But really, just how do the French do it?

Tart-making is not easy!

Tonight's project resulted in a slightly shrunken tart shell. For those of you not familiar the ways of tart production, a lot of French-style tarts require a pre-baked pie shell to be in place before you can begin the fun filling stuff. Getting the tart shell right is important and it takes a good measure of skill and practice. First off, dough from scratch is risky the first 100 times you do it and if you're me, you seem to be always doubting the answers to the following questions.

• Are those crumbles of butter in the dough 'pea-size?'
• This dough sticks together, kind of, when I smush it in my hands. Should I add more water? The recommended 3-6 tablespoons makes for a large margin of error.
• I'm trying to touch it as little as possible, but they keep cautioning me about overworking the dough. How can I tell?
  

After reaching satisifactory enough conclusion on these points, there is the rolling. I always look forward to rolling out the dough as I kid myself into thinking that the cosmic pie-making tumblers will click into place again (for I have made some exemplary pie dough in the past) and I will have sprinkled just enough flour on my mat and pin to prevent sticking.

Tonight was not one of those nights, but fortunately I was able to heave my misshapen circle into the tart pan and make it look pretty. What I didn't do was double up the dough on the sides, which--combined with the fact that I don't have dry beans or pie weights and had to use a foil packet filled with rice and barley--is probably why the tart shell shrunk when I pre-baked it.

That, or I overworked the dough somewhere along the way and it is now just a huge mass of gluteny...gluten.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

No matter, I filled that puppy up anyway with a creamy hazelnut frangipane and topped it with sliced pear halves that I poached in red wine. I'm confident this will make up for any crust shortcomings.

I like poached pears. They look pretty and taste great and they are really easy to make. I was thinking the other day how poached apples might be, using a dessert wine or mead or something like that. I'm not sure if the texture would work, since apples don't ripen like pears. But it's worth a shot.

Speaking of apples...watch for a photo post coming soon.