From Linda Cicero’s Cook’s Corner Column

Pastry

Shortbread Crust for Sweet Pies

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

Whisk the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add butter and egg yolk. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands. Pat dough into a shallow 9-inch glass pie pan. Prick with a fork a few times and put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees and place a cookie sheet on the middle rack.

Fit a piece of foil snugly over the dough and top with pie weights or dried beans. Place on the hot pan in the oven. Check after 10 minutes. Pull the foil up and see if the crust has set. If not, leave the foil on for 5 more minutes. If it has, pull the foil and beans off and let the crust bake until golden. When it is out of the oven, immediately compress it with a wooden spoon, pushing back the sides anywhere they have sagged. Makes 1 (8-serving) pie crust.

Per serving: 192 calories (57 percent from fat), 12.3 g fat (7.5 g saturated, 3.2 g monounsaturated), 54 mg cholesterol, 2.5 g protein, 18.3 g carbohydrates, 0.4 g fiber, 295 mg sodium.