Almond Tart Shell
- MakesMakes one 9-inch tart shell
- Cook Time20 minutes
- Active time plus coolingplus chilling and baking
This tart shell with a sugar-cookie quality, called pâte sucrée in French, is made from a combination of all-purpose flour and almond flour; the latter lends a subtle sweet, nutty flavor and creates a tender texture. Almond extract accentuates the almond notes, but feel free to omit it if you wish to keep the flavor more neutral. This very “short” dough cannot be rolled with a rolling pin; instead, we press it into the tart pan. To ensure evenly thick walls and base, we first form the sides using about a third of the dough. We then press the remainder into the bottom of the pan and smooth it with a flat-bottomed object, such as a dry-ingredient measuring cup. We typically use foil to line pie and tart shells before filling them with weights in preparation for prebaking, but multiple tries revealed that foil, even if greased, sticks to this pastry and pulls off thin layers upon removal. Kitchen parchment, crumpled up, then smoothed out (this softens the parchment so it better conforms to the shape of the tart shell), is the better liner in this instance. This pastry is a great option for fresh fruit and pastry cream tarts, chocolate fillings and our Lemon-Orange Tart.
Don’t forget to mist the tart pan with cooking spray, along with the parchment that’s pressed into the dough-lined pan before pre-baking. For a delicate dough like this one, cooking spray is added insurance against sticking.
Step 1
Mist a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine both flours, the sugar and salt. Process until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 10 to 12 pulses. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and almond extract (if using), then process in 5- to 10-second bursts until evenly moistened and forms large clumps, 8 to 10 bursts; it will not form a single mass but a small nugget pinched between the fingers should hold together.
Step 2
Scatter a third of the dough mixture around the perimeter of the prepared tart pan, crumbling it as you go. Using your fingers, press the dough into the sides of the pan, forming sidewalls about ¼ inch thick that are level with the rim of the pan. Pile the remaining dough mixture into the center, then press into an even layer across the bottom, connecting it to the sidewalls. Using a flat-bottomed object such as a dry-ingredient measuring cup, press and smooth the dough. Prick the bottom and sides about every inch or so with a fork. Set the dough-lined pan on a baking sheet and freeze, uncovered, until cold and firm, at least 15 minutes or for up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position.
Step 3
When you are ready to bake, cut a large square (at least 12 inches) of kitchen parchment. Crumple the parchment, then flatten and smooth it out. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer. Mist one side of the parchment with cooking spray, then press it oiled side down into the dough-lined pan, smoothing it against the bottom and sides. Pour in 2 cups pie weights and distribute them evenly. Fold the excess parchment over the edge of the pan.
Step 4
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment with weights, then return to the oven. For a partially baked tart shell, bake until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. For a fully baked tart shell, bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack.
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