Pâte sablée

Pâte sablée is extremely delicate. It melts in your mouth like no other dough. It's also, quite frankly, a pain in the ass to work with.

It's easy enough to make but it's sticky and thin and impossible to get into a tart ring without the use of at least two or three expletives.

That said, if you do chose to tackle it, you'll have no regrets (after you’ve tasted it, of course).

• 1 3/4 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

• scant 1 cup (200 g) butter, cubed and softened

• 1 cup (100 g) confectioner's sugar, sifted

• pinch of salt

• 2 medium egg yolks

Heap the flour on the counter and make a well in the center. Add your sugar, salt and butter and blend with your fingertips. Next, work in the egg yolks with your fingertips.

Keep working until your dough is blended. It will be very sticky, but don't add too much more flour. Roll into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate.

I refrigerated mine for 20 minutes and tried to roll it out 1/8" to line a tart pan. Impossible (insert expletive here). When that didn't w…