Category Archives: tart

Peach Tart from Amanda Hesser

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  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2-3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar-depnding on sweetness of fruit
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil or coconut
  • 1/4 cup mild olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (opt)
  • 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
  • 3 small ripe peaches (up to 5), pitted and thickly sliced (about 1/2-inch wide)
  • Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stirring enables the salt and sugar to sift the flour, so you don’t need to sift it in advance. In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, milk and almond extract. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork, just enough to dampen; do not over work it. Then, transfer the dough to an 11-inch tart pan (you can use a smaller one if needed), and use your hands to pat out the dough so it covers the bottom of the pan, pushing it up the sides to meet the edge. This will work if you pat firmly and confidently, but not if you curl your fingertips into the dough. It should be about 1/ 8-inch thick all around; trim and discard excess dough.
  • In a bowl, combine 1/2 -3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the butter. (If your peaches are especially juicy, add 1 tablespoon additional flour.) Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly, with a mixture of fine granules and tiny pebbles. 
  • Starting on the outside, arrange the peaches overlapping in a concentric circle over the pastry; fill in the center in whatever pattern makes sense. The peaches should fit snugly. Sprinkle the pebbly butter mixture over top (it will seem like a lot). Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until shiny, thick bubbles begin enveloping the fruit and the crust is slightly brown. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature, preferably with generous dollops of whipped cream.

notes: first time I made it with too many peaches as in too much juice and used spring form pan. It’s better made in 10” pie pan. Based on sweetness of fruit adjusted sugar.

Sweet Potato Tart with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions from yankee magazine

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  • 1 recipe Extra-Flaky Pastry
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 12 ounces each)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
  • 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ²⁄3 cup plus ¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola dolce cheese (or blue cheese of your choice)
  • ²⁄3 cup sour cream
  • ¹⁄3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° and place a rack in the center. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and set aside.

Make the Extra-Flaky Pastry and chill for 1 hour. Remove it from the fridge about 15 minutes before using to let it soften slightly.

Meanwhile, set the sweet potatoes directly on the center rack and roast until they are softened but still firm in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and slice into ¼-inch-thick disks.

While the potatoes roast, prepare the onions: Set a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onions, turn to coat in the oil, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. Let the onions wilt for 10 minutes, stirring once. Remove the cover, add the vinegar, sugar, and salt, and stir. Continue cooking the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes more. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mash ²⁄3 cup Gorgonzola into the sour cream until mostly smooth. Set aside.

Shape the disk of slightly softened dough into a rough rectangle shape. On a well-floured work surface, roll the dough into a larger rectangle about 8 inches wide and 14 inches long. Roll the dough up around the pin and then unfurl it on the lined baking sheet. Spread the Gorgonzola mixture over the bottom of the crust, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Top with the onions. Lay the potato slices over the onions in three overlapping vertical rows. Sprinkle the walnuts over all. Fold the sides of the crust up over the filling, preserving the rectangle shape. Brush the edges with the egg white mixture. Strip the leaves from three thyme sprigs and sprinkle over the entire tart. Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining Gorgonzola and garnish with some thyme sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Peach Upside-Down Cake from nytimes.com

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¼ pound unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
3 large, ripe peaches
1 ¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
¾ cup crème fraîche

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake or pie pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and butter that as well.
  2. Pit the peaches and cut into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Arrange the slices in a pattern on the bottom of the pie pan.
  3. Combine 1/2 cup/100 grams of the sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture turns amber, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and pour this caramel evenly over the peaches in the pie pan.
  4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and nutmeg, and set aside.
  5. In another medium bowl, beat together the butter and remaining 3/4 cup/150 grams sugar until light. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Stir in the flour mixture. Spread the batter evenly over the peaches and caramel.
  6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden brown and cake is set. Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Run a knife around the sides, place a platter on top and invert the cake onto the platter. If any of the peach slices stick to the pan, lift them off carefully and replace them on top of the cake. Serve the cake warm or cooled to room temperature, with crème fraîche on the side.

Tip

  • Your caramel might harden by the time you spread the batter on top of the peaches. Don’t worry. It’ll melt by the time it comes out of the oven.

 

salted carmel tart from recipetineats.com

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Base:
      •  8 oz  Graham Crackers, 
      • 150 g / 5 oz unsalted butter , melted 
    Caramel:
      • 100 g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
      • 1 cup / 200g (packed) brown sugar
      • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (395g / 14oz each)
      • 1 3/4 tsp salt (2 ½ – 3 tsp salt flakes)
    Chocolate Ganache Topping:
    • 1/3 cup heavy/thickened cream
    • 150 g / 5 oz dark chocolate melts / chips
    • Sea salt flakes, for topping

    1. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Grease and line the base only of a 23cm / 9″ tart tin with a loose base. (Or a springform pan of a similar size)

      Roughly break up biscuits and place in a food processor, then whizz until fine crumbs form. Or do this step with a ziplock bag and rolling pin.
    2. Pour crumbs into a bowl, add melted butter, mix until it looks like wet sand and no dry crumbs remain. Pour into tin, then press firmly into base and sides – use something flat like a cup to assist (refer to video).
    3. Transfer to tray (safe handling), place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, then remove and cool slightly (5 minutes in fridge).
    Caramel:

    1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and whisk to combine – butter may not incorporate fully.

