Pâte sucrée, or “sweet pastry,” is a sturdy dough, thanks to its proportion of sugar and the addition of egg yolks. It’s a good choice for tarts, which are most often unmolded before serving. It is also more tender than pâte brisée, breaking cleanly under a fork instead of shattering into flakes.

　　

Ingredients

Makes enough for two 8-or-9-inch tarts, or two dozen 3-inch tarts

　　2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

　　2 to 4 tablespoons cold heavy cream or ice water

　　

Step 1

Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yolks and drizzle 2 tablespoons cream evenly over mixture; pulse just until dough begins to come together, no more than 30 seconds. If dough is too dry, add remaining cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Divide dough in half, pat each half 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).

　　

Citrus Variations:

Step 2

Add 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest and 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the dry ingredients.

　　

Poppy Seed Variations:

Step 3

Add 2 tablespoons poppy seeds to the dry ingredients.

　　

Chocolate Variations:

Step 4

Replace 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder.

　　

Cornmeal-Lemon Variations:

Step 5

Replace 3/4 cup flour with 3/4 cup coarse cornmeal; reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the dry ingredients.

　　Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts