Sweet Essentials Pâte Sucrée French Pastry Food

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.

SWEET ESSENTIALS: PâTE SUCRéE (FRENCH PASTRY)

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• To successfully make this recipe, all the ingredients need to be kept cold. One trick that I use is to put the flour in the freezer for an hour or so. In addition, the bowl you are going to use, and the tart pan, should be in the freezer until needed.
• To bake, I am using a tart pan with a removable bottom, 9-inches (23cm) in diameter.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Cube the butter, and then put into the refrigerator to keep cool until needed.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla paste and ice water, then place into the refrigerator, until needed.
• Add the cold flour, almonds, salt, and sugar together in a food processor fitted with an S-blade, and pulse a few times to combine.
• Toss in the cold butter cubes.
• Give the mixture a few 1-second pulses until the butter is broken up into pea-sized bits, about 6 - 7 pluses.
• Add the mixture to a bowl... preferably a cold bowl.
• Add a tablespoon of the egg/ice water mixture, and lightly toss with a fork.
• Continue to add the liquid, one tablespoon at a time, until you can pinch a bit of the dough, and it holds together.
• Chef's Note: It will be a bit shaggy, but that is what you want.
• Toss out onto a lightly-floured surface.
• Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough a few times, to get the butter incorporated into the flour. About six or seven times. Then bring it together into a shaggy ball
• Flatten it out, wrap in some cling foil, and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the fridge, and place it on a piece of lightly-floured parchment paper.
• Add a bit of flour to the top of the dough, place another piece of parchment paper on top, and roll out.
• The dough should be bigger in diameter than your tart pan.
• Carefully remove from the parchment, and place into the tart pan. Gently tuck it into the sides, and press into the fluted edges of the pan.
• Chef's Tip: To cut off the excess dough, just use your rolling pin, and run it over the top of the tart pan. Make a perfect cut every time.
• Cover with cling foil and place in the freezer for fifteen minutes.
• Chef's Note: Keep an eye on the time. Do not freeze for more than twenty minutes. We want it firm, not frozen.
• While the dough is cooling, place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
• Remove dough from the freezer, and dock the bottom crust with a fork. This helps to release steam, and prevents bubbles forming in the crust.
• Place a piece of parchment paper, or foil in the tart, and fill with dry beans, rice, or ceramic pie weights.
• Place on a baking sheet, and blind bake in the preheated oven. Bake until the crust is cooked and beginning to brown, about 20 - 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and let rest for 15 - 20 minutes, before using.
• Chef's Note: The crust can be made a day ahead, and kept, wrapped, in the refrigerator until needed.
• Chef's Tip: The crust is very fragile, so take care. The last thing that you want is for it to break.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Pull out your favorite sweet tart recipe, and go for it. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

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 (SWEET PASTRY DOUGH)

Steps:

• A note on ingredients: If you do not have Cake Flour, you can make some. For every cup of Cake Flour needed, scale out 120g (1 cup) of All Purpose Flour and substitute 15g (2 tablespoons) of All Purpose Flour with 15g (2 tablespoons) of Corn Starch. Sift the mixture so that the All Purpose Flour and Corn Starch are evenly distributed. The Corn Starch lowers the protein content of the mix and makes for a more tender dough. To yield 75g (1.5x) Eggs, crack two large Eggs into a bowl, beat them gently with a fork to combine the yolks and the whites, and scale out the 75g.
• Place the room temperature Butter and Powdered Sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the ingredients until they are completely smooth.
• With the mixture on medium speed, slowly add the eggs. Continue mixing until the ingredients are once again completely smooth and homogeneous. At this point, a properly mixed dough should have the appearance of mayonnaise.
• Chef's Note: As with the Butter, room temperature Eggs are best. Adding cold Eggs or adding all of the Eggs at once may cause the dough to "break" (i.e. the dough will appear curdled as the Butter & Sugar float in the Eggs).
• Add the Cake Flour in two additions and mix until all of the ingredients are fully combined, but do not over-mix.
• Chef's Note: The final dough should have a smooth, shiny appearance. There should be no visible sports of unmixed Flour or Butter.
• Rest the dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Storage: The dough can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or frozen for several months. The dough should be tempered but still chilled before rolling.
• Bake times for Pate Sucree will vary by recipe and filling. Bake an unfilled 8"/9" tart shell at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for approximately 25 - 30 minutes or until it is lightly browned throughout.