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Vanilla Sugar Dough

This classic sugar cookie and tart shell dough is also known as pâte sucrée. Like the Chocolate Sugar Dough, it is very versatile and works as tart shells or sugar cookies, or whenever you need a sweet, sturdy crust to hold delicacies like strawberries and cream or chocolate mousse. You can also mix all the ingredients in a food processor—just pulse until the ingredients come together.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes about 2 pounds dough

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted

Preparation

  1. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at low speed until it is soft. Switch to the whisk attachment and slowly add the sugar while continuing to beat. Add the egg yolks, cream, vanilla, and salt and mix on low until smooth. Stop the mixer and add half of the flour. Mix on low until smooth, then add the rest of the flour. Mix until smooth. Remove from the mixer bowl, flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes until ready to use.

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