Recipe: Pâte Sucrée (Sweet French Pastry Crust)

Authoradmin
DifficultyBeginner

We love this baking basic Pâte Sucrée. This short crust can be used in all kinds of tarts and makes great cookies too! It freezes well too, so you can always have some on hand for last minute baking.

Baking Basics: Pâte Sucrée. This Sweet French Pastry Crust is the only recipe you need for baking dessert tarts. Also taste great as cookies! MarlaMeridith.com
Yields1 Serving
Prep Time10 mins
 seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
 2 cups (400g) unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting
 1/3 (35g) cup almond meal/flour ~ blanched or unblanched
 2/3 cup (75g) confectioners sugar
 pinch of Kosher salt
 1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and chilled
 2 large egg yolks
 approximately 1 tbsp ice-cold water
1

Place the vanilla seeds or paste into the bowl of a food processor.

2

Add the flour, almond flour, confectioners sugar and salt. Pulse to combine.

3

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.

4

Add the egg yolks and mix together until everything just combines. Do not overwork dough or crust will be tough. Pinch the dough with your fingers to see if it sticks together well. If the dough is not coming together add the ice water and pulse quickly to combine.

5

Transfer the dough to a large work surface lightly dusted with flour.

6

For larger tarts divide dough in two and pat into disks. For individual tarts, roll the dough into two thick logs which you will later slice.

7

Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours before using.

8

Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before rolling.

Blanched almond flour is light in color as the almond skins have been removed. Unblanched has some dark pieces as the almond skins have been left on. Both taste great!

The terms almond flour and almond meal can be used interchangeably.

Ingredients

 seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
 2 cups (400g) unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting
 1/3 (35g) cup almond meal/flour ~ blanched or unblanched
 2/3 cup (75g) confectioners sugar
 pinch of Kosher salt
 1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and chilled
 2 large egg yolks
 approximately 1 tbsp ice-cold water

Directions

1

Place the vanilla seeds or paste into the bowl of a food processor.

2

Add the flour, almond flour, confectioners sugar and salt. Pulse to combine.

3

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.

4

Add the egg yolks and mix together until everything just combines. Do not overwork dough or crust will be tough. Pinch the dough with your fingers to see if it sticks together well. If the dough is not coming together add the ice water and pulse quickly to combine.

5

Transfer the dough to a large work surface lightly dusted with flour.

6

For larger tarts divide dough in two and pat into disks. For individual tarts, roll the dough into two thick logs which you will later slice.

7

Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours before using.

8

Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before rolling.

Recipe: Pâte Sucrée (Sweet French Pastry Crust)

~ Marla Meridith

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