Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 90 g Powdered sugar
- 230 g Pastry flour (can be replaced with All purpose flour)
- 30 g Almond flour
- Pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 110 g Unsalted butter (82% fat content, very cold, cut into chunks)
- 50 g Egg (approx. 1 egg at room temperature)
Instructions
- Prepare the butter: Cut the unsalted butter into chunks and place them in the freezer for a few minutes to ensure they are very cold.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sift together the pastry flour, powdered sugar, almond flour, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl to combine the dry ingredients evenly.
- Incorporate butter: Add the cold butter chunks to the dry mixture. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients between your hands until the texture resembles coarse sand, ensuring the butter pieces remain cold and not melted.
- Add egg and form dough: Add the egg to the mixture and gently combine with your hands until the dough starts coming together.
- Knead the dough: Using the palm of your hand, knead the dough for 1-2 minutes just until smooth. Avoid over-working the dough and do not use any mixers or processors.
- Chill if needed: If the dough feels too warm or sticky, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to firm it up before rolling.
- Roll out the dough: Roll the dough out to about 2mm thickness between two silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Freeze before cutting: Place the rolled dough, still between the mats, into the freezer for 15 minutes. Do not remove the mats yet.
- Prepare tart setup: Position your oven rack with a perforated ‘air’ baking mat and place the perforated tart rings on top. No greasing needed due to pastry contraction during baking.
- Remove top mat: Take the dough out of the freezer and peel off the top silicone mat carefully.
- Cut dough strips: Cut 8 long strips of dough to form the tart sides.
- Cut bottom circles: Using a perforated tart ring, cut 8 circles for the tart bottoms. Carefully lift each with an offset spatula and place into the rings.
- Handle dough temp: If dough becomes too warm at any time, return it to the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat as needed until dough is pliable but not sticky or brittle.
- Assemble tart sides: Fit the dough strips into the rings, pressing gently to adhere them to the bottom pieces and ring. Maintain proper dough temperature for flexibility.
- Freeze assembled tart shells: Place the tart rings with dough into the freezer for 1 hour. Towards the end, preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Trim dough edges: Remove from freezer and trim excess dough from the tops of the tart shells using a sharp knife.
- Bake the shells: Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 20 minutes. Then remove the rings carefully and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown. If pastry sticks, bake for a few additional minutes.
- Cool tart shells: Let the tart shells cool on the perforated baking mat before filling or storing.
- Storage and freezing: Unbaked tart shells can be frozen on a baking sheet until solid, then stored with rings on in airtight containers for up to 3 months and baked from frozen. Baked tart shells can be cooled completely, wrapped tightly, and frozen or stored airtight at room temperature for several days, or refrigerated for up to one week. Return to room temperature before use.
Notes
- Keep the butter and dough very cold throughout the process to ensure a tender and crumbly texture.
- Do not over-knead or use mechanical mixers to avoid toughening the dough.
- Using silicone baking mats prevents sticking without adding extra flour that can dry out dough.
- Perforated tart rings and baking mats help heat circulate and result in an evenly baked, crisp shell.
- Work quickly to prevent dough from warming and becoming sticky or brittle.
- These tart shells can be prepared in advance and frozen either before or after baking for convenience.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
