Flaky Tart Dough For Apricot Tart Recipes

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch round 3/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Prick the bottom of pastry all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 10 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weights, and continue to bake until bottom is dry. Remove from the oven, and let cool on a wire rack.
• Spread apple butter evenly over tart shell. Arrange apricots over the apple butter in an overlapping circular pattern. Holding your hand 6 inches above tart, sprinkle sugar evenly over apricots.
• Bake until apricots are dark golden brown, and even darker around the edges, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool briefly on a wire rack.
• To remove tart from pan, rest it on a large can. Make sure tart is steady and balanced. Slide outside ring of pan down off tart. Then, place tart on work surface. Slide tart off pan bottom, and onto a rimless serving dish or a cutting board.
• Use a pastry brush or a scrunched-up paper towel to coat apricots with glaze. Serve at room temperature or warm.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and shortening, and pulse until the mixture forms little balls, and no chunks of butter or shortening remain, 5 to 10 times. Do not over process.
• Transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the ice water. Repeat 3 times more. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it just begins to come together as a dough. If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide the dough into 2 disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.