BERRY SENSATIONS TEA CRUST

Methods and Directions

• Combine flour, salt, tea and sugar in a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix thoroughly.
• Scatter the butter cubes over the flour mixture and process until it resembles a coarse meal, for about 15 seconds.
• Whisk together the egg and vanilla essence and in a steady stream add through the feed tube and process just until the dough comes together.
• Remove the dough from the processor and knead very gently into a smooth, homogeneous ball.
• Form dough into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour. The dough may be refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen (double wrapped) for up to 1 month.
• Ready to use, if pre-baking the crust, preheat the oven to 350 °F/180 °C.
• Spray two 9 or 10 inch tart pans with vegetable cooking spray. If not pre-baking follow the instructions of your chosen filling recipe.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough disks into a circle 1/8 inch/3mm thick.
• Transfer the circle of the dough to a prepared pan and process into the pan. Repeat with the second disk of dough, chill for at least 10 minutes before baking. Pierce the bottom of the crust here and there with the tines of a fork.
• Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes until the pastry looks completely dry and lightly golden in colour. Five minutes into the baking, check the shell for any bubbles.
• If the pastry is lifting away from the pan, carefully prick at any raised point to allow the steam to escape and the shell to bake flat.
• To prepare the tart shell, gently melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler over steaming water. Pour melted dark chocolate on to the pre – baked, cooled tart shell and let set until completely hardened, about 30 minutes.