This rich, sweet dough resembles a shortbread cookie. Use it for a cream pie, a lemon tart, a fresh fruit tart with pastry cream, or any other pie or tart with a creamy or buttery filling, or to make approximately eight 3 1/2-inch tartlet crusts. For tartlets, press the dough into your molds and bake until firm and golden, about 15 minutes, pricking with a fork several times during baking.If you make this in a food processor using cold butter, it will be firm enough to form into a crust at once; if made by hand with softened butter, the dough will require brief chilling before forming.
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400┬░F. Grease or butter the bottom, but not the sides, of a 9-inch pie pan or 9 1/2- or 10-inch two-piece tart pan. Dust the pan with flour, tilt to coat the bottom, then tap out the excess. (If using a tart pan, pop out the bottom, wedge it between your palms, and tap.)
Whisk together in a bowl or process for 10 seconds in a food processor:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Add:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened if working by hand, cut into 8 pieces
Mash with the back of a fork or process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add:
1 large egg yolk
Mix with a spatula or process just until the dough comes together in a ball. If the dough is too soft and sticky to work with, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Pat the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of the prepared pan, or roll it between sheets of wax paper and flip it into the pan (see About Pat-in-the-Pan Crusts). Do not attempt to crimp or flute the edge. Thoroughly prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. If you are filling the crust with an uncooked mixture that requires further baking, whisk together, then brush the inside with:
1 large egg yolk
Pinch of salt
Return to the oven until the egg glaze sets, 1 to 2 minutes.
