Sable Pastry

Sable pastry or Pâte Sablée. The word ‘ Sable ‘ is French for sand, which perfectly describes the grain like texture when you make this this rich crumbly biscuit-like sweet pastry. Adding sugar alters the structure of the finished dough giving it a melt in the mouth texture. Sable is great for making tart cases, wonderful mince pies and biscuits such as Linzer biscuits and the eponymous Sablé biscuits or cookies from Sablé-sur-Sarthe, Pont-Aven, and Saint-Michel in France. You can flavour the pastry with vanilla, orange or lemon zest, and lavender as well as spices such as ginger and cinnamon.

Sable Pastry

500 gr quality Plain flour, sifted

225 gr unsalted Jersey Butter, at room temperature

175 gr Caster Sugar

2 whole free-range Eggs

1/2 teaspoon Salt

In a large mixing bowl cream butter, sugar and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in until thoroughly incorporated. Add the sifted flour and mix gently until the sable dough comes together. Carefully wrap in clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least a couple of hours. Remove and roll out as required. Bake at 180 C / 350 F /  Gas Mark 4 until light golden brown.