Pecan Short Crust

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 5 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 very cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 Tablespoons very cold water

Directions

Put the pecans in a food processor and pulse until they are very fine and uniform, though not to the point of pecan butter. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter and pulse again until the largest piece is the size of a small pea.

With the processor running, drizzle in the water and process until the mixture climbs up the sides of the processor. Remove the top and squeeze a big pinch of the dough to see whether it's still dry and crumbly or holds together and feels moist. If it is dry, pulse in a few more drops of water.

When the dough is the right consistency, dump it on a lightly floured counter and gather it into a ball. Push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand and then with a dough scraper or thin spatula, scrape it back into a ball. Repeat for a few strokes until the dough starts to come together. Don't overwork it; it's okay if it's still slightly crumbly. Shape it Into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes; if you chill it longer, leave at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling, to avold cracking.