Chocolate Pate Sucree Recipes

CHOCOLATE PâTE SUCRéE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, place the butter and salt. Using a spatula or a hand whisk, mix the butter until you get a soft and creamy texture (like a thick body cream or lotion).
• Sift the confectioner's sugar, and add it to the butter mixture.
• Mix the sugar in until it's completely mixed in with the butter.
• Whisk the egg yolks (or whole eggs), and add this to the butter sugar mixture along with the vanilla extract and coffee extract.
• Incorporate the egg mixture into the butter until smooth.
• Sift the flour and cocoa together, and add it to the egg, butter, and sugar mixture.
• Gently mix in the flour. I like to use a spatula and mix the dough by cutting through the dough several times.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface lined with parchment paper. Use the parchment paper to fold the dough over to incorporate all of the flour. If you used whole eggs, take extra care to not overwork the gluten in the dough.
• The dough will be very soft and a little sticky. This is normal. Handle the dough gently with lightly floured hands.
• Cut the dough in half and shape each dough into a disc. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill. If your tart mold is a rectangle or square, shape the dough into a rough square instead of a disc.
• Lightly flour your work surface. Place one of the chilled pate sucree discs on the work surface. Knock it a few times with the rolling pin to soften the dough and make it more pliable.
• Start rolling out the dough, turning the dough a ¼ circle every few rolls. This makes it easy to maintain a circle and also prevents the dough from sticking to the counter. If any cracks appear, shape the dough to seal those cracks as you go. If the dough gets too soft, carefully transfer it to the fridge for a few minutes to let it slightly harden again, OR roll it out between two parchment paper sheets.
• The dough needs to be rolled out to a thickness of 3 mm. If at any stage the dough shrinks as you roll it out, that is an indication that the dough has been overworked.
• If the dough is overworked - transfer the dough onto a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for about 10-20 minutes. Then resume rolling it out afterwards.

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME CHOCOLATE & PECAN TARTLETS

Steps:

• PÂTE SUCRÉE (THE CRUST)
• Chef's Note: What is a Pâte sucrée? Pâte sucrée is the French term for a sweet short crust pastry used to make tarts. Pâte sucrée is similar to Pâte Brisée, though it has more calories due to the addition of sugar and is slightly less fragile.
• Cut the butter into cubes and keep very cool... cold, as a matter of fact.
• Separate two eggs, and keep the yolks.
• Chef's Tip: If you don't have a use for the whites, you can always freeze them and use them later. Waste not, want not.
• Gather the remainder of your ingredients.
• Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, fitted with an S-Blade, and give it a couple of pulses to blend the dry ingredients.
• Add the cold butter cubes, and give it 5 or 6, 1-second pulses, until it resembles a course meal.
• Chef's Note: This method of doing a Pâte Sucrée is slightly different than the traditional method, but it helps to make a very flaky crust for the tartlets.
• Chef's Tip: If you want to perform this step another way, use a pastry blender or two knifes to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients.
• Chef's Note: If you are using a food processor, remove the flour/butter from the mixer, and place in a large bowl. If you chose to use a pastry blender or two knifes, it should already be in a mixing bowl.
• Whisk the egg yolks and half & half together, and then stir them into the flour/butter mixture using a fork.
• Continue to gently mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• It should look something like this.
• Chef's Tip: You should see separate bits of butter along with the flour.
• Separate the dough into two round balls, and then flatten each one with the palm of your hand. Then tightly wrap each ball in cling foil, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• When ready, remove from refrigerator and place on a board lightly dusted with flour. You should have chunks of butter visible in the dough...
• Chef's Note: This recipe is designed for tartlets that are 4 inches (10cm). Each ball will make 6 tartlets.
• Roll out one of the balls, until about ¼ inch in thickness, and then use a 4 inch (10cm) biscuit cutter to cut six circles in the flattened dough.
• Place each round in a tartlet pan, push into the sides, and then add some chocolate chips to cover the bottom.
• Place in the refrigerator and allow them to cool while making the filling.
• THE PIE FILLING
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat to 350f (176c).
• Add the syrup, sugar, rum, flour and vanilla to a medium bowl, and lightly mix together.
• Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat until foamy.
• Add the melted butter, and continue to beat.
• Add to the maple syrup mixture, and beat a bit more (lots of beating going on here).
• Finally, add the pecans, and stir to combine (what no more beating???)
• Add about ¼ cup of the mixture to each of the cooled tartlet shells, right over the chocolate. It should fill it to the top of the crust.
• Place into the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the filling sets.
• Chef's Note: If you choose to bake this as a whole 9-inch tart, increase the baking to 55 minutes.
• Allow to completely cool on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

