Pâte Sucrée Recipes

PâTE SUCRéE (SWEET TART DOUGH)

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until the flour is incorporated. The mixture will look like wet, clumpy sand. Add the egg yolk and mix on low speed until the yolk is evenly incorporated and the dough is clumpy, about 30 seconds. Using your hand, lightly knead the dough into a ball inside the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, press it into a 6-inch disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. (The dough can be tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.)
• Lightly spray a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie shell with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place the chilled dough inside the pan. Pinch off pieces of dough and press them against the sides of the pan to reach just shy of a ¼ inch thick and about ⅛ inch above the rim (you'll trim the top later). Using the heel of your hand, press the rest of the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. (It will look like a mess, and it may seem like you won't have enough dough at first, but have faith, it will come together.) Be sure there are no seams in the dough, and press it squarely along the corners where the bottom meets the sides to avoid extra-thick edges. Use a paring knife to trim the top edge of the dough so it is even with the rim of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
• Place the chilled pâte sucrée on a baking sheet (for easy handling) and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

PâTé SUCRéE: FRENCH SWEET PASTRY CRUST

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with bits of butter no larger than peas. (Alternatively, you can process the mixture on pulse mode in a food processor .)
• Add the egg yolks and continue blending with the pastry cutter (or pulse in the processor) until the eggs are evenly incorporated and the mixture resembles a fine meal.
• Stir in the ice water with a fork, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is just moistened enough to gather and mold into a smooth ball. (Or, with the food processor running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time just until the mixture forms a dough.)
• Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a smooth disc. Wrap with plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you prefer.
• Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to fit in the tart pan . Lift and turn the dough as you work, keeping the work surface dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
• Lay the dough in the tart pan and press it firmly against the sides and bottom without stretching it.
• Trim off any excess dough.
• Cover and chill the dough in the pan for at least 30 minutes before filling and baking.
• To pre-bake the empty tart shell, prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover lightly with foil and bake at 375 F / 190 C for 15 minutes.
• Remove the foil, and continue baking until barely colored for a partially baked shell or golden brown for a fully baked shell.
• Use in your favorite tart recipe and enjoy!

PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor to combine. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. Add yolks; pulse.
• With machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream just until dough comes together (not longer than 30 seconds). Shape into a disk; wrap dough in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

EASY PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add yolk; pulse. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube; process until dough just holds together (no longer than 30 seconds). Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 2 days)

PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process a few seconds to mix. Quarter the stick butter lengthwise and cut into 8 or 9 pieces. Scatter the cubes of butter evenly over the flour. Pulse the machine until the butter pieces are about the size of lentils.
• Place the lightly beaten egg in a 1/4 cup measure and fill to the top with ice water. Put half the liquid in the bottom of a bowl. Turn the flour/butter mixture onto it and pour the remaining liquid evenly over the top. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the mixture until it's evenly moistened. Squeeze it; it should hold together. If not, sprinkle in a little more water and gently mix.
• Turn the mixture out on the table and quickly frisage: (Using the palm of your hand, push sections of the dough away from you against the table. Gather the dough together and frisage any portions that were missed.) Form the mass into whatever shape you will be rolling out (i.e., disk for round, cylinder for rectangle), and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

PâTE SUCRéE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yolks and drizzle 2 tablespoons cream evenly over mixture; pulse just until dough begins to come together, no more than 30 seconds. If dough is too dry, add remaining cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Divide dough in half, pat each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator before using).
• Citrus Variations:
• Add 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest and 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the dry ingredients.
• Poppy Seed Variations:
• Add 2 tablespoons poppy seeds to the dry ingredients.
• Chocolate Variations:
• Replace 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder.
• Cornmeal-Lemon Variations:
• Replace 3/4 cup flour with 3/4 cup coarse cornmeal; reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the dry ingredients.

PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, pour in the water. Process until the mixture just begins to come together and form large clumps.
• Remove the dough from the food processor, and place on a board. Shape dough into a disk about 4 inches in diameter (5 inches for a 10-inch crust). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Place a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat to 425 degrees.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and unwrap. Roll it out to fit a 9-inch tart pan (or a 10-inch pan). Place the dough in the pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving 1/2inch to fold under so the rim is thicker than the rest of the crust. If using a pie plate or a tart pan with high edges, trim just below the edge and fold the edges under in the same manner. For the grapefruit tart, trim the edge to within 1/2 inch of the rim.
• Prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Cover the dough with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Fill the foil with rice, beans or pie weights.
• To bake the crust partially, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is set. Remove from the oven. Remove weights and aluminum foil. To bake fully, bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven, and cool.

PATE SUCREE EXTRA

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter, and process just until mixture resembles a coarse meal, about 10 seconds.
• With machine running, add 1/4 cup ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Drizzle in egg yolks, and process just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky, about 30 seconds. Test dough by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more ice water.
• Divide dough in half. Pat into discs, and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour.