Pâte Brisée

For years I watched French friends whip up pie crusts for a quick quiche or tart so naturally that it seemed like something anyone could do. On an extended quiche kick one winter, I decided to try to make my own dough from scratch. Thus began my long and exasperating struggle with pâte brisée. Turns out the French are either born with innate mastery of dough, or my friends just had a flair for the patisserie; in any case, it took many attempts on my part before I could make a tart fr