Tarts are the desserts of my childhood. One of their appeals for me is that they can be filled with whatever you like. My good friend Magnus Hansson, a masterful baker, recently shared his foolproof shortbread recipe with me. It’s the base of my Honeyed Pear Clafouti Tart (page 212), but I fill it with everything from pastry cream to caramelized nuts.

　　

Ingredients

Make one 10-inch tart or about 1 dozen cookies

　　6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured, at room temperature

　　3 tablespoons sugar

　　1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　3/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　Grated zest of 1/4 lemon

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　

Step 1

Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed just until mixed together, about 1 minute. Add the flour, zest, and salt. Beat on low speed just until the dough forms a ball.

　　

Step 2

Use the dough to make a tart crust as on page 213, or bake into cookies: Form the ball of dough into a log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm or freeze for up to 1 month; if frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 4

Cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing the rounds 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

　　

c’est bon

Step 5

If desired, roll the log of dough in raw sugar or chopped nuts before freezing to add a nice texture and flavor to the finished cookies.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.