Source:The Complete Book of Pastry,Sweet and Savory By:B. Clay
Makes 1 serving.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Tips: Try fresh Peach or Pear tart or traditional Linzertorte
Crust - Linzer Pastry
Almond Rich Tart Dough
Ingredients
Preparation
2 cups all-purpose flour, see note (1)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cloves
1 cup finely ground almonds
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
8 ounces unsalted butter ( 2 sticks= 1 cup), chilled
4 raw egg yolks
2 to 3 teaspoons ice water, if needed (or) 1 tablespoon rum
1. In a medium bowl place flour, almonds, powder spices, salt and sugar.
2. Cut the butter and lard or shortening into small pieces and drop into flour. With the fingers, a pastry blender or two knives, cut and work the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. In a small bowl combine lightly beaten egg yolks and ice water (or rum). Slowly pour the liquid into the flour fat mixture while stirring with a fork. The mixture should hold together in a rough mass- moist but not wet. If crumbly (dry), add water. It will stiffen considerably when chilled. You may use a electric mixer for this procedure using flat blade and low speed for seconds at a time.
4. Wrap the dough in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
5. To bake a unfilled tart either partially or fully, set the oven to 425 F degrees. Line the shell pan with the dough. Fill the pan with beans, rice or aluminum pellets over a protective sheet of foil fitted around the inside of the crust.
- To partially bake a tart shell, place in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Take the pan from the oven, remove the weights and return to the oven for an additional 3 to 4 minutes to dry out the bottom crust.
- To bake a shell completely, bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, take out the weights and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to dry out the bottom crust,which then will be a light golden color.
NOTE: 1) Do not use bread or unbleached flour because the high gluten will make a tough dough, and pastry flour would make a dough to fragile to be lifted into pans and shaped.
2) Recipe may be multiply or half as per many tarts needed. Each cup flour makes a 8-inch flan or tart shell or about 4 (4-inch) tartlet shells, or fills at least twenty small barquettes tins.
