Sweet Tart Pastry
This recipe comes from Mrs. Cook’s Kitchen by Gay Cook. It’s an excellent and very forgiving recipe. You don’t need any special skills for this dough to turn out.
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch salt
½ tsp grated lemon zest
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
6 tbsp butter, cut in pieces, at room temperature
Combine the flour, salt, lemon zest and sugar on a work surface and make a well in the centre. Add the yolk and butter. Use a pastry cutter to gather flour into the well while cutting through the butter and yolk. Use your fingers to combine the mixture. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough across the work surface until it is pliable and smooth. When the dough combines together, wrap it and shill for 20-30 minutes to rest the gluten.
Press the dough into the tart pan, beginning in the centre and working across the bottom and part way up the sides. Use your thumb to even off the edges. Chill for 20 minutes.
Some recipes call for prebaking the crust while others do not. To prebake, preheat oven to 375°F. Prick the crust all over to allow steam to escape. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
