Basic Pate Sucree
INGREDIENTS:
123 G/41/2 OZ PLAIN FLOUR
SMALL PINCH OF SALT
70G/21/2 OZ. UNSALTED BUTTER,
AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 EGG YOLKS, BEATEN
15-40 G/1/2-11/2 OZ CASTER
SUGAR
DIRECTIONS:
Sift the flour and salt onto a cold work surface and form a well in the centre. Pound the butter with a rolling pin to soften it slightly, then chop it roughly with a cold knife. Put the lumps of butter into the well with the egg and sugar, then quickly arid lightly blend them together by 'pecking' at them with the fingertips until they are just beginning to come together and look rather like rough scrambled egg.
Sprinkle a little of the flour over the butter/egg mixture, then, as lightly and quickly as possible, draw all the ingredients together by chopping through them with a cold round-bladed knife whilst at the same time drawing free flour from the edges of the pile into the centre with a smooth, flowing action.
When there is no free fat or flour to be seen and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, draw it lightly into a ball with your fingertips, then knead gently by pushing the dough away from you with the heel of one hand, then gathering up the dough with a pastry scraper or palette knife and repeating for a minute or so until the dough peels easily from the work surface. Form into a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
