pie and tart

With buttery, crumbly, crispy, cookie-like texture, this is my favorite Sweet Tart Crust (Pastry Crust) recipe. It goes well with any sweet filling of your choice.

Sweet Tart Crust

all-purpose flour (plain flour) ((170 g))

confectioner’s sugar ((60 g))

salt

unsalted butter ((1 stick, 113 g) (cold))

egg (50 g w/o shell) ((55 g) (cold))

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Gather all the ingredients. If possible, keep all ingredients chilled in the refrigerator until ready to start.

Cut the butter into small cubes.  Crack the egg into a small bowl.

Make the Dough

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.

Add the butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix with a fork just until the dough pulls together.

Choice #1 - Pastry Cutter:

Process all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor for a few seconds until combined.

Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 pulses.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and pulse until the dough forms clumps, about 15 seconds.

Choice #2 - Food Processor:

Transfer the dough clumps to a lightly floured surface (I use this pastry mat) and form into a ball.  If sticky, lightly sprinkle flour.

Flatten the ball with your hands to form a thick disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or 30 mins in the freezer). The dough must be completely chilled before being used. To store: If you don’t use the dough right away, you can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let sit at room temperature until easily rollable.

Form Dough into a Disk

Take the dough out from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly for easy rolling. Meanwhile lightly butter a 9-inch (23 cm) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

Lightly flour your working surface and place the dough on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle, with 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick. If the dough is too soft, put back into the refrigerator.

Flour the rolling pin and roll the dough loosely around it, then unroll it into the tart pan.

Evenly pat the dough onto the bottom and sides of the greased tart pan. Seal any cracks in the dough.

Trim off excess dough with a sharp knife, or with the rolling pin by rolling over the tart pan. A good tip I learned from a Japanese cookbook (optional): Using your index finger, gently press the dough onto the side so the dough will peak out 2 mm from the pan. The dough tends to shrink while baking, so this helps to keep the height of the crust.

With a fork, gently prick the dough several times. Cover the tart pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Freezing the dough before baking prevents it from shrinking.

Roll Out the Dough

To prevent the crust from becoming soggy, I always like to blind bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 375 ºF (190 ºC) and place the rack in the center.

When the oven is ready, tightly line the chilled crust with 2 layers of parchment paper, covering the edges to prevent them from burning. Fill the crust with pie weights (or dried beans, uncooked rice, pennies, etc).  Make sure they are evenly distributed over the entire surface.

Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until the foil no longer sticks to the dough. Transfer the crust to a wire rack and remove the pie weights and parchment paper.

To partially bake the crust, continue to bake the crust for 5 minutes longer. Proceed with your tart recipe: add the filling and finish baking. Check your recipe to see if the crust should be used while warm or after it’s been left to cool on a wire rack.

To fully bake the crust, bake for 10 minutes longer or until it is dry and the bottom turns lightly golden. Remove the crust from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Blind Bake the Crust

The baked crust can be stored at room temperature or refrigerator for 2 days or frozen for 2 months. When ready to serve, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let sit at room temperature before filling and decorating. 

To Store the Baked Crust

Crispy and flaky, with a smooth, silky filling, Japanese Sweet Potato Pie is my all-time favorite Japanese pastry. Best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or black tea, this sweet potato pie is light, but rich, making it the perfect afternoon indulgence.

Sweet Potato Pie

lb potato

puff pastry

Tbsp sugar

unsalted butter

egg yolk ((for filling))

Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream

egg (50 g w/o shell) ((for pie))

tsp toasted black sesame seeds

Gather all the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Place 1 sheet of pastry on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Put another pastry sheet on a different sheet of parchment paper. Defrost for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Cut the pastry sheets in half with a scissor. Now you have 4 rectangular sheets. Then make several slits on 2 sheets that will go on top of the pie.

Peel the sweet potato and cut it in half lengthwise. Then cut into smaller chunks so they will cook faster.

