Why I love sugar cookie dough, and for way more than cookies + fruit tart recipe

Bake Tart Shell(s)

1. With a stand or hand mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until smooth and lightened in color.Add egg and then vanilla, scraping down the bowl and paddle.
2. On low speed slowly add flour until dough comes together in a cohesive mass. Form into a flat disc, wrap in plastic and chill at least two hours. Can be done a few days ahead and chilled, or frozen.
3. On a lightly floured surface or parchment, roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, and at least an inch larger than your pan.  For mini tarts, use a knife to cut out circles larger than your shells. 
4. Gently press dough into bottom of shells and up the sides. Roll pin along the top of tart shells to remove excess overhang. Likewise, roll dough two inches larger than your full-size pan, and follow same procedure. Freeze shells for twenty minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line shells with foil or parchment and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice.
6. Bake shells for 10 minutes, remove pie weights, and bake until edges begin to brown and bottom is cooked through (a large tart will need more time). Cool completely before removing form pan(s).

Prepare Pastry Cream

1. Combine half of the sugar, salt and all but a half cup of the milk in a sauce pot. Bring just to a boil over high heat.
2. While milk is coming to a boil, combine cornstarch and remaining sugar in a medium heatproof bowl, and whisk in the half cup of milk to make a slurry (thick starch-liquid mixture). Then gently stir eggs into slurry.
3. Once milk reaches a boil, slowly pour around half of the hot milk into the egg mixture whisking vigorously (tempering the eggs so they don’t curdle over high heat).
4. Pour tempered egg mixture back into pot with hot milk, and turn heat down to medium. Whisk constantly until pastry cream comes to a slow boil, with just a few large bubbles breaking the surface.
5. Pour into a bowl, whisk in butter until melted, and press plastic wrap over the surface. If your cooked cream has lumps, you can strain through a fine mesh sieve. Poke a few holes in plastic wrap to vent, and cool in refrigerator.

To Finish

1. OPTIONAL: For diplomat cream, whip heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks, and fold gently into pastry cream until combined. 
2. Transfer cream to a pastry bag (no tip) or large plastic baggie, and snip one corner to make a half-inch hole. 
3. Pipe cream into tart shells so it almost comes all the way up the sides. 
4. Layer fresh fruit on top. Store chilled, serve room temperature.