Shell.