Basic grain-free sweet tart crust (1)

This is a sweet tart crust that can be pre-baked and finished later with your choice of fillings.

Sweet tart crust

Ingredients

Crust ingredients

makes one 9-inch crust

2½ C almond flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp xylitol, optional
⅛ tsp pink salt
113g butter, softened and cut into pieces

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the almond flour, cinnamon, salt, and xylitol (if using) until combined. Break any lumps with your finger.
2. Add the butter and stir together with a pastry cutter or by hand until the mixture has fully combined.
   
3. Tip the mixture out onto a large cling film and form it into a big ball.
   
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and flatten it slightly. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.
   
5. When ready, take the dough out of the fridge and grease a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
   
6. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.
7. Turn the dough onto the tart pan. Press flat the dough with a wooden spoon or spatula or smooth the crust with your fingers. Make sure to pat it evenly in the pan and up the sides to achieve a uniform thickness on the sides and bottom.
   
8. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and then in the oven. For par-baking the crust (i.e., if further baking is required with a filling), bake for 10 minutes; to fully bake the crust to put in no-bake fillings (e.g., ganache), bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
9. Remove the tart crust from the oven and let it cool to room temperature before filling or storing.
   

Some thoughts and notes

1. This is a very moist crust, even though I left it in the oven a bit too long for par-baking. For a drier crust, cut the butter by half to around 60g.
2. The crust turned out slightly thicker than I'd expected and preferred. I think for a 9-inch pan, 1¾ to 2 cups of nut flour should suffice.
3. Chilling the dough makes it much easier to work with.