Monday, January 17, 2011

Lovely French Tart Shell

A good tart shell can be a daunting task to attempt, but this classic French style recipe from David Lebovitz and Paule Callait, is so simple, and tastes so amazing!

Time:
Prep: 25min
Cook: 15min

Ingredients:
  • 90g Unsalted Butter, cubed
  • 1Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 3 Tbsp Water
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1/8 Tsp Salt
  • 150g Plain Flour
Equipment:
  • 23cm tart mold
  • Medium sized, oven proof bowl (pyrex is best)
  • Good oven mits
  • Wooden spoon
  • Fork
The Pastry

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 210˚C
  2. In the pyrex bowl, combine the butter, sugar, salt, water, and oil
  3. Cook in the oven for 15min, until the butter is starting to brown around the edges. Be extremely careful when removing the bowl from the oven, and when using the bowl on the bench as it is very easy to grab it with your bare hands!
  4. Dump in the flour and stir it in quickly until the dough forms a ball, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Be careful when adding the flour, it is likely that it will spit and sputter a bit
  5. Transfer the dough into the tart mold, and spread out a little with a spatula
  6. Once the dough has cooled enough to handle, pat it into the mold using the heel of your hand, and work it up the sides with your fingers. Keep a small amount of (almond sized) for patching up cracks later.
  7. Reinforce the dough to the sides with a fork
  8. Prick the dough all over with a fork
  9. Bake for 15min
  10. Patch up any cracks with spare dough, but rolling it between your fingers, and wedging it into the crack and smooth with your pinky
  11. Allow the shell to cool before filling.
This crust is ideal for fillings such as ganaches, and will definitely cure you of any pastry baking fears! Avoid using custard like fillings, as this crust is much too light and flaky for such a dense filling.

Keep Smiling,
Jo
xoxo

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