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:

1. Put flour, sugar and pinch of salt in food processor. Give it a quick pulse to mix the dry ingredients.
2. Add butter (chop it in chunks first.) Pulse until the flour mix and the butter make crumbles.
3. Add 1 egg (and vanilla or almond extract if using). Pulse until all the ingredients come together into a ball.
4. Remove from food processor, wrap in cellophane or reusable wrap, and refrigerate for an hour before using.
5. 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.
6. 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!