Few dishes look as elegant as tarts bursting with fruit fillings. While prepared tart crusts can be bought at the store, homemade tart crusts actually are pretty easy to make!

A basic tart crust contains five ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, egg and water. Once you get the hang of the crust, the rest is, well, a piece of cake.

For a perfect tart crust, follow these steps:

1. Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl.
2. Use a pastry blender (or two knives) or your fingers to mix the flour and butter until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs.
3. Add beaten egg and chilled water. Mix with a fork until the dough gathers into crumbs.
4. Use your finger to press the crumbs into a ball of dough.
5. Use the heel of your hand to flatten the dough and gently blend it back into a ball. Repeat this process just until the ball is smooth. Don’t overwork the dough or crust will be tough.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7. To prevent sticking when it’s time to roll out the dough, place the chilled dough on a lightly floured countertop. Use very little flour! If you add too much, the dough will absorb it and be tough.
8. Flatten the dough with your hands or a rolling pin. Roll it out from the center to the edges, keeping the thickness even.
9. Make sure the dough does NOT stretch as you transfer it to the tart pan. If it does, you’ll end up with crust that shrinks as it bakes.
10. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of a fluted tart pan. Trim excess overhang.

When you’re using a custard-based filling like pumpkin, sweet potatoes or egg-based quiches, it’s important to pre-bake the tart crust to prevent sogginess:

• Prick the dough in the tart pan with the tines of a fork so that air doesn’t get trapped between the crust and the pan.
• Chill the crust for about 15 minutes.
• Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans or rice. Otherwise, the pastry will puff up, leaving no room for the filling.
• Bake the crust in a preheated 425°F oven until the shell’s rim begins to brown.
• Remove the beans or rice and continue baking until the bottom of the dough loses its sheen.

Now you can impress your family and friends with something you’ve made yourself. And don’t forget that tarts are great for dinner, for dessert and for your fanciest parties!