Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart

Ingredients

Crust
1 box Nilla wafers
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup unbleached flour

Filling
2 3.5oz bars of Green and Blacks white chocolate chopped
1 Cup heavy cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 large Lemons zest and juiced, Meyer lemons are best

Directions

Place the box of Nilla wafers into the food processor and pulse until crumbled. Transfer to a bowl and add the flour and sugar and stir to combine. Now add the butter and stir until coated. Transfer to a parchment lined tart pan, press until even in pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until set. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, zest and juice until smooth. Place bowl over boiling water and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Let mixture cool, while in the stand mixer whip up heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed. Fold whipped cream into cooled lemon mixture, pour into tart pan, smooth out. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.

Enjoy Cooking

Chocolate Ginger Tart

Here another recipe for those who do not like cheese cakes.

Chocolate Ginger Tart

Ingredients

Crust
1 box of Ginger Snaps
1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted

filling
5 egg yolks
2 3.5oz bars of Green and Blacks Dark Chocolate bars, chopped
1 pint heavy cream
3 to 4 table spoons raw sugar
1 table spoon unbleached flour
1 table spoon whole milk
pinch of salt

4 table spoons of rough chopped crystal ginger

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

In the food processor grind the ginger snap, dump contains of the processor into a bowl and add melted butter and mix well. Then press into a 9 inch pie an and bake for 10 minutes until set and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl mix together salt, egg yolks, flour, cream and milk , set aside.

Next place sugar and chocolate bar pieces into the food processor and pulse until ground. Then transfer to a double boiler and slowly melt until smooth. Next take about 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate and slowly whisk into the egg mixture. You are slowly warm the egg mixture so it does not scrabble the eggs. Now slowly pour the warmed egg mixture into the chocolate whisking as you go, once all combined whisk for another 1 or so until it almost boiling. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp and then pour into pie pan.

Increase oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes until set. Remove from oven and let cool then garnish with the chopped crystal ginger and serve.

Enjoy Cooking

Herb Tart

While i am on tarts, here is one that makes a great third course or even great for brunch with a side of Smoked Salmon.

Herb Tart

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn meal
6 table spoons unsalted butter
2 to 3 table spoons water
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Filling
Following are all fresh herbs
3 to 4 table spoons chopped chives
3 to 4 table spoons chopped Italian Parsley
3 to 4 table spoons chopped thyme
1 table spoon chopped dill
1 table spoon marjoram
16 oz Mascarpone cheese
6 table spoons roqueford cheese
1 table spoon unsalted butter room temp
3 eggs
1 cup cream fraiche
ground pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

Crust
In the food processor add the flours, salt, peppers and butter - pulse to combine. Now turn the processor to the dough setting and slowly add the water, a 1/2 table spoon at a time until the dough starts to form a ball. Remove from processor, form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

After the dough has chilled, roll out into a disc big enough to fit in a 8 inch tart pan. You want the dough to go up the sides, place parchment in tart and fill with pie weights or beans. Back in a 350 degree oven for 20 minute or until firm. Like with all pie crust remove the weights at the last 5 minute mark and bake until it starts to golden up.

Now you want to make the filling while the crust is baking since you want to fill the crust at the 20 minute mark and return to the oven.

In the food processor blend together the herbs, cheese and butter until smooth. Next add the eggs until smooth and the last step add the creme fraiche and seasonings. NO salt since the cheese have enough.

Pour into the tart crust and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the filling is golden brown, it has set and has started to puff up. Let cool and serve at room temp

Enjoy Cooking

Raspberry Tart

There are oo many things going on at once - but several projects are coming to an end so I will have more time for recipes.

This recipe i came up with a few years back for a dinner party we were having - i wanted to make a tart but i also wanted a pastry to I brought the two together.

Raspberry Tart

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups of blanched almonds - ground finely
1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1 stick plus 2 table spoons unsalted butter room temp
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 lb fresh raspberries
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon tumeric

Directions

After to have ground the almonds in the food processor add the butter, flour, sugar, egg, tumeric and cinnamon pulse until combined.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 8 inch tart pan, then press half of the almond mixture on the bottom of the pan. Next in a single layer arrange the raspberries. Now sprinkle the remaining almond mixture on top and pat with a fork to set.

Bake for about 40 or until golden brown. The tart should feel firm to the touch. Let cool and serve with whip cream or vanilla ice cream or both.

Enjoy Cooking