Pretty fruit tarts will have your guests oohing and aahing at dessert time. Puff pastry shells cradle a luscious vanilla pastry cream (creme patissiere) topped with strawberries. Don't worry ...

Line the tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake until the pastry is firm, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for about 10 minutes longer, or until golden ...

Remove weights and parchment; bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool pastry shell completely before filling, about 30 minutes.

They’re not really all that heavy, and depending on their individual size, they won’t fill every crevice of a lined pastry shell. For truly crisp crusts with no puffy spots, reach for the sugar.

Unbaked pastry shells without a filling can be frozen for six to eight weeks. Simply prepare your regular pastry and fit into pie pans. Prick with a fork if it is for a recipe that calls for a ...