French Fridays: Pâte Sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry)

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that pastry and I were not really friends for a number of years. After I got past the fear, though (it’s literally JUST food, nothing to be afraid of) and embraced the idea of “rustic” beauty, I realised that pastry IS easy to make – so easy that kids can make it (and love to make it!).

Shortcrust pastry is one of the base recipes in In the French kitchen with kids – both sweet and savoury versions are the base for so many French recipes. The sweet version (pâte sucrée) is used in the Mini Jam Tart recipe…

… the Mixed Berry Galettes

… and the larger version of these Mini Strawberry Tarts…

It’s so versatile that it should be a staple recipe in everyone’s repertoire and I realised recently that while I’ve shared the recipe as a component in other recipes, I’ve never shared JUST the pastry.

So, for French Fridays, here’s my present to you!

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Yield: Makes enough for one (10-inch/25 cm) tart shell; eight (4-inch/10 cm) individual galettes; or twenty (3-inch/7.5 cm) mini tart shells

Pâte Sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry)

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Easy sweet shortcrust pastry!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Chill Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (113g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons heavy (35%) cream

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and, using your fingertips, lightly rub the butter into the flour until it resembles large breadcrumbs with some pieces the size of small peas. You can also use a pastry blender for this job.
2. Make a well in the middle of the flour mix and add the egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix the egg into the flour until they are completely combined.
3. Add the cream and mix until the dough is firm enough to form a ball when you press the mixture together with your fingers—it might be a little crumbly, but form the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 3 days, in the fridge. You can also freeze the dough, tightly wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before you roll and bake.

did you make this recipe?

please leave a comment or review on the blog or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @eatlivtravwrite !

How will you use your pâte sucrée this weekend?