Basic Tart Shell Food

BASIC TART SHELL

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt in food processor or mixing bowl. Add butter and process, or cut into flour with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg yolk and ice water. With machine running, pour egg mixture through feed tube and process until dough comes together; or pour egg mixture over flour mixture and stir with fork.
• Shape dough into thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough 1/8-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Line 9-1/2-inch tart pan with dough and trim edge even with top of pan. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Prick bottom and side of shell with fork. Line tart shell with aluminum foil (dull side up) and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and remove foil and weights. Let cool.

TART SHELL

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar in a mixer with paddle. Slowly add egg yolks, beaten egg half, and vanilla. Add flour and mix until just combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator, unwrap and roll on a floured surface into a 3/8-inch thick circle. Drape into an 11 or 12-inch tart pan and press into corners. Line pastry with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until light brown. While still warm, remove weights and parchment paper and brush slightly with a beaten egg white, taking care not to use too much and to only brush the inside of the shell. Let tart shell rest at room temperature until ready to fill.;

TART DOUGH

Steps:

• To make the dough in a food processor: Put the flour, sugar and salt in the processor and whir a few times to blend. Scatter the bits of butter over the flour and pulse several times, until the butter is coarsely mixed into the flour. Beat the egg with the ice water and pour it into the bowl in 3 small additions, whirring after each one. (Don't overdo it - the dough shouldn't form a ball or ride on the blade.) You'll have a moist, malleable dough that will hold together when pinched. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it lightly), and flatten it into a disk.
• To make the dough by hand: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in the bits of butter and, using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed. You'll have large and small butter bits, and that's fine - uniformity isn't a virtue here. Beat the egg and water together, drizzle over the dough, and, using a fork, toss the dough until it is evenly moistened. Reach into the bowl and, using your fingertips, mix and knead the dough until it comes together. Turn it out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it some more), and flatten it into a disk.
• Chill the dough for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.)
• When you're ready to make the tart shell, butter a 9- to 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (butter it even if it's nonstick).
• To roll out the dough: I like to roll out the dough between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a lightly floured rolling cover, but you can roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. If you're working between sheets of paper or plastic wrap, lift the paper or plastic often so that it doesn't roll into the dough, and turn the dough over frequently. If you're just rolling on the counter, make sure to lift and turn the dough and reflour the counter often. The rolled-out dough should be about ¼ inch thick and at least 12 inches in diameter.
• Transfer the dough to the tart pan, easing it into the pan without stretching it. (What you stretch now will shrink in the oven later.) Press the dough against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. If you'd like to reinforce the sides of the crust, you can fold some of the excess dough over, so that you have a double thickness around the sides. Using the back of a table knife, trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Prick the base of the crust in several places with a fork.
• Chill - or freeze - the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Press a piece of buttered foil (or use nonstick foil) against the crust's surface. If you'd like, you can fill the covered crust with rice or dried beans (which will be inedible after this but can be used for baking for months to come) to keep the dough flat, but this isn't really necessary if the crust is well chilled. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart pan on the sheet.
• To partially bake the crust: Bake for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove the foil (with the rice or beans). Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.
• To fully bake the crust: Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until it is an even golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.

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.

SUPER EASY TART SHELLS

Steps:

• Mix ingredients until a dough forms.
• Divide dough into 8 equal parts.
• roll out and press into standard size muffin tins.
• bake at 475 about 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.
• Stuff with whatever you like.

BASIC TART CRUST

Steps:

• In a food processor combine flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until butter is the size of peas. Whisk together the yolk and 1/2 cup cold water. Drizzle the liquid into the food processor while pulsing to combine. Pulse until dough holds together when you pinch it, adding liquid as needed.
• Turn dough onto a shet of plastic wrap and from into a ball. Divide in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, flattening into a disk. Chill until cold or ready to use, about 30 minutes.
• On a floured surface roll dough until it's 3/16 inch thick and large enough to fit in the tart pan. (Pinch edges of dough as you roll to prevent cracks and tears.) Place dough into tart pan; gently lift into place without stretching and press into pan. Use the heel of you hand or a rolling pin to trim the edges flush with the pan. If blind baking, freeze crust about 20 minutes.
• For blind baking, heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line the chilled crust with aluminum foil, pressing foil into the corners. Fill with pie weights or dried beans and place on a baking sheet. Bake until crust is set and just starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Remove foil lining and weights and return crust to oven to brown evenly, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool completely, then remove from tart pan. Makes 2 Single Crusts.
• CHEESE AND HERB CRUST VARIATION FOR TOMATO TART: Add 1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese and 2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme to the food processor with the flour and salt. Proceed with recipe as directed.

BASIC TART CRUST - TORTENBODEN

Steps:

• Beat the egg yolks and gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, and beat to a froth.
• Mix the hot milk with the remaining sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and butter.
• Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Combine all mixtures.
• Beat the egg whites until fluffy, then fold them into the mixture.
• Grease a pan and dust with flour, pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool; when cool, slice twice horizontally, spread layers with cream filling of your choice, and set back together.

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.)

TART SHELLS

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt together into a medium bowl. Add shortening, and mix in with fingertips until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add just enough ice water to form a dough. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic, and place in refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling out.