As you know if you’ve been following my pie blog posts, I have a ratio that I love to use for a basic pie crust. For me, it turns out flawlessly every time, and is a great basic crust for fruit pies, cream pies, and even savory pies such as quiche or pot pies.
What it’s not so great for: tarts.
I’ve tried plenty of tart crust recipes, and they just didn’t quite work for me.
Then it occurred to me… one large egg is approximately 2 ounces.
What if I used my basic pie crust recipe, but substituted one large egg for the water? After a bit of experimentation, I discovered a few other modifications that make this a decent tart crust, and so easy to whip up if you have a food processor. It’s also super pliable and easy to put in a tart pan. And I actually found myself, the first time I made this dough and it turned out, looking at my ball of tart crust dough, and saying out loud: “Oh! You’re a beautiful dough!”
Here’s my tart crust recipe.
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces flour
- 1/8 cup granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup powdered)
- pinch of salt
- 4 ounces cold butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional.)
Method:
- Put flour, sugar and pinch of salt in food processor. Give it a quick pulse to mix the dry ingredients.
- Add butter (chop it in chunks first.) Pulse until the flour mix and the butter make crumbles.
- Add 1 egg (and vanilla or almond extract if using). Pulse until all the ingredients come together into a ball.
- Remove from food processor, wrap in cellophane or reusable wrap, and refrigerate for an hour before using.
- When it’s time to make your tart, press it into your tart pan. Use fingertips or a ‘tart tamper.’ Start in the middle and work up the sides. Blind bake: heat oven to 375-F, line crust with parchment paper, add dried beans or pie weights, bake for 20 minutes.
- Let cool before filling.
For filling:
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream (can use light)
- 1/3 cup lemon or lime juice
- 1/2 tsp zested lemon or lime peel
- Fresh berries of your choice (wash, drain, and dry thoroughly)
Mix all ingredients except the berries, about 3 minutes or until thickened. Cover and chill until you’re ready to assemble the tart. Then, spread into cooled crust. Top with berries.
Yum!