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1
Bring the butter to room temperature.
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2
If it will take too long or the room is too cold, wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave on a low setting to soften.
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3
Be careful to just soften, not melt, the butter.
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4
Use a spatula to cream the butter until smooth.
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5
Change to a whisk and mix.
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6
Keep going until it gets kind of glossy and creamy, the consistency of mayonnaise.
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7
Add the powdered sugar in about 3 batches.
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8
Mix well after each addition, and keep mixing until it's pale and fluffy.
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9
Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla oil.
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10
Sift the flour into the mixture and cut it in.
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11
When the mixture is no longer floury, use the spatula to bring the dough all together in one lump.
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12
The dough is now complete.
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13
Wrap with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator.
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14
If you can, chill for a whole day.
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15
If you don't have time, leave it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to one hour.
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16
You can also make the dough in advance and store it in freezer.
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17
Using a madeleine tin, I baked oyster shell shaped tart crusts.
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18
A berry tart.
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19
I topped it with a variety of berries.
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20
A Gateau Saint-Honore.
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21
This is a classic French dessert that combines a tart crust with choux pastry (well, this is a vague approximation of that anyway)...
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22
Here I made a baked cheesecake using this as the crust.
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23
You can use it for so many other sweets as well, but this is the base recipe.
