Tart Shell Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

TART SHELL

Steps:

• Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round on a lightly floured surface, then fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom and sides of shell with fork. Chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven until pastry is set and golden, about 12 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden all over, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.

FLAKY PASTRY TART SHELLS

Steps:

• 1. Place the flour, butter, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse about 24 times, then open the machine and lift a handful of crumbs. The largest pieces of butter should be the size of raw grains of rice or barley. If there are larger pieces, continue to pulse the mixture. When the butter pieces are the correct size, transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water onto the dough. Spread the fingers of one hand as if you were about to grab a large ball, and using your rigid fingertips as if they were a large fork, stir the dough quickly and briefly until the liquid is incorporated. Squeeze a handful of the dough in your palm. The dough should have just enough moisture to stay together. Break the piece in half. If it seems dry and crumbly, cautiously add more water a few teaspoons at a time until you can squeeze it into a ball that will not crumble when broken apart. If your kitchen is reasonably cool, the butter was cold, and you used ice water, the dough should be at just the right stage of malleability for rolling out, and it will be easiest to work with immediately. If your kitchen is very warm, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 15 minutes.
• 2.Rolling the dough:
• Turn the pastry dough out on a lightly floured board and divide it into quarters for small 7-inch tart shells or in half for large 10-inch shells. Shape 1 piece into a disk and dust the top lightly with flour. Begin to roll out the dough, using quick but gentle strokes with the pin. Start with the pin in the middle of the round and roll to the top, then to the bottom. Rotate the dough 1/4 turn each time you roll to be sure the dough is not sticking and use additional flour as necessary. When the round is larger than 9 inches for a small tart, or 12 inches for a large tart, and about 1/8 inch thick, turn a 9- or 12-inch plate or bowl upside down on the dough as a template and cut around it with a sharp knife. Remove the plate or bowl.
• 3.Forming the edge:
• Fold 1/2-inch edge of dough all around to form a decorative rim. Begin by folding a 1-inch-long section over by 1/2 inch, then overlap the fold by half and roll another piece of dough over, pinching it firmly in place. Continue to roll and pinch, and a twisted rope pattern will. Form. Roll out the remaining dough and crimp the edges in the same manner. Transfer the pastry shells to baking sheets lined with parchment paper and poke the interior of the shells all over with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate the pastry for at lest 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. If you wish, you can freeze the shells on the baking sheets, and when they are frozen, stack them inside freezer bags. Bake the shells without defrosting first.
• 4.Prebaking:
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the rims of the tarts with egg wash. Bake the tart shells (1 baking sheet at a time) for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to bake until they are an even golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes longer. Lift a shell with a spatula and check that the underside is evenly brown. If the tart shells puff up during baking, press down the center of the pastry with the back of a large spoon. Let cool on the baking sheet.

MAKING A TART SHELL

Steps:

• Lightly flour your work surface (and rolling pin). Using as little flour as possible, roll out a half recipe of pâte brisée or pâte sucrée, rotating it 90 degrees every few minutes. Repeat until the dough is 1/8 inch thick. Brush off excess flour.
• Gently fold the dough into quarters. Center the dough in the tart pan; unfold, letting the extra pastry droop over the sides. Alternatively, drape the rolled dough over the rolling pin for transfer into the pan.
• Lift the overhanging dough, and tuck it into the side and corners of the pan. Gently press the pastry snug against the bottom edges of the pan with a knuckle. This extra dough makes it easier to form a decorative edge.
• When the shell is completely tucked in place, firmly roll your rolling pin over the top of the tart pan, using the pan's sharp edges to trim off the excess dough. Refrigerate for 10 minutes before proceeding to step 5.
• Working around the circumference of the pan, firmly press the dough into the fluting, gently pinching dough between forefinger and thumb and supporting the pan with the other hand as you go.
• The crust will release steam when it's baked that can cause the pastry to bubble and buckle. Prevent this damage by docking (poking holes into the pastry with the tines of a fork to create steam vents). Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour, or wrap it and freeze for future use for up to 1 month.
• Cut a square of parchment paper several inches larger than the tart shell, and place it into the chilled shell. Fill it with pie weights or dried beans (which should be stored in the freezer between uses to prevent them from becoming rancid). Bake in a 400° F oven for 15 minutes.
• Then remove the parchment and weights to allow the bottom of the shell to bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Keep an eye on the edges: If they start to become too dark, cover them with foil.

