Pate Sucree pastry offers a buttery and tender base for sweet tarts and pies. I love its versatility in creating elegant desserts. This pastry, with its rich flavor and crumbly texture, is a joy to make.
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Pâte Sucrée pastry recipe
Pâte Sucrée serves as a base for sweet dishes. The name “Pâte Sucrée” means “sweet pastry.” This dough has a buttery texture and delicate flavor. It is used in tarts, pies, and pastries. This pastry provides a perfect balance of sweetness and richness. This sweetened shortcrust pastry creates many awesome French desserts.
I skipped chilling the dough for the recommended 1-2 hours. This made it sticky and spongy. Despite this, the centers turned out cake-like. It worked surprisingly well. You can refrigerate the dough for a few days or freeze it for up to two months for later use.
Pate Sucree is versatile and easy to handle. Once you master the basic recipe, you can experiment endlessly with this pastry. Here is how to make the Pate Sucree pastry.
Pate Sucree Pastry
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 250 g plain flour mine was a gluten-free blend
- 100 g icing sugar
- 100 g butter
- 2 eggs
For the toppings/flavourings
- Apricot jam
- 200 ml whipping cream
- 3 tsp ground coffee
- A handful of flaked almonds
- Fresh strawberries and blackberries
Instructions
- To make the Pate Sucree, place the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Place the icing sugar and butter into the well. Begin to combine with your fingertips, slowly incorporating the flour, until you have a mixture resembling fine breadcrumbs.
- Make a well again, and add the eggs. Use a spoon to combine everything until you have a sticky dough. Cover with clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge (in this case, for 30 mins. Preheat the oven to 180oC, grease a cupcake tin, and line a flat baking tray.
- Put spoonfuls of the pastry (just over half the mixture) into the cupcake tin, using the back of a spoon to flatten. Make a dip in the centre of each one. Fill with a teaspoonful of apricot jam. Place into the oven and bake for about 20 mins, or until the pastry is just turning golden.
- Meanwhile, add the ground coffee to the remaining pastry and mix well until combined.
- Use a teaspoon to make small circles of dough on the baking tray. Bake for 10-15 mins.
- While the pastries cool, whip the cream. When almost whipped fully, add a tbsp of icing sugar and whisk until combined. When the pastries have cooled, add a tiny drop of whipped cream to each biscuit and top with a sprinkling of flaked almonds. Dredge a small amount of icing sugar over each one.
- For the tartlets, wait until the jam is cooled fully, then top each one with whipped cream. Slice the strawberries and use these and the blackberries to decorate each tart.
- Serve with a good cup coffee and enjoy!
Nutrition
Pairing suggestions
Pâte Sucrée pastry pairs wonderfully with a variety of drinks.
- Fruit-Based Cocktails
- Bellinis complement sweet Pâte Sucrée fruit tarts.
- Raspberry Mojitos contrast with rich pastries.
- Creamy Beverages
- Milkshakes indulge alongside desserts.
- Flavored lattes pair with sweet pastries.
- Wines
- Sweet wines enhance fruit tarts’ flavors.
- Sparkling wines balance dessert sweetness.
- Coffee and Tea
- Espresso offsets the tart sweetness.
- Herbal teas soothe and complement pastries.
Variations
Here are some notable variations and adaptations of pâte sucrée.
- Flavor variations
- Cocoa Pâte Sucrée adds cocoa powder for a chocolate-flavored crust. It pairs well with raspberries or pears.
- Citrus zest adds lemon or orange zest for a refreshing flavor.
- Spiced variations add cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice for warmth and depth.
- Nutty twists
- Almond flour mix almond flour for nuttiness. It complements fruit tarts.
- Nut extracts add almond or hazelnut extract for depth.
- Vegan Pâte Sucrée replaces traditional ingredients with vegan options. It uses aquafaba and plant-based butter for texture.
- Textural adjustments
- Sablée dough uses pâte sablée for a crumbly texture. It is richer and more delicate.
- Brisée dough use pâte brisée for a firmer texture. It is less sweet and suited for savory tarts.
