TART RECIPE

I learned to make pies by watching my mother and grandmothers. The pastry was a pretty straightforward affair, a three to one ratio of flour to shortening (ex: 1½ cups flour to ½ cup shortening) with just enough water to hold it all together, 2½ to3 tablespoons per cup of flour.
Don’t work it too much, roll out on a floured surface and fit into pie plate. The fillings were another matter, as simple as some fruit and sugar or as elaborate as Strawberry Chiffon Pie or layers of different flavors and textures.
Over the years I’ve tried dozens of pie crust recipes. I’ve used all-purpose flour and pastry flour and whole wheat flour; butter, margerine, Crisco, and lard for the shortening and substituted vodka or cream or egg for the water. I’ve used different ratios of shortening to flour or used two different shortenings in the same crust. Most were good, some better than others.
Last week I found one that I’d never tried before. It was from the Cook’s Illustrated October issue and was a winner. The shortening (butter) is melted and mixed with the flour, no water needed to toughen the gluten in the flour. The result is a crunchy, yummy pastry. It makes a rich tart dough that is pressed into the pan rather than being rolled out. It is sturdy enough to prevent the edges sliding down the sides of the pan when it’s pre-baked before filling. It makes the use of pie weights unnecessary.
I used it as the base for a French Apple Tart and served it to two friends who are fabulous bakers. It got raves all around. I pass it on to you with thanks to Cook’s Illustrated.

Rich Tart Crust
1-1/3 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Melt the butter.
2. Stir the flour, sugar and salt together.
3. Stir the butter into the flour mixture until thoroughly mixed.
4. Press the mixture into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Use two-thirds of the dough for the bottom. Press the remaining dough around the fluted edges of the pan. Press to make and even thickness.
5. Set tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven until deep golden brown.
This tart shell can be filled with a cold filling or can hold a filling that needs to be baked.

The apples for this tart were pre-cooked on top of the stove for ten minutes. I tossed the slices with a tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of water in a covered 12-inch skillet. This softened them enough to allow them to be arranged in the spiral and to shorten the baking time. I baked the tart for about 30 minutes. The top was glazed with a bit of melted apricot preserves and placed under the broiler for a couple of minutes.