EASY CHOCOLATE PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add yolks and vanilla, and process until mixture just begins to hold together (no longer than 30 seconds).
• Shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

PâTE SUCRéE - FRENCH SWEET TART CRUST (PASTRY DOUGH)

Steps:

• Mix Dy Ingredients: Whisk together flour, icing sugar, salt and almond meal in a bowl.
• Add butter: Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs. (Note 4).
• Add egg: Mix with a rubber spatula until it becomes too hard to stir anymore, then use your hands to bring it together into a dough.
• Bring dough together: Turn dough out onto a work surface, then knead to bring together into a smooth ball. Flatten into a 2cm / 0.8" thick disc. Wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Unwrap chilled dough. Place on a lightly floured work surface.
• Roll out into a 32cm / 13" round (3mm / 1/8" thick).
• Line tart tin: Roll pastry lightly on to a rolling pin (ie. so it wraps around itself). Then unroll it gently over the tart tin.
• Fit pastry: Adjust the pastry to fit into the tart tin, fitting into the corner, taking care not to stretch it (causes shrinkage during bake).
• Trim excess dough: Roll the rolling pin over tart tin to trim excess dough. Pictured tart tin is 24 x 3 cm / 9.5 x 1.2" - you can use any up to this size.
• Prick the base of the pastry 30 times with a fork. Not all the way through - just make a light prick on the surface.
• Chill pastry in tart tin for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan).
• Baking beads: Cover pastry with 2 sheets of baking paper (parchment paper), in a "X" arrangement. Fill with baking beads (or 2 cups dry raw rice or beans).
• Baking times for a Par Baked Tart to be used for tarts that are baked for > 30 minutes once the filling is added into the cooked tart shell.
• Bake 15 minutes the remove from oven. Use excess paper to remove baking beads.
• Bake uncovered 5 minutes: Return tart crust to oven for 5 minutes. Pastry should be light golden, crispy on surface, but slighty undercooked inside (will finish cooking once filled and baked again).
• Use these baking times if the tart shell is to be used for raw fillings (ie tart not baked once crust is filled) OR fillings that are baked for < 25 minutes.
• Bake 15 minutes the remove from oven. Use excess paper to remove baking beads.
• Bake uncovered 10 minutes: This will fully cook the pastry through and give it nice colour which we need as the pastry won't cook through in less than 25 minutes once filled.
• Cool: Remove then cool in tart tin before filling (this ensures crust stays crispy once filled), then baking again if filling needs to be cooked (like this Pistachio Frangipane Pear Tart).
• Make ahead up to 3 days, suitable for baking once filled.

CHOCOLATE PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and process just until mixture begins to hold together, no more than 30 seconds.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until ready to use.

PâTE SUCRéE (SWEET TART DOUGH) RECIPE

Steps:

• With the mixer turned off, add flour and salt to bowl. Turn mixer to low speed and mix until dough is crumbly, about 30 seconds.

PâTé SUCRéE: FRENCH SWEET PASTRY CRUST

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with bits of butter no larger than peas. (Alternatively, you can process the mixture on pulse mode in a food processor .)
• Add the egg yolks and continue blending with the pastry cutter (or pulse in the processor) until the eggs are evenly incorporated and the mixture resembles a fine meal.
• Stir in the ice water with a fork, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is just moistened enough to gather and mold into a smooth ball. (Or, with the food processor running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time just until the mixture forms a dough.)
• Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a smooth disc. Wrap with plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you prefer.
• Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to fit in the tart pan . Lift and turn the dough as you work, keeping the work surface dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
• Lay the dough in the tart pan and press it firmly against the sides and bottom without stretching it.
• Trim off any excess dough.
• Cover and chill the dough in the pan for at least 30 minutes before filling and baking.
• To pre-bake the empty tart shell, prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover lightly with foil and bake at 375 F / 190 C for 15 minutes.
• Remove the foil, and continue baking until barely colored for a partially baked shell or golden brown for a fully baked shell.
• Use in your favorite tart recipe and enjoy!