Pate Sucree

Source: Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells

Ingredients

Place 1 cup of the flour, the butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. Add the ice water and pulse just until the pastry begins to hold together, about 6 to 8 times. Do not let it form a ball. Transfer the pastry to waxed paper; flatten the dough into a disk. If the dough seems too sticky, sprinkle it with additional flour, incorporating 1 tbsp at a time. Wrap the pastry in waxed paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 10½″ loose-bottomed black tin tart pan. With your fingertips, carefully press the pastry into the pan and up the side, trying not to stretch it. Trim the overhang, leaving about a 1 inch edge. Tuck this overhang inside the pan, pressing gently against the side to create a sturdy, double-sided shell. If you build the pastry a bit higher than the height of the pan, you will have less problem with shrinkage. Prick the bottom of the shell. Chill for at least 20 minutes, or wrap well and chill up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Line the shell loosely with heavy-duty foil, pressing well into the edges so the pastry does not shrink while baking. Fill with baking weights, making sure you get all the way into the edges to prevent shrinkage.

For a Partially Baked Shell

Bake just until the pastry begins to brown around the edges and seems firm enough to stand up by itself, about 20 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue baking until lightly browned all over, about 10 more minutes.

For a Fully Baked Shell

Remove the weights and foil. Continue to bake for 20 more minutes. Watch the pastry carefully! Ovens vary tremendously and pastry can brown very quickly. Cool for at least 10 minutes before filling.

Use with Patricia Wells’s Raspberry Tart.