PASTRIES & VARIATIONS: This is a version of sweet pastry that works well for tartlets or miniature tart desserts that are pop-into-the-mouth kind of finger food.

BASIC BUTTER TART PASTRY:

 

 

 

 

1 cup all purpose flour                                               

pinch of salt

1 /3 cup butter, cubed                                                 

2 tsp. powdered sugar 

1 tbsp. lemon juice

 

 

 

Sift flour and salt together into a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter/blender or the end of a blunt knife, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meat. Add sugar and lemon juice and work mixture into dough. Knead gently until dough binds together. Form into a ball and flatten ball out into a large flat round. Wrap in wax paper and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 48 miniature tart moulds. Cut pastry in half, reserving 1 piece in the refrigerator while rolling out the other half to ¼-inch thickness between 2 sheets of wax paper. Use a tart mould as cutter to cut out pastry pieces. Line each tart mould with pastry   

 

Gather the scrapes of pastry and work it into the remaining pastry. Repeat the rolling out and cutting procedure and line remaining tart shells. Refrigerate empty pastry shells for 30 minutes before baking.

 

Prick pastry with a fork and line pastry with foil. Arrange tart moulds on baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove foil and bake 3-5 minutes more.

 

Cool slightly and remove tart shells from moulds. Cool on rack until completely cold before filling tarts with various fillings.