Tart Crust {Sweet}

Tender, buttery, and a little bit sweet, this simple tart crust has a shortbread cookie-like texture that makes the perfect base for any sweet tart filling of your choice. Chocolate, berry, custard.. the possibilities are endless!

Making a tart crust can seem a little daunting at first, but it's actually quite simple and a wonderful thing to have in your kitchen repertoire. Practicing a couple times can go a long way in helping you get the hang of it. This recipe will guide you on how to easily make your own sweet tart crust at home.

this recipe

F.A.Q.

Helpful tips

• I recommend weighing the flour and sugar to get the best result. If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can get more accurate measurements by lightly adding the ingredient into a measuring cup with a spoon, then leveling off the top with a knife or finger. Simply scooping a dry ingredient from its container with a measuring cup can cause it to pack down and give you an excess, leading to a dry dough (this issue can be resolved by adding a touch of water; or flour if your dough is too wet).

• Use a tart pan with a removable bottom. This will make removing the tart from the pan without fracturing the crust much easier.

Step-by-Step how to make a sweet tart crust

Mixing the dough

For this recipe I use a food processor, however, you can achieve the same results using a pastry cutter. Blend the flour, sugar, and salt together until combined. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add it into the dry ingredients. Pulse until it becomes coarse crumbles. Pulse in the egg yolk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until the dough begins to gather together and pull away from the sides; but hasn't yet formed one large ball of dough. You don't want to overwork the dough as this can cause toughness and shrinkage.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Form it into one large ball, then flatten it into a thick disk. The dough shouldn't be sticky when handled. Wrap the dough tight and well with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour. This will stiffen the dough and make it easier to roll. Chilling it any longer than an hour can cause the dough to become too stiff to easily roll out. To fix this, set it out for awhile to soften before rolling.

Rolling it out

Return the dough to a lightly floured work surface and allow it to sit out for a couple minutes to regain some pliability. Roll the dough out to fit a 9" tart pan (roughly an 11" circle to include the sides). Transfer the rolled out dough into the tart pan. Press the dough into the pan. You can use a sharp knife to trim off the edges.

{ It can be a little tricky to transfer the rolled out dough to the pan. A popular trick is to wrap the dough around your (very lightly floured) rolling pin to help with the transfer, then unroll it on top of the pan. If you do accidentally make a tear, you can use your fingers to reconnect and reshape the dough. }

Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and put it into the freezer for 25 minutes or so, until it is firm. This step helps to prevent the tart crust from shrinking while baking. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C.

Blind baking the tart crust

Tart crusts are usually baked (either partially or fully) before adding any fillings to prevent them from becoming soggy and leaking. This filling-free baking step is called 'blind baking.' Blind baking is done in two steps - first with weights, then without. The weights prevent the crust from puffing up during the initial baking.

Remove the plastic wrap from the pan, wrap it in aluminum foil, and fill it with evenly distributed pie weights, dry beans, or dry rice. Bake it on the centre rack of the oven for twenty minutes. Place the pan on a heat-safe surface and remove the foil and weights before returning it to the oven.

If your tart recipe will require a partially baked crust (the tart filling needs to be baked), bake for five more minutes. If your recipe requires a fully baked crust to start (the filling doesn't require any baking), bake it for ten more minutes.

The beautiful, sweet tart crust will now be ready. You can store it for later use; or fill immediately with the delicious filling of your choice.

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