Help with small tart crusts

[Michael M]

I tried once before to make a regular pie/tart dough and put it in my 2.5" (or 3") individual fluted, non-stick tart shells. I made some sort of fruit tart (without pastry cream). Most were very difficult to remove. I buttered the shells as well.

Would a higher sugar content be helpful? Pate sucre? I'm making sour cherry tarts and I'd like to have them come out! Otherwise I'll just make one large one.

I'm just an amateur, btw, but a frustrated one. Cute little tarts are so appealing at dinner parties!

[Lisa Shock]

Buttering the shells may have been your problem. Butter is 20% water, and the water content will tend to make the starch in the flour of the dough expand and become sticky. A good crust dough doesn't need any help, you shouldn't ever have to grease a pie pan.

More sugar won't help, it can burn and will definitely increase the sticking factor since much of it will invert during the cooking process.

Sucre dough is good, if that's what you want in terms of flavor.

Otherwise, a regular short-dough pie crust should be just fine. You may wish to seek out a recipe that replaces some/all of the ice water with vodka, for a little more no-stick insurance. Remember that resting the dough is an important step, and, keep everything you work with cold.

Good luck!

[HungryC]

And if you like buying kitchen equipment, you can get tiny individual tartlet pans w/removable bottoms, which makes it easier to get the baked shell out of the tin.

[Marlene]

And if you like buying kitchen equipment, you can get tiny individual tartlet pans w/removable bottoms, which makes it easier to get the baked shell out of the tin.

I have these and I swear by them.

[Michael M]

Thanks for the help here. As the party is tomorrow, I'll have to go with what I have (non-removable bottoms) but will not butter them and use alcohol instead of water. Thanks for the tips!