    2. Once it starts bubbling and the sugar is completely melted, pour in the condensed milk, whisking as you go. Whisk constantly until you see steam coming off the caramel (~ 4 minutes), then remove from heat.

    3. Add salt (adjust to taste), then pour the caramel into the tart base.
    4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges of the caramel surface is golden and the surface has a “skin” on it, but the caramel is still soft and the centre jiggles slightly (see video for demo.)
    5. Cool on counter while you make the chocolate.
    Chocolate Ganache:
    1. Place cream and chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Microwave in 2 x 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth.
    2. Set aside for 10 minutes to thicken slightly, then pour over the base. Smooth top or make swirls like I did (just wait until the chocolate thickens slightly). Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

    3. Refrigerate for 1 ½ hours to allow chocolate to set. Then remove and bring to room temperature before slicing to serve. Handle carefully when sliding the tart off the base – or just leave it on to be safe and just remove the sides.

    Recipe Notes

    1. You need about 2 cups once crushed. No need to be exact here, the crumb crust is fairly forgiving so just eyeball the weight based on the whole biscuit packet weight.

    Another biscuit that is terrific to use for a biscuit crust is Digestives which is very popular in the UK/Europe and also quite popular here in Australia. If you use Digestives, reduce the butter to 75g because they are more buttery than Marie Crackers and Graham Crackers.

    Other biscuits: Basically any plain biscuit works great like Arnott’s Arrowroot works great, and even flavoured ones like Gingernut. The dense sticky filling of this tart makes the crumb crust quite strong so it’s fairly forgiving re: biscuit and butter quantities.

    2. STORAGE – This tart keeps SO WELL! It will keep in an airtight container for a week and still taste like it was made yesterday albeit the crust on the edge does soften a bit, but most people wouldn’t even notice (I don’t think). If it’s super hot where you are i.e. the chocolate becomes melty, keep it in the fridge but always bring to room temperature before serving otherwise the caramel won’t be creamy. It also freezes great – again, bring to room temp before serving. I’ve only frozen it for a couple of weeks but see no reason why it wouldn’t keep for sever

    al months.

    3. This is a VERY rich tart. I find that when cut into 12 (so quarters, then each quarter into 3), a slice is too much for me. So I have said that this serves 14 to 16. The nutrition is for 14 servings.

Zucchini, onion and ricotta pie (sorta salata di zucchine e cipolle) from saver.com

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1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup grated pecorino
1⁄2 cup ricotta
1⁄2 cup roughly chopped parsley
4 eggs, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. bread crumbs

Instructions

Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic and shallot until golden, 4–6 minutes. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool. Stir in pecorino, ricotta, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper.
Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 10″ pie plate with butter; coat with bread crumbs. Spread zucchini mixture evenly over top; bake until golden on top and slightly puffed, 40–45 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Creamy Chocolate Tartlets by Dorie Greenspan

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FOR THE TART SHELLS
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs or chocolate wafer crumbs (5 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped, plus optional chocolate shavings, for garnish
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces
Lightly sweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche, for garnish

For the tart shells: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the tartlet pans with cooking oil spray.

Combine the crumbs, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour the butter over the mixture and stir with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened. Divide the mixture evenly among the pans; use your fingertips to firmly press it along the bottom and up the sides. Freeze the pans for 10 minutes.

Place the tart shell pans on a baking sheet; bake (middle rack) for about 10 minutes or until the crusts take on some color. If you plan to assemble the tarts right away, cool the shells to room temperature, then freeze for 10 minutes before unmolding very carefully – these are fragile – and filling. If you are not assembling right away, store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, then freeze for 10 minutes and unmold before filling (see headnote).

For the filling: Combine the cream and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is velvety smooth. Be careful; you don’t want to give this too much heat and you certainly don’t want it to come to a boil. Turn off the heat, keep the pan on the burner and add the butter a little at a time, stirring the small pieces in until they melt. Once again, the mixture will be smooth and, this time, a little shiny (a ganache). Transfer the ganache to a liquid measuring cup with a spout. The yield is a generous 3/4 cup.

