Raspberry and Custard Tart 06/17/2009
 This is a great dessert for entertaining. You should make it a few hours in advance, but it can be served either chilled or at room temperature so it’s pretty low-maintenance. It’s made in two stages: first the crust is baked, then the filling is added and the whole tart is baked again. This is 1/3 of my summer entertaining menu; I pair it with roasted chicken and broiled asparagus with balsamic reduction for an easy dinner that’s sure to impress. Raspberries are in season now so don’t delay making this tart. I’ve adapted David Leibovitz’s Tart Dough a la Francaise to fit an 11” tart pan. The filling is adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe.  You will need:  For the filling: 8 T butter (1 stick) 2 eggs ¾ C sugar heavy pinch salt ½ T vanilla extract ½ T raspberry liqueur 1 T lemon juice 3 T flour 3 T heavy cream 1 pint fresh raspberries  To make the crust: Heat the oven to 410 degrees. Place the butter, olive oil, water, and sugar in an oven-safe bowl. When the oven is heated, place the bowl in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the bowl from the oven, place on a heat-proof surface, and stir the flour into the hot butter mixture. Be careful as the butter might spatter a bit and it will definitely sizzle and bubble initially.  Dump the dough into an 11” tart pan with a removable bottom. When the dough has cooled off enough to touch, press it out into the pan and up the sides with your hands. Dock the dough with a fork (this means to poke small holes into it all over) and bake in the 410 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.  For the filling: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter and cook, swirling intermittently, over medium heat until it’s brown and toasty around the edges and smells nutty and delicious. Pour the melted butter into a heat-proof bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour, whisk, then slowly add the vanilla, liqueur, lemon juice, and cream while whisking. Slowly pour in the butter (it should now be cool enough to touch) and whisk until the mixture is homogenous.  Place the tart shell (still in the tart pan) on a cookie sheet. In the tart shell, place the berries evenly. I start in the middle and work outward in concentric rings.  Slowly pour the custard batter over the berries, taking care not to pour too quickly lest you move the berries around. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through. The tart is done when it is set and the filling is golden brown on the surface. Cool for several hours, then remove from tart pan and serve. An 11” tart pan will serve 12, for a 9” pan cut the recipe by 2/3, using one egg plus one white and 6 T butter. A 9” tart pan will serve 8.  C’est delicieux!! 1 Comment Orange Altonius 06/06/2009
 The heat has finally broken here in Seattle. We’ve returned to our regularly scheduled programming – overcast mornings, sunny afternoons in the 70s, drizzles in the evening and cooler temperatures overnight. It’s much more civilized and we’ve all recommenced wearing pants. If you’re living somewhere that it’s hot – or even if you’re not – you’ll love this sweet and creamy blended drink. The recipe is adapted from one given on Alton Brown's show Good Eats. I’ve adjusted the measurements to make a full-blender batch, which serves 4 if you’re feeling generous or 2 if you’re thirsty.  You will need:  Juice enough oranges to get 17 fluid ounces of juice. The number of oranges you need for this will vary depending on the type of orange, its size, and how ripe it is. When I made this recipe to take the pictures it took 10 small ones, but earlier this week I used 8 medium-sized oranges.  Reserve 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) fresh juice, then pour the rest into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. When the juice is solid, empty the cubes into a blender. Add the milk, vanilla, powdered sugar, and reserved non-frozen orange juice and blend. Serve garnished with an orange wedge.  Easy Rhubarb Tart 04/21/2009
 Rhubarb is often the first fruit available in the spring. It has a wonderful tart flavor and a beautiful pink color that is fresh and vernal. Though the flowers of the plant are toxic, the stalks are delicious. This tart really highlights the flavor of the rhubarb and is easy to throw together. It’s wonderful fresh out of the oven or served at room temperature and makes a good accompaniment to good vanilla ice cream.  You will need:  Begin by defrosting the puff pastry. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s where it comes in a square sheet, but at most grocery stores it is sold in a narrower and thicker box and the sheets inside are folded in thirds. To defrost, place the sheet on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes, turning over if the bottom is soft and the top is still frozen.  Juice the lemons and mix the juice with the sugar. Toss the rhubarb with the juice and sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes. While the rhubarb is macerating, prepare the pastry. 
 Lay the rhubarb out on the pastry just inside the score line, slightly overlapping pieces. Use about half the rhubarb. Repeat with the second piece of pastry. Place both tarts on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the tart is lovely and golden brown around the edges and the bottom of the tart is also golden brown if you lift it up carefully to have a peek underneath.  Best served warm with vanilla ice cream, but is also good room temperature for breakfast the next morning.  Optional strawberry variation: slice strawberries into pieces, and alternate with the rhubarb when layering. There is no need to macerate the strawberries in the juice and sugar as they’re sweet already. Bake just as for original tart.  | Emily90% of my emails were recipes, so now I blog instead. ArchivesFebruary 2010 CategoriesAll |
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