Chef Pattie’s Thermomix Sweet Paste Recipe is the best. Period.
Thermomix Sweet Paste translated from the French Pâté Sucrée is a traditional French pastry for tart making. This Thermomix recipe was developed by Canadian Pastry Chef Don Pattie from Winnipeg and the photos above and below were taken by our own renowned local photographer, Jessica Musslewhite from Mushrooms and Thyme.
Not only is the pastry delicious, but it need not be filled when blind baking. It doesn’t slump! I didn’t know this was possible. As Don said, it “tastes very much like an almond shortbread”. There is no going back for me. This is my absolute “go-to” recipe from this point forward. Thank you, dear Chef Don.
Thermomix Sweet Paste: Mis en Place
Look at the above delicious assortment of real food ingredients. Butter must be chilled in the freezer. Read the recipe carefully!
Thermomix Sweet Paste: Cutting Butter into Flour
Eggs and vanilla combine and set aside. I love vanilla paste. Yes, the vanilla bean is the real deal, but until I get back to France to buy a bundle at a reasonable price, I will only be using the beans in recipes that showcase only the vanilla. The sugar is at the bottom in middle photo, already blitzed into oblivion. Flour is combined with frozen butter all combined to produce lumps about 1/4 green pea size.
Who knew that a photograph of the beginnings of a pastry (sugar, flour, butter) could give one shivers. I love my Thermomix, but I really love baking and making and creating. Don provided photos for his recipe which really helped me understand where my pastry needed to be. And, well, all of my recipes include step by step images which drive me crazy at times, as the process is so labour intense. Yet, when I was working through Don’s recipe, I was assured that the effort is worth it, as his photos helped me a great deal.
Thermomix Sweet Paste: Adding Wet Ingredients and Kneading
Yolks and vanilla are added to the mealy mixture and kneaded in.
One minute, above left; second minute on knead, above right. Yup. This is one crumbly pastry mixture. Accept it and expect it.
Thermomix Sweet Paste: Forming the Discs
Really? This will form into discs?
Empty bowl, above left. A little residue left in mine. And, yes! One little pinch and the pastry crumbs gave way to the fondle, immediately forming into a ball with very little effort. I did chase after a crumb or two, for sure. Then, formed a large ball, weighed it (610 grams), divided it by two (305 grams)….
… and formed two discs for two tarts.
Thermomix Sweet Paste: Rolling the Pastry Dough
Really appreciate that this dough does not need to rest. It can be refrigerated, but is best to use immediately, if possible, as it hardens chilled and requires quite a bit of warm-handed kneading and coaxing to regain the pliable state required to roll.
No flour required. At least, with my mat. Rolled beautifully. I do use my super wide spatula a great deal, and as this pastry is prone to break when bent, I chose to move it over to the tart ring this way.
Thermomix Sweet Paste: Filling the Tart Ring
One little easy to pinch back together crack.
Pushed the pastry in, cut off the excess and docked the bottom.
Thermomix Sweet Paste: Baking the Pastry
Into a hot oven until as golden as you like. For me, it was 15 minutes. The aroma was intoxicating and I was tickled. Not only to discover this recipe, but because I was preparing for my Cloudberry Baking Day and these two shells were going to be filled with Thermomix Pastry Cream and topped with Cloudberry Puree, Cloudberry Whipped Cream and Cloudberries! What a tart it will be!
Cloudberry Tart Recipes
- Thermomix Sweet Paste Crust
- Thermomix Pastry Cream
- Cloudberry Puree
- Cloudberry Puree Gelatin
- Cloudberry Whipped Cream
- Cloudberry Tart: Putting it all Together
Sweet Paste Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Almond Sweet Paste: for two 9 inch tart crusts
- 155 grams Butter unsalted (very cold)
- 3 Egg yolks
- 5 grams Vanilla
- 100 grams Sugar
- 15 grams Golden Brown Sugar
- 260 grams Flour all-purpose
- 35 grams Ground Almond
Instructions
Instructions for Almond Sweet Paste: for two 9 inch tart crusts
- Pre-weigh butter and slice into even cubes; place in freezer 30 minutes prior to making recipe
- Mix egg and vanilla; set aside
- Weigh both sugars into mixing bowl and mill for 1 second on Turbo three times, scraping down sides of bowl
- Weigh flour, almond meal and cold butter into mixing bowl and mix on speed 5 for 10 seconds until cornmeal consistency: butter must still be visible and small pieces, about 1/4 the size of a pea
- Add egg mixture; knead 1 minute and scrape down the sides of the bowl, kneading 1 more minute in TM bowl
- Pre-heat oven to 375˚F or 190˚C while kneading (if baking shells right away); prepare baking pans with parchment paper and pastry rings
- Remove dough from mixing bowl and turn onto work surface and squeeze together; divide into 2 equal discs (mine were 305 grams each)
- Rest refrigerated until needed, or roll out immediately into 2 discs that will overlap 2 pastry rings; repair any cracks by simply pressing dough together
- Cut off excess from around rims; refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking
- Bake until golden (about 15 minutes) and remove immediately to cool on wire rack
Notes
- Unsalted butter works best
- Fat must be very cold; Don usually cuts the fat into 2 cm squares, then places it into the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to mixing
- Dough will be crumbly when it comes out of the Thermomix, but should easily squeeze together to form a block and can be rolled immediately, without resting
- No need to fill the pastry with weights when blind baking as there is very little (if any) slumping
- Dough will be very firm just out of refrigerator; massage or knead by hand to pliable stage
Hi, I’m confused about the brown sugar. Does that get milled along with the white sugar? The other ingredients are in order of use in the recipe but the brown sugar is on the end which makes me wonder… Any clarification welcome. Thanks!
Thank you, Naina,
I have now clarified that. You are right, I usually always have the ingredients in the right order and am more specific about what to add and when. It is all there now – both sugars go in, together.
Let me know how it goes. This is my favourite recipe and the only one I use for my French tarts.
Love Don’s ingenuity!
🙂
Valerie
Very nice presentation and explanation of recipe.
Thanks, Vickie!
And thank you for taking the time to chime in with a comment as so few do and you have NO idea how much it is appreciated!
I hope you make this recipe as it is really great!
🙂
Valerie