2 ½ sticks butter, softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup almond flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs at room temperature
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Mix the dough
Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed. Add the sugar, almond flour, salt, vanilla and eggs and continue to mix on low speed. With the mixer still on low speed add the flour in 3 additions. Mix only until a soft, moist dough forms. Don’t over mix.
Gather the dough into a ball and divide into 3 or 4 equal weight pieces. (For 10 inch tarts use 3 equal weight pieces, For 8 inch tarts use 4 equal weight pieces.) Press each piece into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the dough.
Roll the dough
Frozen dough will need about 45 minutes at room temperature to reach a consistency fit to roll.
Line the bottom of a tart pan with a parchment round.
On a lightly floured surface roll 1 piece of dough into a circle a little larger than your tart pan. The dough should be about 1/16 inch thick. Carefully place the rolled dough into the tart pan. Gently press the dough into the corners but do not stretch the dough. Fill any holes with scraps.
Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly colored. Remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.
Sweet tart dough is used for a Warm Chocolate and Raspberry Tart or for a Lemon Tart.
