Sweet Dough

Ingredients

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 2 egg yolks, mixed
• 1/3 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
• 1 egg white (for egg wash, if prebaking shell)

Directions

1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl, use a paddle attachment if you have one.
2. Slowly add yolks, mixing until smooth and lump-free, be sure to scrape the sides.
3. Slowly add the flour into the butter mixture, if you don't have a paddle attachment then you should probably use a large spoon. Mix only until incorporated, do not over mix. The dough should be smooth, non-sticky and firm.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. A chilled dough is much easier to work with and will be less likely to stick to anything.
5. Roll out chilled sweet dough to the desired thickness.
6. Place tart rings on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Gently roll the dough onto the rolling pin, place rolling pin on one edge of tart ring, unroll the dough.
7. Press dough into ring, smoothing out the edges.
8. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the tart ring, this will cut the edges of the dough allowing easy removal.

If prebaking tart shell is called for:

1. Use a fork to place a number of holes in the bottom of the dough.
2. Cover the dough with heat-resistant plastic wrap or parchment paper, fill the dough with dry rice, beans or baking weights.
3. Bake the weighted crust at 350°F for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the weights and paper, brush the inside of the shell with the egg wash and bake again for 10 more minutes or until golden brown.