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.

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

　　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).

　　Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts