![]() ![]() Sandwich the disk of dough between two pieces of parchment and roll away. The roll : Dough is easiest to roll when it’s just made, when it’s soft and it won’t put up a fight. If you’re having a problem, add a little water - but really a little - in droplets - but really in droplets. If you pulse it in gradually, it will be just enough to moisten the dough properly. The liquid : There’s very little liquid in this dough - just a large egg yolk. I love a pastry blender, but have never gotten the hang of the two-knife thing. Alternatively, you can cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives. ![]() Make sure your butter is really cold, then mash, rub and press it and the dry ingredients together between your fingertips to get to the flakes-and-peas stage. Your hands : If you decide you’d like to make the dough by hand, work in the same order as the instructions for the processor dough. You want to stop at the clumps-and-curds stage. My one caution to you is that you make sure you don’t process the dough for so long that it forms a ball and rides on top of the blade. While you can make this - or any - dough by hand, the processor keeps things cold and does the job quickly. The processor : Ever since I got my first food processor, I’ve made doughs in it. Certainly, make sure that your dough is very cold before sliding it into the oven. The big chills : Doughs in general, and this one in particular, do best when you start with cold ingredients and then chill the dough at various points in the process. As an Amazon Associate, I might earn a little flour-and-sugar money if you make a qualifying purchase after clicking on a link, which I promise to use while creating more stories like this. Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. I also recently began treating the crust more the way I’d treat a cookie – I flavored it with vanilla and lemon zest. Scroll to the end of the recipe for the classic. My original recipe had only confectioners’ sugar in the dough, but I recently began replacing 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar with granulated sugar, adding a teensy bit of crispness to the tender crust. It is quite French and very much like a sablé, a buttery shortbread cookie. This is pretty much the same dough I made when I took my first pastry class, although then we made it by hand (we made everything by hand, including brioche – a story for another day). And baked in a fluted tart pan, the kind with a removable bottom, it will unmold easily and always look tidy. It bakes to a beautiful golden brown and it’s full of character – no matter how distinctive your filling, this crust will hold its own. As for the crust, both Steph and her mom make a plain, all-butter crust, think pâte brisée or pie dough. We polished off Steph’s tart in one go after dinner, but had we shown more discipline, it would have kept at room temperature for three more days.This is the crust I use for everything sweet – it’s perfect for all kinds of fillings, from fruits to custards and creams. ![]() I got my first taste of a bakewell, and this recipe, in Paris from my friend, Stephanie Johnston, who got it from her mom, Granny Annie, in England. Granny never used almonds or icing but occasionally swapped her homemade raspberry jam for red currant jelly or lemon curd. When I asked what made a good bakewell, Steph instructed, “The crust, the jam and the almond cake.” Well, of course. That settled, Stephanie confessed to using Bonne Maman jam from the supermarket. A classic British bakewell tart is a threesome: a crust a layer of raspberry jam – one chockfull of seeds and a sponge cake redolent of almonds. Sliced almonds and a drizzle of icing may or may not be optional, depending on whose recipe you’re using.
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