Sweet pastry crust is a tender, slightly crumbly crust with a cookie-like texture rather than a traditional flaky pie crust. It’s quick to make—about five minutes of hands-on time if you use a food processor, plus a short pre-bake. Because the dough is delicate, it is also easy to make by hand; just avoid overworking it for the lightest results.
Unlike flaky pie dough, this sweet pastry does not roll well. Instead of rolling, empty the crumbly dough into your tart pan and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides with your fingertips. Take your time when shaping the crust, as this is the most time-consuming step and determines a neat, even shell.
This crust is ideal for open-faced tarts because of its cookie-like bite. It pairs beautifully with fillings such as almond frangipane and creamy custards like milk tart. The dough’s texture complements fruit and nut fillings and holds up well under wet fillings after a short pre-bake.
Tips for making sweet pastry crust.
Because the dough is crumbly, do not try to roll it. Dump the crumbs into the tart pan and press them into place with your fingertips, starting from the center and working outwards, then press up the sides. Press gently and evenly so the base remains compact while the sides are built up.
Pay attention to the corners and the top edge: corners tend to gather extra crumbs, so press them up into shape. Avoid thinning the top rim of the crust, as thin edges will brown faster than the rest of the shell. The pastry will shrink slightly during baking, so if your tart pan is deep, you may want to extend the dough a little above the pan sides.
This sweet pastry is usually pre-baked (blind baked) for a few minutes before adding the filling so the base is fully cooked. Pre-bake in a hot oven but watch carefully so the crust doesn’t over-brown. Because the recipe contains egg and baking powder, the crust may puff slightly; prick a few holes in the base with a fork to allow steam to escape. Avoid using heavy pie weights, which can prevent the bottom from baking through.
Desserts with Sweet Pastry Crust
South African Milktart
Fruit Tart with Rosewater Custard and Sweet Pastry (substitute this sweet pastry for phyllo)
Pear Frangipane Tart
SWEET CRUST PASTRY
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Pastry
- 110 grams unsalted butter
- 67 grams sugar (⅓ cup)
- 1 extra-large egg
- 240 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
Instructions
Crust by Hand
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light.
- Beat the egg and set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- Add the beaten egg and dry ingredients to the creamed butter. Do not overmix—the mixture should remain crumbly.
- Press the crumbs into a 13″ round tart pan (or a pan of your choice) with a removable bottom.
- Poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork and bake 5–8 minutes, or until the crust just starts to brown.
Crust with Food Processor
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- In a food processor, combine the butter and sugar and blend until combined.
- Beat the egg and set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- Add the beaten egg and dry ingredients to the creamed butter in the processor. Do not overmix—the mixture should be crumbly.
- Press into your tart pan, poke holes in the base, and bake 5–8 minutes or until the crust begins to brown.
Notes
This pastry makes enough for:
- One 13″ tart pan
- Two 14″ x 4″ rectangular tart pans
- Three small 8″ diameter pie pans