We’re fully into the bustle of the holiday season and folks all over town are thinking about taking a crack at something they rarely do: they’re going to get out their aprons and do a little baking. It’s good we have Chef Jerry Pellegrino with us because I know he’s got all sorts of ideas. So how about talking about pies and tarts.
Although they are similar, pies and tarts are different animals. Let’s look at a few characteristics of each.
The crust of a pie is smooth and relatively thin. A tart crust is often thicker and more crumbly. A pie usually has a top and bottom crust, a tart has only the one on the bottom.
A pie is served in the pan in which it was baked. A tart is often fully removed from its tin.
A pie is the country cousin, a little more rustic and forgiving. A tart is the city cousin, more refined and precise.
Here are some terms associated with tarts.
Tart-a term that overlaps with flan, subsumes quiche and pizza, and is largely replaced in North America by pie. It is a flat, baked item consisting of a base of pastry, or occasionally some other flour preparation, with a sweet or savory topping.
Tourtes or Tartes a l’anglaise-a covered tart often referred to in North America as a pie
Flamiche-a Northern French tart made with a bread dough, vegetables and cheese, most likely the predecessor to the quiche.
Quiche-a deep tart filled with egg custard and assorted savory fillings.
Galette-a rustic tart of variable size and shape, baked without a tart mold or plate.
Alsaciennes-a tart decorated with crisscross pastry strips.
Pastry Dough-a sweet or savory mixture of at least butter, flour, salt and water. Richer versions may also contain eggs, cream and nuts.
There are six basic types of pastry dough for pies and tarts. Here they are.
Paté Brisée (Short Crust)-a basic crust recipe for almost any savory and some sweet fruit tarts.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
½ teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons ice water
Combine flour, butter and salt in a food processor. Process using the pulse button for four or five short pulses.
Turn the processor on and pour the ice water into the dough just until it begins to form. Stop processing immediately.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands.
Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.
Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to two or three days.
Paté Brisée a l’Oeuf-this is a slightly richer version than the basic recipe and can be substituted any time Paté Brisée is called for.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
4 Tablespoons ice water
Combine flour, butter and salt in a food processor. Process using the pulse button for four or five short pulses. Add the egg. Turn the processor on and pour the ice water into the dough just until it begins to form. Stop processing immediately.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.
Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to two or three days.
Paté Brisée au Sucre-this is a slightly sweeter version than the basic recipe and can be used for any dessert tart. Note that this recipe calls for milk rather than water making an even more luxurious crust.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sugar
4 Tablespoons cold milk
Combine flour, butter, salt, baking powder and sugar in a food processor. Process using the pulse button for four or five short pulses.
Turn the processor on and pour the milk into the dough just until it begins to form. Stop processing immediately. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.
Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to two or three days.
Paté Sablée-this is a rich sweet and crunchy pastry crust, very similar to sugar cookies. It works best with simple fruit tarts.
Ingredients
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons ground almonds (optional)
½ Teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Combine the butter, confectioner’s sugar, eggs, vanilla, almonds and salt in a food processor. Process using the pulse button for five or six short pulses or until well blended. Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, pulsing two or three times after each addition until all of the flour is blended and the dough comes together. Do not let it form a ball. The dough should be pliable, but not sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.
Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to overnight.
Pate Sucrée-a sweet, sugary pastry with a touch of crunchiness from the egg. This dough is often used in fresh fruit tarts where the shell is pre-baked, then filled.
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
½ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons ground almonds (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
Combine the flour, butter, sugar, almonds and salt in a food processor. Process using the pulse button for five or six short pulses or until well blended.
Add the eggs and pulse 14 or 15 times until the dough comes together. Do not let it form a ball. The dough should be pliable, but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.
Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to overnight.
Pate Sablée Salée-a rich savory pastry crust often used for main-course tarts filled with mostly vegetable and meats.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
Combine the flour, butter, and salt in a food processor. Process using the pulse button for five or six short pulses or until well blended. Add the eggs and pulse 14 or 15 times until the dough comes together. Do not let it form a ball. The dough should be pliable, but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc. Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to overnight.
Sweet Potato Pastry-this pastry is the traditional Maryland covering for an Eastern Shore chicken potpie.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups mashed sweet potato
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
Add the mashed sweet pots, shortening and eggs.
Using your fingers, work the ingredients together into a dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour surface and form into a flat disk.
Roll the dough out to the necessary size.
