To Prevent the Edges of the Tart Shell from Overbrowning

When prebaking a tart shell or when baking a tart with a filling, it is not uncommon for the top edge of the tart shell to become brown and baked through before the unfilled interior is fully set (this means you took the beans or pie weights out too late) or in the case of a filled shell, before the filling and bottom of the crust are baked. If you see this happening, use strips of aluminum foil to cover the edge of the crust, or invert the ring portion of the next larger size false-bottomed tart pan over the tart (Figure 7-3). For example, if you are baking an 11-inch (27.5-cm) tart, you would use the ring from a 12-inch (30-cm) pan; this is a quick and easy way to cover and protect the edges, provided you have several sizes of false-bottomed pans.