Tarts: Sweetened Short Pastry

These shallow crusts are more portable than piecrusts because they can be removed from their baking pans before serving. This dough is related to a butter-rich cookie dough, though it is not as sweet. It is high in fat and low in moisture with some part of an egg being used as liquid. Sugar is added, and the fat is intimately blended into the dry ingredients. All these factors yield a short, crisp and tender crust. The perfect tart crust has both body and tenderness, good color and a rich, well-balanced taste to complement the filling.