Pate Brisee is a flaky, buttery dough that is used to make quiche, pie, galette, and tart shells. I made the mini-quiche shown at right by cutting rolled-out dough into small 1.5 inch fluted rounds, using a 58 cm biscuit cutter. I pressed the rounds into a mini-muffin pan and then filled them with Charie’s spinach quiche recipe posted by Tory Spelling.

Ready

• 4 oz cold butter
• 1 cup A.P. flour
• pinch of salt
• pinch of sugar
• ⅛ cup cold water

Set

• pastry blender
• mixing bowl
• measuring cups

Go

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in bowl.
2. Cut butter into thin slices and add to flour mixture.
3. Mix well using a pastry blender, until mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal.
4. Slowly add water bit by bit, while mixing, until dough holds together. You may not need to use all the water.
5. Fraisage the dough with the bottom of your inner palm to blend the butter further into the dough.
6. Flatten the ball of dough into a ½ inch thick disk, in between plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling out.
8. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.

What you should know

You can fill the shells with fruit to make mini-pies too.