Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Buttery Tart Crust
8 tablespoons well-chilled, unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water (or more if needed)
Have a glass of ice water standing by and cut the butter into 16 pieces. Place the steel blade into the work bowl of your food processor and add the flour and salt. Scatter the butter over the flour. Using the pulse function, process until the mixture is crumbly, with pieces the size of very small peas.
With the processor running, start adding the ice water through the feed tube in 1 tablespoon increments until the dough gathers into one or two large pieces. Run the processor for an additional 10 to 15 seconds, just long enough for the dough to gather into a ball. Be careful not to over-process.
Remove the dough from the processor and place it on a sheet of plastic wrap. Using your hands, flatten
it into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Wrap tightly and chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator or 7 to 10
minutes in the freezer.
When the crust is ready to roll, dust both your rolling surface and the top of the dough with flour. Gently roll the dough from the center out, to a diameter of about 11 inches, dusting with a little additional flour as you go along. Place the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan on the dough and using a sharp knife, trim away the excess (see note below).
Generously butter the bottom and sides of the springform pan and place the dough on the base. Assemble and lock the pan, then, using your fingers, press the dough into the edges of the pan and up the side about 1/4-inch - just enough to seal the seam. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the filling.