Pâte sablée is essentially a sugar-cookie dough used to produce a crumbly, sandy pastry crust. In fact, “sablée” comes from the French word for “sand.” Because the dough is very soft, it can be difficult to roll out; instead, press it gently into the pan. Any scraps of dough can be cut out and baked into cookies.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes enough for one 9-inch tart
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
With an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add flour and salt; beat until just combined and crumbly (do not overmix). Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator before using).