TART SHELL

Steps:

• Blend together flour, sugar, salt, butter, and shortening with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 3 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (If you overwork mixture, pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface and fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom and sides with a fork. Chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line tart shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven until pastry is pale golden along rim, 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until pale golden all over, 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.

PEAR TART WITH DULCE DE LECHE DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Dulce de leche and dough
• If making the dulce de leche, place unopened can of condensed milk on its side in a large pot; pour in room-temperature water to cover by at least 2". Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, adding water as needed to maintain water level, 3 hours. Let cool in pot in water, 40-60 minutes. Remove can from pot and chill 12 hours before opening.
• Combine granulated sugar, salt, and 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour in a large wide bowl. Add butter and toss until generously coated. Using your fingers smash butter into thin disks, tossing with flour as you go. Work until all the butter has been smashed and coated (irregular pieces of butter produce a flakier crust). Sprinkle vinegar and 1 Tbsp. ice water over and toss with a wooden spoon until just combined (the spoon prevents the butter from warming too quickly). Add another 3 Tbsp. ice water a tablespoonful at a time, stirring after each addition until water is absorbed. Using your hands , continue to work in water by the tablespoonful just until mixture holds together when squeezed in your hand, 2-4 Tbsp. more.
• Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead until a dough forms (be careful not to overwork). If dough is too dry, sprinkle with a few drops of water; if too sticky, work in a little more flour. Roll dough to about an 8x5" rectangle, then fold in half crosswise. Roll back out to an 8x5" rectangle, dusting surface as needed, and fold again. Repeat rolling out and folding 2 more times. Divide dough in half. Tightly wrap each half in plastic or parchment paper and gently form into 1"-thick disks (you'll only need 1 for the tart). Chill at least 1 hour.
• Do ahead: Unopened dulce de leche can be made 3 months ahead; keep chilled. Opened dulce de leche can be made 3 weeks ahead; transfer to an airtight container and chill. Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature 1-2 hours or in the fridge overnight before using.
• Filling and assembly
• Place a rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°. Let a disk of dough sit 5 minutes at room temperature. Line a 9" or 10"-diameter tart pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, rotating often and dusting as needed to prevent sticking, to ¼" thick. Fold dough in half and transfer to prepared pan . Unfold and lift edges so dough slumps down into corners. Gently press dough into pan with the back of your index finger. Trim pastry with kitchen shears or a paring knife to a 1" border. Fold excess over into pan and press double layer into sides of pan. Prick bottom of tart a few times with a fork. Chill while you prepare the filling. For a decorative crust like in the photo, see chef's note at the end of the recipe.
• Pour lemon juice onto a large rimmed plate or into a shallow bowl. Working one at a time, hold stem of each pear and cut vertically into 4 pieces, working your way around the core; discard core. Set pieces cut side down and slice lengthwise ¼" thick, keeping slices in groups. Place in lemon juice to prevent cuts sides from browning.
• Combine granulated sugar, flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, and ½ tsp. salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture evenly over dough and dot all over with frozen butter. Fan each group of pears in crust in alternating directions.
• Whisk egg, a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to combine. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash and sprinkle 2-3 Tbsp. raw sugar in an even layer over pears and crust. Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling slightly, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Remove tart from pan by lifting parchment and transfer to a cutting board or large plate.
• To serve, cut tart into slices and transfer to plates. Open dulce de leche and drizzle some over each slice if desired.
• Do ahead: Tart can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or cover and chill up to 4 days.
• Chef's note: For a decorative crust, roll out dough scraps to ⅛"-¼" thick on a lightly floured surface and chill 5 minutes. Generously flour surface and pastry and cut into decorative shapes with pie cutters or small cookie cutters. Gently press around edges of tart as desired. Brush tops of cutouts with egg wash to help them stick and freeze tart 1 hour (cutouts will keep their shape best during baking if they are frozen solid) then continue to fill and bake as instructed. If cutouts brown too much before tart is done, cover individually with small pieces of foil.

