False bottom or removable bottom, two-piece tart pans are ideal for presenting and cutting shallow-crusted pastries. A tart's hallmark is the filling within. Tarts can be either sweet or savory, served as desserts, snacks or appetizers. Completed tarts can be successfully removed from the vertical "collar" portion of the two-piece pan, allowing the tart to be displayed on decorative plates, servers or pedestals.
Significance
Often made of lightweight aluminum, flat-bottom tart pans are available in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Function
Two-piece tart pans allow the baked item to be removed and served without the collar, once the finished tart has cooled.
Types
Flat-bottom tart pans come in a variety of sizes, from individual round servers, to square, rectangle and full-sized rounds with walls or "collars" as tall as 2 inches.
Features
Flat-bottom pans with removable bottoms bake pastries evenly, and allow finished tarts to be displayed without cookware.
Considerations
Some fillings are better in a two-piece tart pan than others. Decorative tarts made with fruit, custard or creme bases topped with fresh fruit will hold up after the collar is removed.
Soft fillings may "bleed" into the pastry, especially if it is under baked, and weaken the tart's crust.
Prevention/Solution
Blind bake (with the pastry lined with aluminum foil and pie weights or dried beans) to "set" the pastry prior to adding a moist or wet filling to make sure the crust is sturdy after the collar is removed.
Line the bottom of the pan with a matching, trimmed piece of parchment paper prior to placing the pastry in the pan to protect the metal bottom.
Tags: tart pans, after collar, after collar removed, collar removed