In a pot, put sweet potato and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil and cook until a skewer goes through the potatoes smoothly, about 12-15 minutes. Drain water completely and transfer to a large bowl.

Use a potato masher or fork to mash the sweet potato.&nbsp;Add sugar and butter and keep mixing.

Add egg yolk and heavy whipping cream and mix well.

Now you put the sweet potato mixture on the bottom sheets. Keep about half inch space around the rim. Then cover with the top sheet.

Use a fork to pinch the edges.

Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush the top of the pastry so it will turn nice golden brown. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool a bit and ready to serve in 10 minutes.

You can freeze the baked and cooled pies. Wrap them in aluminum foil and put them in a freezer bag. To serve, reheat the pie at 350ºF (180ºC) for 10-15 minutes, until crisp and flaky. 

To Store

Fancy as it may look, this traditional French-style Pear Almond Tart or Pear Frangipane Tart is easier to make than you think. It&#x27;s a perfect fall dessert, especially during Thanksgiving!

Pear and Almond Tart

Sweet Tart Crust (homemade

unsalted butter ((1 stick, 8 Tbsp; at room temperature))

confectioners’ sugar/powdered sugar ((½ cup or 100 g if granulated sugar))

almond flour

Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)

¼ tsp kosher salt

eggs (50 g each w/o shell) ((at room temperature))

tsp pure vanilla extract

Tbsp rum ((optional))

tsp almond extract ((use 1 ½ tsp if you skip rum))

pears

lemon

apricot jam

confectioners’ sugar/powdered sugar ((for sprinkling))

Tbsp sliced almonds ((for sprinkling))

Make a &quot;partially baked&quot; crust by following this step. You can make the tart crust ahead of time.

To Make Sweet Tart Crust

Gather all the ingredients. Make sure to take out the butter and eggs from the refrigerator and keep at room temperature.&nbsp;If the eggs are too cold when you add to the mixture, they&nbsp;reduce the temperature of the butter, making emulsion more difficult. Adding the eggs all at once also inhibits emulsion, and results in that scrambled egg appearance. You can soak the cold eggs for 5 minutes in warm (not hot!) water, but it's best to take out both butter and eggs out from the fridge earlier.

In a large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter.

Add confectioners’ sugar and mix well until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt, and mix well.

Add eggs one at a time and incorporate into the mixture.

Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and rum.

Whisk until homogenized and smooth. The almond cream can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 to 5 days or frozen for weeks.

To Make the Almond Cream Filling (Frangipane)

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Melt the apricot jam and 1 Tbsp water in the microwave for 10 seconds until liquefied. Apply the jam on the base of the cooled pastry case to prevent soggy bottom. Reserve the jam for later. Fill the baked tart crust with almond cream, smoothing out to the edges with an offset spatula, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

Meanwhile, peel the pears, cut each in half lengthwise, and scoop out cores.

Cut each half crosswise into ⅛ inch (3 mm) slices. Squeeze the lemon and rub the pears with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Take out the tart crust from the refrigerator. Gently press each pear half to fan out toward the stem/top side. Slide the knife under pears and transfer to the almond filling.

Arrange the top with points facing in and pears fanning out toward the center. Make sure to space pears out so they are not touching, as the filling will puff up and they need room to expand.

For the Assembly

Bake the tart at 375ºF (190ºC) until golden brown or the bamboo skewer inserted into the center of filling comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.

Remove the tart from the oven and let cool in the pan on the wire rack. Brush the pears with the leftover apricot jam. Once it’s cool, carefully unmold the tart.

Toast the almond slices in the frying pan (no oil) until golden, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar and toasted almond slices on top, if desired, and serve slightly warm. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Bake the Tart

The tart can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Slightly re-heat the tart before serving.

Storage

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Top 3 pie and tart recipes from across the web

The most viewed pie and tart recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Sweet Tart Crust

Sweet Potato Pie

Pear and Almond Tart

The most viewed pie and tart recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine