gluten free sablé pastry recipe (sweet pastry for desserts)

Here is the gluten free sablé pastry that I created for a Daring Baker's challenge.
This is a simple sweet pastry which is great for making sweet tart cases or even simple biscuits to serve with rich desserts.  It is based on a combination of recipes - a gluten free sable recipe that I found here along with my shortcrust pastry recipe here.  This volume of pastry made 8 x 10cm tart cases.
Don't skip the chilling step, it really helps to firm up the dough and makes it much easier to handle.  You can freeze the dough either unbaked, at the chilling stage or once the tart case(s) have been baked blind.

gluten free sablé pastry

• 125g rice flour
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 25g glutinous rice flour
• 25g cornstarch
• 5g arrowroot flour
• 60g cold cubed salted butter (if unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the dough)
• 60g icing (confectioners) sugar
• 60g ground almonds
• 1 whole egg

method:

1.  sieve the flours together with the xanthan gum
2. beat the butter and sugar together with the ground almonds and rice flour until you have fine bread crumbs.
3. add the whole egg and beat again to bring together.  if the pastry doesn't naturally form into a ball, give it a squeeze and see if that holds it together - if so then take it out of the mixer and gently knead together to form a ball.  If it is still too dry, add a little cold water if the pastry dough and beat a little longer before testing again and kneading in to a ball.
4. form the kneaded dough into a rectangular slab (more surface area will chill more quickly), wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes or until you are ready to use it.

Roll out and use as per your recipe, dusting the work surface and pastry with a little rice flour if it is sticky.

You will need to bake this pastry blind before you fill it.  To do this:

• roll the pastry out and line your tart tin.  
• cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the flat base inside  your filled tin.  
• place the paper onto the pastry base.  
• cover the baking parchment with a layer of dried beans, rice, lentils or baking beans if you have them (ensure that the beans remain on the parchment otherwise they will bake into the pastry base)
• bake the tart case for 20 minutes or so until the edges are lightly brown and the base of the pastry case is firm.

If rolled to 1/4" thickness, bake at approx 175°C for 15-20 minutes until golden.  If the centre is a little undercooked, you can remove the beans and the paper and return the case to the oven for 5 minutes.