Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram YouTube Icon Navigation Search Icon Main Search Icon Video Play Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Check Icon Print Icon 注意图标 Heart Icon Filled Heart Icon Single Arrow Icon Double Arrow Icon Hamburger Icon TV Icon Close Icon Sorted 汉堡/搜索图标
How-To

Stylish Tarts from a Quick Crust

Use cookie crumbs to make a short-cut crust, and then add a creamy filling for an impressive but easy dessert

Fine Cooking Issue 68
Photo: Scott Phillips
Save to Recipe Box
Print
Add Private Note
Saved Add to List

    Add to List

Print
Add Recipe Note

I like to serve elegant desserts when I entertain, and a stylish tart is ideal for almost all occasions. But I’m especially busy during the holidays (or for that matter, any time of year), and I don’t always have the time or patience to make a traditional sweet pastry dough. Luckily, I’ve found that using store-bought cookies, crushed into crumbs, makes a delicious, quick, and easy crust for tarts. My short-cut crust allows me to serve up a fancy dessert—and elicit “oohs” and “aahs” from my guests—without sacrificing excellent flavor or valuable time.

Crisp cookies make a crust with the best texture

With only three ingredients—cookie crumbs, a little sugar, and melted butter—this crust mixes up quickly and effortlessly. Any crisp cookie will work well, but avoid the sandwich or soft-and-chewy varieieties, as they’ll leave you with a soggy crust. I stick with chocolate wafers, vanilla cookies, and good old graham crackers, as these are cookies I usually have on hand.

A food processor pulverizes cookies quickly and easily

As far as I know, only graham crackers are sold already crushed into crumbs, but you can also make your own. A food processor makes easy work of chopping cookies into fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, just pop the cookies into a heavy-duty zip-top bag, press out the air, zip the bag closed, and gently pound on the cookies (a rolling pin or mallet works well) until you get fine, uniform crumbs.

Once you’ve made a crust, you can use it as a base for delicious tarts. I’ve included recipes for some of my favorite tart fillings: chocolate truffle with mascarpone topping, creamy orange ricotta, double-ginger pumpkin, and chocolate-glazed peanut butter. I’ve also suggested some filling-crust combinations, but the nice thing about these recipes is that you can mix and match to suit your own taste.

1. Grind the cookies to crumbs.
2. Mix in the butter.
3. Press the crumbs into the pan. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the crumbs as you spread them so they won’t stick to your hands.
4. Bake and cool, then fill.

Comments

Leave a Comment

Comments

    留下这样的nt

    Your email address will not be published.

    Videos

    View All

    Connect

    按照烹饪你的罚款favorite social networks

    We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, subscribe today.

    Get the print magazine, 25 years of back issues online, over 7,000 recipes, and more.