Description
This Sweet Tart Crust recipe provides a tender and buttery base perfect for your favorite tarts and pies. Made with simple ingredients like flour, powdered sugar, and cold butter, this crust achieves a delicate, crumbly texture with a hint of sweetness. Ideal for both sweet and savory fillings, it’s easy to prepare and bake to a golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180 g/6.3 oz) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (55 g/2 oz) powdered sugar (or ¼ cup granulated sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick/115 g) cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cut in the butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
- Add egg and vanilla: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla extract. Pour this liquid into the flour and butter mixture.
- Mix dough: Gently mix with a fork or your hands until the dough just comes together, avoiding overworking it to keep it tender.
- Chill dough: Form the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up and relax the gluten.
- Roll and line tart pan: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to fit your tart pan. Carefully transfer and press it into the pan, trimming any excess dough from the edges.
- Bake crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the tart crust for about 20-25 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool before filling.
Notes
- For a flakier crust, ensure the butter is very cold before cutting it in.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent shrinkage during baking and keeps the texture tender.
- You can blind bake the crust by lining it with parchment paper and filling it with pie weights or dried beans to avoid bubbling.
- If you prefer a less sweet crust, use granulated sugar or reduce the sugar amount slightly.
- The optional vanilla extract adds a subtle flavor that enhances the sweetness.
