French Tart Pastry

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour (stir to aerate before measuring)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, cold and firm, cut into small pieces (1 stick)
• 1 cold egg
• 1 tablespoon ice water

Recipe

• 1 fit bowl of food processor with the metal blade; add in the flour, sugar, salt, and butter.
• 2 process on/off for 10 seconds (ten 1 second pulses) until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• 3 add the egg and water to a small bowl; beat to mix.
• 4 through the feed tube, add the egg/water mixture and continue to process briefly (about 20 seconds) only until the mixture barely (but not completely) holds together.
• 5 turn mixture out onto a large unfloured board or smooth work surface; knead briefly (only a few seconds) until the mixture is smooth and holds together; press the mixture together to form a ball.
• 6 smooth the sides and flour it lightly.
• 7 *unless the kitchen is terribly hot, or unless you have handled the mixture too much (enough to melt the butter), it is not necessary to refrigerate this before using; if you must, refrigerate it for only about an hour or less; if it is refrigerated too long it will crack when you roll it out.
• 8 roll out and fit into tart pan.