Tartine's Lemon Tart

This was a rich, deliciously tart, crispy dessert that we all really enjoyed.  I found this recipe in Tartine, and we liked that the tart wasn't too sour, as sometimes lemon tarts can be.  We all gave this a perfect 10, and the calories per serving were around 450, depending on the tart shell used.

1 recipe pate sablee (here is a link to one from Martha Stewart, I used the one in Tartine), cooked and cooled

1/2 c plus 2 T lemon juice
3 whole large eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 sticks/1 cup butter

In a double boiler, combine the lemon juice, whole eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and salt.  Whisk together constantly, allowing the mixture to become very thick, which could take quite a while.  Remove the bowl from the boiler and allow the mixture to cool a little.  Cut the butter into small pieces, and then place the butter piece by piece in the lemon mixture, and using an immersion blender, blend up the butter.  The cream will be opaque and quite thick.  Pour it into the tart pan, cover and let cool completely.  Serve with whipped cream.

Flour's Milky Way Tart

This, people, was an amazing tart.  Flour comes through again!  With oozy, gooey caramel, delicious chocolate mousse, and a crispy sweet tart crust, this one was a winner for everyone.  It received a perfect 10 from the whole family, including my parents.  I made this for my mom's birthday, and we loved it.  The way I made this each slice, 1/16 of the total, was 335 calories.  I did make a few changes to the recipe, and I am glad I did.  I used bittersweet chocolate rather than milk chocolate, and we all felt like the less sweet mousse was awesome.

See that caramel seeping out on the side there?  Yeah, it's delicious :).  Anyway, here is the recipe for this tart, which is really nice because you make everything the day before, then just spend a few minutes assembling it.

1 recipe Pate Sucree, baked in a tart shell

5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 c heavy cream

1 t cocoa powder

1 dash of salt

3/4 c sugar

1/3 c water

3/4 c heavy cream

2 T unsalted butter

1/8 t salt

2 t vanilla

1 oz bittersweet chocolate, shaved into curls (mine didn't work great :))

Melt the chocolate with the cream in the microwave, stirring very frequently to prevent burning.  Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, stir in the salt, and cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Place the sugar and water in a deep saucepan, and let cook over high heat without touching it for about 3-4 minutes, while the sugar caramelizes.  As it thickens and begins to darken, swirl the pan very gently to allow the darker color to mix with the lighter syrup on top.  Continue to cook until a deep amber, but don't overcook!  Burnt sugar is gross :).

Reduce the heat to low, slowly add the cream, and stir constantly but carefully while you pour it in, then continue to whisk and turn the heat to medium.  Whisk in the butter, salt and vanilla when the cream and sugar come together and soften again.  Remove from the heat, pour it into a container and refrigerate at least four hours, or more.

Spread about 3/4 of the caramel filling in the bottom of the tart shell.  Using a stand mixer, whip the chocolate cream mixture until it holds soft peaks.  Mound the mousse in the shell, and spread it evenly over the caramel.  Drizzle the remaining caramel over the top of the mousse, then top with the curls.  Chill before serving.

Fresh Fruit Tart With Pastry Cream

I love pastry cream.  It's a sickness.  I could probably eat an entire bowl of it, just for fun.  I wouldn't, but I could. :)  Anyway, I knew I would love this tart, and having it look so pretty and summery, and having a cute little four year old help me is even better.  This was a sweet pastry crust, a pastry cream, and then just fruit glazed with apple jelly.  It was delcious.  Noah and I gave it a perfect 10, and Aaron and Owen gave it an 8.  Aaron and Owen liked the crust best, I liked the pastry cream the best, and Noah liked all the fruit the best.  Something for everyone I guess.  The recipes (tart, crust, and cream) all came from Cook's Illustrated New Best Recipe cookbook.  Here are the recipes:
Sweet Pastry Dough
1 large egg yolk
1/2 t vanilla
1 T heavy cream
1 1/4 c flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2/3 c powdered sugar
1/4 t salt
8 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Whisk together the yolk, cream, and vanilla and set aside.  Place the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor and process briefly to combine.  Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; process to cut butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together.  Turn the dough onto plastic wrap, and press into a six-inch disk.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Unwrap and roll out between 2 lightly floured sheets of plastic wrap.  Transfer the dough to a tart pan.  Ease the dough into the corners, and remove excess from the outside.  Set the dough-lined tart panon a large plate and freeze for 30 mintues.
Heat the oven to 375.  Set the pan on a baking sheet, press a square of foil into the frozen tart shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time.  Remove from oven and carefully remove the foil and weights.  Bake until a deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer.  Cool completely.

Pastry Cream
2 c half-and-half
1/2 c sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
3 T cornstarch
4 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 t vanilla extract

Heat the half-and-half, 6 T sugar and the salt in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.  Whisk in the remaining 2 T sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering half-and-half mixture into the yolk mixture to temper.  Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.  Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.  Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

You assemble the tart crust first, then pastry cream, then pretty fruit, then glaze it with 1/2 c of warmed jelly (I used apple).  It's so pretty, and definitely delicious.

Tomorrow we're having fish and savory scones.