This is a perfect crust to use with fillings that will benefit from a hint of extra sweetness. Because this is a fairly durable crust, it’s an excellent choice for making bite-size tartlets or other finger-food desserts.

Ingredients

　　4 tablespoons unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated butter substitute, at room temperature

　　2 tablespoons light agave nectar

　　1/4 teaspoon sea salt

　　3 large egg yolks

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　1 1/2 cups sprouted spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour

　　In an electric mixer, cream together the butter, agave nectar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat well. Stir in the flour and mix until just combined but still crumbly. Divide the dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface, making a circle a little larger than the pie pan. Place into the pie pan and flute the edges. Refrigerate or freeze the other half of the dough for later use.

　　Cooks' Note

　　For recipes calling for a prebaked piecrust, preheat the oven to 325°F, prick the crust all over with a fork and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool and fill.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.