Pâte Sablée is a shortcrust pastry made with egg yolks, sugar, butter, and flour, perfect for making biscuits, tartlets, and pies of all kinds. Cold butter is mixed with flour and powdered sugar until it becomes a sandy mixture—hence the French term sablée —making your desserts flawless every time.
This is a very quick and easy preparation: simply work the butter, cut into small cubes, with the flour and powdered sugar using your fingertips, then stir in the egg yolks and flavorings. This way, we'll obtain a crumbly, buttery dough, ideal for making fine, delicate biscuits.
What's The Difference Between Pâte Sablée and Shortcrust Pastry?
The difference with traditional shortcrust pastry lies in the temperature of the butter, which must be cold from the refrigerator and worked very quickly to avoid overheating.
In France, sablée is used more often than traditional shortcrust pastry, from which it differs in the proportions of butter – and relative temperature – and in the kneading technique: while in the former the flour is added immediately, in the latter only at the end.
Ingredients
How to Make Pâte Sablée
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In a large bowl, place the all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt and add the powdered sugar.
In a large bowl, place the all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt and add the powdered sugar.
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Add the diced butter, which must be very cold from the fridge.
Add the diced butter, which must be very cold from the fridge.
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Using your fingertips, start working the flour and sugar into the butter, so that you get a sandy mixture (hence the word sablée, which means "sanded" in French).
Using your fingertips, start working the flour and sugar into the butter, so that you get a sandy mixture (hence the word sablée, which means "sanded" in French).
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Add the 2 egg yolks and the vanilla extract.
Add the 2 egg yolks and the vanilla extract.
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Quickly mix all the ingredients.
Quickly mix all the ingredients.
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Make a loaf with the resulting dough and wrap it in cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Make a loaf with the resulting dough and wrap it in cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
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Once the resting time has elapsed, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3 mm to create biscuits (it is better to use a steel rolling pin which remains cooler than a wooden one and does not heat the dough).
Once the resting time has elapsed, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3 mm to create biscuits (it is better to use a steel rolling pin which remains cooler than a wooden one and does not heat the dough).
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Using cookie cutters, cut out lots of biscuits, transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook them in a static oven at 350°F/180°C for 11-12 minutes maximum.
Using cookie cutters, cut out lots of biscuits, transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook them in a static oven at 350°F/180°C for 11-12 minutes maximum.
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Once cooked, take the crumbly and buttery biscuits out of the oven and let them cool. You can enjoy them as they are or glaze them with melted chocolate.
Once cooked, take the crumbly and buttery biscuits out of the oven and let them cool. You can enjoy them as they are or glaze them with melted chocolate.
Pâte Sablée Variations
Instead of kneading by hand, you can use a stand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Let the shortcrust pastry rest and cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or even better, overnight.
You can make chocolate shortcrust pastry by simply changing the amount of 00 flour to 225 grams and adding 25 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder. Mix the two powders together, then add the cold, diced butter.
You can flavor the sablée with lemon or orange zest, ground cinnamon, or even a mix of spices to create fragrant and delicious Christmas cookies.
What is The Secret for The Perfect Pâte Sablée?
For a perfect result, it's very important to choose a high-quality centrifuged butter, with a sweeter, fresher flavor, and leave it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
What Can I Use Pâte Sablée For?
This sandy dough is ideal for making fine, delicate biscuits. It can also be used as a base for tarts, filled with creams, jams, hazelnut spreads, and fresh fruit, for example, or as small tarts to serve at tea parties with friends or a festive buffet.
How to Store Any Leftovers
You can store the shortcrust pastry, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days; you can also freeze it for about 2 months.
Once you've made the biscuits, place them in a tin or food container and store in a cool, dry place for about a week.
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