We call my friend Lisa “the Queen of Tarts,” because she makes the most delicious sweet and savory tarts (open-faced, à la française). This is her go-to crust recipe, borrowed years ago from Jacques Pépin.

ingredients

• 2 cup flour
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
• (2 T sugar)
• ½ – 1 t salt
• ¼ cup very cold water

preparation

1. Mix the dry ingredients together.
2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture, leaving lima bean-­sized chunks. (I usually do this by pulsing the dough in the food processor.)
3. Add water and mix together until the dough holds in a crumbly ball. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water — one teaspoonful at a time.
4. Form into a ball and chill till firm.
5. Roll out the dough into the desired size and thickness. Fill and bake, as desired.

notes

Lisa shared this recipe with me years ago, but I have never achieved quite her results. My dough tends to be a bit heavier and less flaky. When she visited me recently, I had the chance to watch her make it. My mistake is that I am too impatient with the final step, and so I add more water before I need to. Instead, working the dough longer with my hands — and only dripping in a bit more water when it’s absolutely essential — makes for a flakier crust. But even with my heavier hand, this is a very good recipe!

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