I love pâte sablée for fruit tarts and custards. I also use for “tarte au flan.”   It is a rich shortcrust that is cookie like and can be baked ahead and filled with anything we can think of.  I used lightly sifted wheat pastry flour here. It works great with whole grains. For smaller tarts and tartelettes I do not blind bake with weights. I often poke and freeze the dough in the thins before baking. It bakes fast and I keep an eye on them. If they start to puff, I poke them with a fork a few times. I know I take chances. 

When the baked shells come out of the oven, for a quick dessert, fill them with some chocolate chips or pieces that will melt as the pastry cools. If you like the chocolate set, put the tarts in the freezer for a few minutes. kids help with the toppings. First round fresh whipped cream and cherries, the reason this whole thing got started.The leftover dough we made  s’mores. We baked the crust on muffin thins, a layer of chocolate and topped with homemade marshmallow, a recipe from my dear friend Phyllis and then the fun part controlled burn.

This recipe makes 16 cup cake size or 8 4 x .75 inches tarts. I used the food processor method:

Pulse 250g (2 cups) pastry flour , 125g (1/2 cup plus 2 tsp) sugar, pinch of salt with 125g (1 stick plus 1/2 tbsp) butter to fine crumbs. Add one whisked egg through the tube with the processor running until the dough comes together. If needed add a few teaspoons of water to bring together. I sometimes flavor the crust with almond flour and lemon or lime zest. Today I used 2 tablespoons of dried rhubarb that I made by pulsing the dehygrated fruit to powder in my coffee grinder.

Chill the dough or freeze until firm if you are short on time. I use a tortilla press for my rounds. Grease the molds and then just press them into the thins. Bake 400F for 15-17 minutes until golden for the 4x 7.5 inches and 12 minutes for the cupcake size ones. Enjoy!