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Cream butter and sugar until sugar dissolves and mixture is voluminous
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Add lemon zest and vanilla to egg; add half egg mixture very slowly to butter mixture on low speed
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Add remaining egg mixture to butter mixture very slowly on low speed
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Sift flour; add to butter-egg mixture slowly, until pastry comes together in a ball: do not over mix
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Divide dough into 2; wrap each well in plastic wrap
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Rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the next day
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Preheat oven to 375 F degrees
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Take pastry dough out of refrigerator; if overnight, warm to pliable, but still very cool before rolling
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Roll dough to 1/6 inch thick on pastry sheet or between two pieces of parchment paper; keep lightly floured to avoid sticking
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Place parchment paper on cookie sheet; place pastry rings on top of paper for baking after covering with pastry
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Place one ring over pastry; cut a circle around it much wider than its circumference to accommodate for sides of tart with overhang (cut eight circles)
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Using plastic wrap on top of pastry, turn rolled pastry disc over (plastic wrap on top) and gently place over pastry ring (plastic wrap still on top) with sides folded slightly to insert somewhat vertically
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With plastic wrap adhered to pastry, gently rest middle of pastry into pastry ring on parchment paper; relax pastry from center of ring toward outside edges to enable pastry room to curve into the right angled edge around inner circumference of ring without tearing (however, should pastry tear, simply press together with fingers)
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Once sides and bottom of tart are evenly distributed with pastry and excess pastry hung over rim, roll rolling pin over top of tart ring to cut off extra pastry, leaving a smooth and aesthetically pleasing edge
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Cut 8 ample squares of plastic wrap; place each in center of ring over pastry dough
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Fill with rice to top edge of ring; fold excess wrap over rice to secure (it will melt into "a package" when baked)
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Bake in middle rack of oven for 13-15 minutes, until sides are light golden
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Remove from oven; remove each sac of rice from each tart ring (be careful, they will be hot; save for reuse)
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Dock bottom of each shell with fork; bake for 10-12 more minutes until light golden brown
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Cool on rack; remove rings