EASY FRUIT TART WITH PECAN COOKIE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse cookies, pecans, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until dough sticks together when squeezed with your fingertips. Transfer dough to pan and press into bottom and up sides of pan. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer pan to a rimmed baking sheet and bake shell until golden, 18-20 minutes. Let cool.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, whip cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in lemon curd and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, then whip on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.
• Spoon lemon curd mixture into tart shell and top with fruit. Chill 15 minutes to set, then serve.
• Do Ahead
• Tart shell can be baked 3 days ahead. Let cool, tightly wrap with plastic, and store at room temperature.

EASY TART CRUST

Steps:

• Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and cream. Process just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)

BAKED SWEET TART SHELL

Steps:

• Pulse together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Add yolks and vanilla and pulse just until incorporated and mixture begins to clump.
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together into a ball with scraper and transfer to tart pan. Pat out ball with floured fingertips onto bottom and up side of tart pan in an even 1/4-inch layer. (If mixture sticks to your fingers, spread a sheet of plastic wrap over it and pat through plastic wrap.) Prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven on or over a large sheet of foil (to catch any drips of butter) until sides are set and edges are light golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom is golden and sides are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes more. Cool shell completely in pan on a rack before filling.

LEMON TART

Steps:

• For the crust:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
• Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough.
• Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. (There may be some cracks in the crust; they will not affect the finished tart.)
• For the sabayon:
• Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth.
• Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.
• Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

CHOCOLATE GLAZED CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes
• Make filling:
• Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.
• Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.
• Make glaze:
• Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water
• Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.

CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Prepare and refrigerate the pie dough.
• Roll the dough as you would for most pies, about ⅛-inch thick or a tad thinner. Don't worry about keeping it nice and round like you normally would.
• Using a 4-inch-diameter cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into as many circles as possible. Line each cup of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with one of the circles, gently nudging it down into the bottom creases of the pan. Try not to stretch the dough as you work; it can help to use something blunt, like a narrow jar, to nudge the dough. The top edge of the dough circle should come to about the middle of the cup. Gather the scraps and reroll the dough if you need additional ­circles. Chill the pan in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Adjust one oven rack so it is in the lower position, and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Combine the sugar, maple syrup, and butter in a mixing bowl. Whisk briefly. Add the egg, vinegar, vanilla, and salt, and whisk again.
• Set the muffin pan on your work surface. If you're using the fruit or nuts, put a few pieces in as many of the shells as you wish, but don't crowd them. Use a ladle or ¼-cup measuring cup with a handle to divide the filling evenly between the shells.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling bubbles and darkens somewhat.
• Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then carefully run a butter knife around the edge to loosen each tart. Let the tarts cool in the pan, then remove. Store, refrigerated, in a single layer in a covered tin or container, but let them come to room temperature before serving.

PEAR AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• For pears:
• Bring 4 cups water, sugar, and lemon juice to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until pears are very tender, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool pears in syrup. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For crust:
• Blend powdered sugar, almonds, and salt in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and blend until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Mix in egg yolk. Add flour. Using on/off turns, blend until dough comes together in clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For almond filling:
• Finely grind almonds and flour in processor. Mix in 7 tablespoons sugar, then butter, blending until smooth. Mix in egg. Transfer filling to medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll out chilled dough on floured sheet of parchment paper to 12-inch round, lifting and turning dough occasionally to free from paper. Using paper as aid, turn dough into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom; peel off paper. Seal any cracks in dough. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, making double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze crust 10 minutes.
• Line crust with buttered foil, buttered side down, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until sides are golden and bottom is set, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 10 minutes longer. Cool crust in pan on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Spread almond filling evenly in crust. Stem pears and cut each in half lengthwise; scoop out cores. Cut each half crosswise into thin slices. Gently press each pear half to fan slices but keep slices tightly overlapped. Slide spatula under pears and arrange atop filling like spokes of wheel with narrow ends in center.
• Bake tart until golden and tester inserted into center of filling comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack. Push pan bottom up, releasing tart from pan. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Cut tart into wedges; sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve.