Whole-Wheat Tart Shell

A little whole-wheat flour lends this otherwise classic pâte sucrée, or tart pastry, a nutty, earthy quality, yet it remains buttery and cookie-like. The whole-wheat flour makes the dough a little tricky to roll out with a rolling pin, so we use a press-in-the-pan method. To ensure the crust is evenly thick, we first press the dough into the sides of the pan, then form the bottom. For prebaking the pastry, either partially or fully, there’s no need to use pie weights or line it with foil. Instead, simply freeze the dough-lined tart pan before baking to prevent slumping and shrinking in the oven. We like this pastry shell for our sunny, bright Lemon-Orange Tart, but it’s also a perfect choice for richer, heavier fillings containing nuts and/or chocolate, such as our French Walnut Tart. To make a savory version, reduce the sugar to 1 tablespoon and eliminate the vanilla. The dough-lined tart pan can be prepared in advance; once the dough is firm, wrap tightly in plastic and freeze for up to two weeks.