Pâte sucrée

( Sweet shortcrust pastry )

The recipe I have given below is actually a pâte sucrée légère, (light sweet shortcrust pastry) because it contains baking powder, which gives the dough a more brittle and more delicate texture. For a traditional version of pâte sucrée, simply omit the baking powder.

Makes 850 g (1 lb 14 oz)

270 g (9½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

240 g (8½ oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg

2 egg yolks

300 g (10½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

75 g (2³/₄ oz) almond meal

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)

By mixer

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on low speed for 2 minutes, or until just combined. Be careful not to cream the mixture.

Add the egg and egg yolks and beat on low speed for another 3–5 minutes, regularly scraping down the side of the bowl. Don’t worry if the mixture looks as if it has split — the eggs don’t have to be fully incorporated into the mixture. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

Remove the pastry from the bowl and shape it into a disc (the thinner the disc of dough, the quicker it will firm up), cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

By hand

Put the sugar in a mound on your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the butter (photo 1), then, using the heel of your hand, press the sugar into the butter (2) until smooth and well combined. Shape the mixture into a small mound and make another well in the middle. Add the egg and egg yolks (3) and use your fingertips to combine well (4, 5). Use a pastry scraper or flat spatula to help scrape the butter off the work surface. Avoid using your hands to do this, as it will soften the butter too much.

Put the flour, almond meal, salt and baking powder, if using, in a bowl and combine well. Shape the butter and egg mixture into a thin disc, put the flour mixture on top (6) and use the fraisage method with the heel of your hand to press the two together (7). Lift the pastry off the work surface with a pastry scraper (8), turn it over and press together again (don’t ever knead a shortcrust pastry or it will become tough and unpalatable). Shape into a disc (9), cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

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freezing doughs :

L Most of the tarts in this chapter require only half the quantity of dough, but I have suggested these quantities because it is easier for the mixer to mix well. The left-over dough freezes very well, and can be used for another tart. Cover in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

If you are going to freeze any left-over dough for future use, add a 500 mg Vitamin C tablet for each 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of flour. Crush the tablet and dissolve it in the eggs when making the dough. While this tip is more relevant for yeasted doughs or a wet dough such as puff pastry, it will help prolong the life span of the gluten and reduce the rate of oxidation (formation of brown spots) in the flour (for more on freezing doughs).