French Fruit Tart Crust (Stefanie)

To be used with Vanilla Pastry Cream (Next Recipe)

Tart Dough:

1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour   

1/2 cup confectioners  sugar   

1/4 tsp. salt

9 TBS. cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces

1 large egg yolk

Put flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the pieces of unsalted butter over the top of the dry ingredients, and pulse until butter is cut in and mixture looks like corn meal.  Break up the yolk a bit before you add it to the food processor.  Add it and process in long pulses until the dough comes together, you will hear the noise of the motor change.  

Butter a 9 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You want to keep it crumbly here; it doesn't have to be perfect. Freeze crust for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and fit it (buttered side down) over the crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet, bake the crust for 25 minutes, and then remove the foil. Continue baking until the crust turns golden brown (don't let it burn!) about 8 to 11 more minutes.  Let cool. You can do this and store it up to 5 days before you need to serve it.