Place the tartlet shells on a tray. (That makes it easy to move them around.) Fill them with the ganache, dividing it evenly among the crusts and pouring it as full to the rim as possible. Use an offset spatula to help spread the filling as needed. If you have any ganache left over, save it: You can reheat it gently in a microwave and then pour it over ice cream.

Loosely cover the tray with aluminum foil and carefully slide it into the refrigerator; chill until the ganache is cold and firm, about 2 hours, or for up to 1 day.

At serving time, top the tartlets with whipped cream or crème fraîche and scatter over some chocolate shavings, if using. Serve right away.

 

 

Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Tart from food52.com

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  • ab355b42-4d20-4439-b905-c7f9e0d8a340--unspecified1 recipe pastry dough (see below)
  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 8 ounces crème fraîche
  • 4 ounces Gruyère, grated
  • 2 ounces Parmesan, grated
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4sprigs thyme
  1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, thyme sprigs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring to mix. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove thyme stems.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450° F. Toss butternut squash with olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread out on baking sheet. Bake until browned and very soft, stirring once, about 40 minutes.
  3. Reduce oven heat to 350° F. Roll dough out until thin and press into a well-greased 10-inch tart pan. Prick all over with a fork and bake in oven 10 minutes.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, crème fraîche, gruyère, Parmesan, and black pepper.
  5. Spread caramelized onions in bottom of tart and top with butternut squash. Pour gruyère mixture over the squash, making sure to spread it evenly throughout the tart.
  6. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Pastry Dough

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 tablespoons ice water
  1. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and freeze for 10 minutes.
  2. Mix flour and salt in food processor or large bowl.
  3. If using food processor, add butter and mix until mixture resembles small pea-sized balls. If mixing by hand, work quickly, mixing the butter in with your hands until it forms small pea-sized balls.
  4. Add in ice water and mix just until dough forms and comes together. Form into disk, wrap in plastic, and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

 

Dessert for Two’s Chocolate Ganache Coconut Pie from Martha

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This recipe is made in a small 6” pie pan to serve two.

chocolate-coconut-tart_sq

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

7 ounces sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In a small food processor, pulse 1/3 of the coconut flakes with the butter. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top, and combine with your fingers.

3.  Pack the coconut into a 6-inch pie pan, leaving the sides somewhat loose for crispy browning. Pack the bottom crust firmly, though.

4.  Use two long strips of foil to form ropes to shield the edges of the crust.

5.  Bake the crust on a sheet pan for 10 to 12 minutes. The center should begin to turn golden brown. Then remove the foil shield and continue to bake 4 to 6 minutes more. Watch carefully for burning.

6.  Let the crust cool completely before proceeding.

7.  Now it’s time to make the filling! Bring the cream just to a boil in a smallsaucepan — you’ll see bubbles around the edge of the pan. Then, remove the pan from the heat and combine the chocolate and the cream in a heatproofbowl. Give it a quick, gentle stir to ensure all of the chocolate is submerged in the cream, and then leave it alone. Walk away. Resist the urge to keep stirring. Ten minutes later, whisk it together and you’ll find the chocolate is smooth and silky. That’s it! You did it!

8.  Pour the mixture into the coconut crust.

9.  Refrigerate until chocolate sets, at least 3 hours.

10.  Slice and serve!

chocolate-coconut-tart-2_sq

Ottolenghi’s Very Full Roasted Vegetable Tart

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1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
about 6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2-inch dice
salt and black pepper
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
11 oz pie crust dough
8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1/3 cup ricotta
4 1/4 oz feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a small serrated knife to cut around the stem of the peppers and lift it out along with the seeds. Shake the peppers to remove all the remaining seeds; discard the stems and seeds. Place the two peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and put on the top shelf in the oven.

Mix the eggplant in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread in a large baking pan and place in the oven on the shelf beneath the peppers.

After 12 minutes add the sweet potato dice to the eggplant pan and stir gently. Return to the oven to roast for another 12 minutes. Then add the zucchini to the pan, stir and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes. At this point the peppers should be brown and the rest of the vegetables cooked. Remove all from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Cover the peppers with foil and cool, then peel and tear roughly into strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn brown, soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves and set aside.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Roll out the pie crust dough to a circle roughly 1/8 inch thick and large enough to line the pan, plus extra to hang over the rim. Carefully line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners and leaving the excess hanging over the top edge. Line the dough with a large sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the paper with the weights, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it turns golden brown. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Scatter the cooked onion over the bottom of the crust and top with the roasted vegetables, arranging them evenly. Scatter half the thyme leaves over. Next, dot the veg with small chunks of both cheeses and then with the tomato halves, cut-side up.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl with some salt and pepper. Carefully pour this mix into the tart; the top layer of tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the filling sets and turns golden. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before releasing the tart from the pan and serving. Serves 4-6