Choosing the proper pastry for savory tarts will make a big difference in the quality of your finished tart. The pastry should be handled differently for the type of filling you will be using. Some tart fillings can be placed in a raw pastry and baked together. They require longer baking times.

Savory tarts require a dough that is strong enough to be handled and yet delicate enough to be tasty. Therefore, I prefer to use a pastry with the addition of eggs. The flavor of the tart will dictate how you will season the mixture. For instance you may like to add black pepper to the flour when mixing in the food processor. Cheese, red pepper, cayenne, herbs of thyme, basil, etc., (all dried), will give a zing to the pastry also. It is not necessary to use anything more than is in the following recipe as the filling is flavorful enough.

(Enough for two 9 inch tarts or 50 mini tarts.) 1/2 tsp. salt 1 c. unsalted butter (cold & cut into sm. pieces) 1 extra lg. egg, beaten 4 to 5 tbsp. chilled white wine

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, whirl the flour and salt to blend. Distribute the cold butter over the surface of the flour and pulse the machine in on and off motion to make a crumbly mixture.

Add the egg and cold wine and mix until the dough is completely moistened. Do not let it come to a ball.

Place the dough on a flat surface and work into a ball. Flatten into a large disk, (which will make it easy to roll as it gets too cold). Chill the dough, wrapped in wax paper for at least 45 minutes.

On a lightly floured pastry cloth, roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into circles to fit tart pans. Fit the pastry into each shell. Chill the mini tarts well before baking.

Place the mini tarts on a baking sheet and place into a preheated 375 degree oven. Bake until the tarts are light brown and baked through. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool well. They can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to fill. REMARKS: For Hors d'oeuvres, use mini muffin pans.