Easy Sweet Pastry Dough

Sweet pastry for single pie shell or tarts

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 Pie crust

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3  tablespoons white sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
• 2⁄3 cup unsalted butter, cubed (or use salted butter and omit salt)
• 1  egg, beaten
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt (if using) into a bowl.
2. Toss butter into flour mixture to coat pieces. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour, working it until you have created a coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces.
3. In a small bowl, combine egg and vanilla. Whisk together, then add gradually to flour mixture, stirring with a fork. Mix with hands until dough forms a ball.
4. Knead the dough to make it smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
5. Roll out dough and shape to pie pan or cut out rounds for tarts.