Toasted pecans give this crust a little bit of crunch and a lot of superrich, buttery flavor.

　　

Ingredients

makes two 9-or 10-inch crusts or eight 4-inch crusts

　　2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

　　1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　1/2 cup ground pecans

　　2 large egg yolks

　　3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to mix. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives in a crosscutting motion until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter remains cool and doesn’t melt into the flour. Stir in the pecans.

　　

Step 2

Combine the egg yolks, the 3 tablespoons ice water, and the vanilla and stir to mix. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until the dough begins to clump together and is moist enough to pat together. Do not mix any more than necessary. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky.

　　

Step 3

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 2 balls. Form the dough into 2 flat disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 3 days.

　　

Step 4

Check the tart recipe for special rolling instructions. To prepare a basic tart shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes. Place on a lightly floured work surface. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Fold the dough in half or gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it over the tart pan. Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving about 1 inch of dough draped over the pan. Roll the extra dough under itself to form a rim around the edge of the pan. Crimp the rim of dough with your fingers or press with the tines of a fork. Prick the bottom of the crust two or three times with a fork to create small holes.

　　

Step 5

Cover the crust with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, before proceeding with a recipe or partially or fully prebaking the crust (see Know-how, page 345).

　　

SEA SALT CARAMEL TARTS

Step 6

Follow the recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts with Pecan Crusts (page 347), but with the following changes: Spread store-bought dulce de leche in the prebaked tart shells in place of (or in addition to) the chocolate filling. Just before baking, sprinkle a pinch of your best sea salt on top of the meringues and continue with the original recipe for baking the meringues.

　　

Know-how: working with meringue

Step 7

If you know a few basic rules, working with meringue is a breeze.

　　

Step 8

Eggs separate most readily when they are still cold, but for best results you should wait until the whites come to room temperature before beating them.

　　

Step 9

Always use a glass or metal bowl for whipping the eggs; plastic bowls tend to be greasier, and this residual grease can weigh the whites down and prevent them from whipping to stiff peaks.

　　

Step 10

When whipping egg whites, start on medium speed and beat until light and frothy; then increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form before slowly adding the sugar and continuing to beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

　　

Step 11

You can test the relative stiffness of the peaks by quickly dipping the beaters or a spatula into the whites. Soft peaks will curl over and begin to collapse when the beaters are lifted; stiff peaks are glossier and will stick straight up.

　　

Step 12

Do not beat meringue past the stiff-peaks stage or it will separate and become grainy.

　　

Step 13

Cream of tartar is often added because its high acid content helps stabilize meringue; the same effect can be achieved by adding a teaspoon or so of equally acidic lemon juice.

　　

Step 14

Wait to add sugar and any other flavoring agents until after you’ve beaten the egg whites to soft peaks; adding the sugar too soon will prevent expansion. Add the sugar slowly and beat constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.

　　

Step 15

When topping a pie with meringue, mound the meringue in the center of the pie and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it to the edges and make peaks. You can also use a pastry bag and tip to pipe the meringue and form peaks. Be sure the meringue touches the edges of the crust all the way around to prevent shrinking.

　　

Step 16

If topping a baked pie with meringue, place the meringue on the filling while it is still warm. The heat from the pie will begin to cook the bottom of the meringue and prevent a layer of weeping liquid from forming between the filling and meringue.

　　

Step 17

Always bake meringue in a preheated 350°F oven; temperatures below 325°F are too cool, and temperatures above 350°F are too hot. Meringue topping on a 9-inch pie typically takes 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven; smaller tarts will take less time, 5 to 7 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.