Recipes >Sweet Pastry
Sweet Pastry
I would assume that after working with rich and shortcrust pastry you are now somewhat familiar with the pastry making process. This particular pastry has a high ratio of fat and is sweetened with icing sugar (or fine baker's caster sugar) because of this high fat content it is harder to handle and more prone to tearing/ breaking apart. The traditional culinary term for this pastry is 'Pate Sablee'.

Chef's Tip: This pastry can easily be made in a blender (not a liquidizer!). Place all the ingredients together and 'pulse' until the dough comes together. Remove, then finish bringing together by hand. (If you leave it blending for too long the pastry will become tough!)

Makes 310g / 11oz ; or enough pastry for 1 x flan (this pastry is denser than shortcrust so requires more mass to cover the same area!)

Ingredients
140g / 5oz plain flour
1/4 Tsp salt
110g / 4oz butter
1 egg yolk
55g / 2oz icing sugar
1/6 Tsp vanilla essence

Mise-en-Place:
Weigh the ingredients
Allow the butter to reach room temperature so that it slightly softens

Method:
By hand method 1:
Sift the flour and salt onto work surface
Make a 'well' in the centre
In this 'well' place the remaining ingredients
Knead these ingredients into a soft paste
Slowly knead the surrounding flour into this paste until a firm dough forms
Use as required

By hand method 2:
Mix the egg yolk into the sugar, ensure it is firmly incorporated
Mix this with the flour and salt
Make a 'well' in this dry mix, place the butter in the centre and slowly knead the dry mix into the butter
Use as required

With mixer:
Mix the yolk, sugar, salt and flour together
'Rub in' the butter
Use as required

Adjust:
Instead of vanilla different flavourings can be added: Almond essence, coffee essence, rose water, ground ginger, ground star anise.