Sable Pastry Case Recipes

Steps:

• To make the sugar: Put the sugar, extract and a few drops of coloring in a small zipper-lock plastic bag, seal the bag and shake until the color is even. Add more color if you'd like.
• To make the sablés: Put the raspberries between sheets of wax paper, and crush them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a skillet. Don't expect perfection - it's fine to have mostly powder and a few small nuggets. Whisk the raspberries into the flour.
• Working with a mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until it's soft and creamy, but not airy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, extract and fleur de sel, and beat 3 minutes more. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the bowl, add the flour mixture all at once and pulse the mixer on and off to begin incorporating the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough forms soft curds and then starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Give it a few last turns with a spatula, then scrape it out onto the counter. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, and roll each into an 8-inch-long log.
• Spread the sugar out on a piece of wax paper, and roll the logs in the sugar until they're completely coated. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
• When you're ready to bake, position the racks to divide the oven into thirds, and preheat it to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap the logs, trim the ends if they're ragged and cut the logs into ½-inch-thick rounds. Place them on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each round.
• Bake the cookies for 19 to 21 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes, or until the cookies are firm around the edges and golden brown on the bottom; the tops will remain pale. Rest the sablés for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Serve - or pack into a container - when the cookies come to room temperature.

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer with a paddle, mix the dry ingredients and add the butter in pieces, then slowly add the egg yolks. When the pastry comes together, remove from the bowl.
• Divide the pastry into workable amounts. Cover with plastic wrap and chill to a workable temperature. (Note: This pastry can be frozen).
• Below: Example using 650 grams of dough.
• Preheat the oven to 180 C (360 F).
• Roll the pastry out to 5mm thickness and butter a 20cm x 5cm (8in x 2in) flat tin. Line the tin with the pastry and then line the pastry with aluminium foil. Fill with pastry weights or beans and bake blind for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown in colour. Allow to cool.
• Pour your mix into the cooled pastry case, leaving a bit of room at the top and cook tart according to the recipe.

Steps:

• In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and salt and beat until combined. Stir together flour and almonds and add to butter mixture. Slowly mix just until flour is evenly moistened. Do not let it form a ball. Remove dough from bowl onto a lightly floured work surface and form into 2 balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, wrap well, and refrigerate a minimum of four hours or as long as 4 days.
• These two different pastry doughs have very different textures. The first is flaky due to the incorporation of butter in small pieces: as the dough cooks, the butter melts and the water in it turns to steam and puffs up the dough. The second dough is tender and crumbly: the butter is well creamed as for a cookie; the confectioner's sugar adds tenderness due to the cornstarch it contains; the ground almonds, which can be substituted for some of the flour in any pastry dough recipe, add an interesting graininess.

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Combine flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture and blend until the dough is smooth. On a very lightly floured surface, shape the dough into cylinders about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush refrigerated logs with beaten egg and roll in crystalline sugar. With a sharp knife, slice the dough into rounds about 1/3-inch thick. Place 1-inch apart on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are slightly colored around the edges.

Steps:

• Tip flour into a mixing bowl. Cut cold butter into small pieces and add. Toss to coat with flour. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, lifting it in the bowl as you do so to keep it light and cool. Continue until it looks like breadcrumbs. Shake the bowl and any larger lumps of butter will come to the surface to rub in.
• Sprinkle in 2 tbsp cold water and mix with a round-ended knife until the mixture starts to come together. Gather the dough with your hands, wiping it round the bowl to pick up stray pieces. Put the dough onto a work surface sprinkled very lightly with flour. Knead lightly to form a smooth ball.
• Sprinkle the rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll out the dough using short sharp strokes to avoid stretching, giving the dough a quarter turn each time you roll to keep the shape.
• Set the flan tin on the baking sheet. When the dough is about 5cm larger than the tin, lift it up draped over the rolling pin and lay it across the flan tin. Press the dough into the corners of the tin using your fingers, don't trim off the edges. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Fill the pastry case with a round of baking paper and add baking beans (see tip) to weigh it down. Bake for 15 mins, then carefully remove the paper and beans and cook the pastry for 5 mins more (this is called baking blind).
• Carefully trim off the excess pastry using a small sharp knife and use as required, cooling if needed.

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until it is the texture of crumbs, then mix in the sugar and thyme leaves. Make a well in the centre. Beat the egg yolks together, then stir into the mixture with a table knife until it forms soft clumps. Using your fingers, draw the pastry together into a rough dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead into a smooth ball. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 mins. Rub a little softened butter around a plain 20cm x 2cm flan ring.
• Cover a heavy baking sheet with nonstick baking parchment and place the ring in the centre. Dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour. Lightly re-knead the dough until smooth, then roll out to a round roughly 30cm in diameter. Lift the dough over the rolling pin and drape over the ring. Press gently into the sides and let the overhang fall on the outside. Break off a chunk of pastry and roll into a ball. Dip into a little of the icing sugar, then use it to press the dough into the ring. Do not trim at this stage. Chill the tart case for at least 30 mins, preferably in the freezer.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cover the tart case with a large round of baking parchment, then half-fill with uncooked rice. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 15 mins. Remove and lift out the parchment and rice. Turn oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3, wait about 5 mins, then return the case and bake for a further 10 mins until golden brown. Remove and cool for 10 mins. Using a small, sharp knife, cut away excess pastry, trimming the ring top. Loosen the sides with a knife, pull off the ring and leave to cool. The case should be biscuit crisp.
• To make the filling, place the strawberries on a plate, dredge with the icing sugar and vinegar, then set aside. Beat the cream with the grated zests until just forming soft peaks. Scoop the passion fruit pulp into a small sieve and rub through onto the cream with the back of a spoon, then stir in the crème fraîche and yogurt. Stack the large basil leaves together, shape into a roll, thinly slice into shreds, then chop. Fold these into the cream.
• When the base has completely cooled (it doesn't matter if it has broken around the sides a little), assemble the tart. Spoon the cream into a piping bag without a nozzle, then pipe in small, even dollops over the base. Drain the strawberries and press lightly onto the cream. Dust over more icing sugar, tuck in the small basil leaves among the strawberries and serve immediately.