Raspberry, Peach, and Pear Tart

I made a nectarine, plum and raspberry galette a few weeks ago and the results were not that great - the galette was bread like versus crusty. I used a pretty finely milled corn meal so that may have been the problem.  I love informality of the galette and that they are so easy to make up but wanting to avoid my last mistake and wanting to make use of the abundant raspberry harvest, I decided on a tartlets.  After much contemplation I decided on a pâte brisée versus a pâte sucrée because I thought the sweet sugared fruit and vanilla ice cream I was serving it with would need the plainness of the pâte brisée. I liked it but I did miss that extra sweet dimension that sweet crust would have added.  I also contemplated blind baking or adding the berries in the uncooked tart.  I went with uncooked tart well chilled because wanted the crust fork tender but firm enough to hold its shape. They turned out perfectly.

 This tart was so delicious and even with the extra steps of the tartlet pans, it was easy.  My kids love having their own little tartlet all to.  Plus, the tartlets are so pretty to look at.

Pâte Brisée
Makes Single Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons of ice cold butter cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor pulse flour, sugar, salt for 10 seconds.
Open lid and spread butter cubes over flour return lid and pulse for around 10 seconds until mixture looks like crumbs with some larger pieces of butter.
Add water through the feed tube until dough comes together when you gather up in your hand a squeeze. This should take no more than 30 seconds. Over processed dough equals a tough crust.
If too crumbly and it won't hold together, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
Flatten into a disk on a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight or I pop mine into the freezer for 20-30 minutes

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into four pieces with a pastry cutter. Roll each dough piece on a lightly floured surface into a disk about 6-7 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch in thickness.
Place dough in tart pans gently pushing dough into edges not stretching.  Trim edges and refrigerate for 30 minutes or 15 minutes in the freezer.

Raspberry, Peach and Pear Tart
Makes 1 10-12 inch tart or 4 mini tarts

1/2 recipe pâte brisée  or pâte sucrée rolled and formed into the tart pans
2 cups mixed berries, use fresh berries and or like raspberries, blueberries, black raspberries and or peaches, nectarines, pears, plums cut into pieces.
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 16 pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F. 
Place prepared tart pans on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl toss fruit gently with sugar.
Pile fruit mixture evenly across tart pan or tartlet pans.
Spread butter pieces evenly across pans.
Bake for 20 minutes  Serve warm with ice cream.

Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of aCardamon Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Tradtional (UK) Bakewell Tart or Pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

After my first read through of this month's Daring Bakers' challenge, I was a bit perplexed as to what it was we were to make. I had never heard of frangipane and wondered what it would be like on top of jam spread in a short crust. Then after learning that the Bakewell Tart is so popular in the UK that it is mass produced, I was intrigued.

The tart came together quite easily in my mother's kitchen.  I made a microwave jam out of strawberries that we picked at a local farm.

I am very fortunate to be able to cook for my family during my visits during the summer.  It isa time that I look forward too.   We had the tart and I must say it was okay. I wasn't in love with it. Other tasters liked it but didn't love it.

Bakewell Tart

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)

Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)

Resting time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)

Bench flour

250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability (here's the strawberry jam I used)

One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)

One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart

Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)

Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour

30g (1oz) sugar

2.5ml (½ tsp) salt

110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)

2 (2) egg yolks

2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)

15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened

125g (4.5oz) icing sugar

3 (3) eggs

2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract

125g (4.5oz) ground almonds

30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

French Lemon Cream Tart

Quick pinch me! Am I dreaming! Could something taste so delectable, so decadent, so delicious but at the same time be so comforting. It is either food of the gods or food for babies. This is the lemon curd of my dreams...the words to describe this filling...I could go on in an ecstatic drivel about the wonders of this tart. It is silky and smooth and voluptuous combined with the right amount of sweet and lemony tartness. The pusses of my family were not puckered with sourness but puckered up to kiss the next wonderful bite of tart. The super dreamy cream curd matched with the sugar cookie crunch of the tart shell was a wonderful match.

Lemon Cream

1 cup of sugar with the zest of 3 lemons rubbed into it (the sugar should be moist and fragrant)

4 large eggs

3/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice (5 lemons)

2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature cut into 12 pieces

1 9-inch tart shell

Have a food processor or blender ready with a strainer at hand.

Place the sugar in a medium size heavy bottom saucepan and whisk in the eggs then lemon juice. 

Over medium low heat and whisking constantly bring the mixture up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit  on an instant read thermometer (the mixture will thicken like a custard). 

As soon as you hit 180 degrees Fahrenheit strain the mixture into your food processor or blender and let rest until the mixture cools to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Turn  on your food processor and add butter pieces a few at a time scraping down sides as necessary.

Once the butter is incorporated blend on high for 3 minutes until the texture light and airy.

Put cream in a container that seals well with a piece of plastic wrap pressed to the top. Chill well. 

Spread into a tart shell of your choice.

 Recipe inspired by Dorie Greenspan