One of my favorite things about summer is all the seasonal fruit--cherries, watermelon, varieties of berries. The local weekend farmers market has stands with crates full of strawberries, and I love seeing the rows of baskets filled with those plump red, juicy, pointy berries with crowns of green leaves. They look so inviting and striking, calling out to be bought and consumed. On my last trip to the farmer's market, I decided to make a dessert out of them, so I got three baskets and was happily on my home to make something fabulous out of them.
Flipping through some cookbooks at home, the strawberry tart with custard caught my attention. After all, nothing says summer like a strawberry tart. I used the pastry dough (pate brisee) recipe from the Joy of Baking, which I've tried before, and decided on the custard recipe from the Bouchon cookbook. After preparing the pastry dough, and during the chill time, I went to work on the custard.
I noticed that the custard recipe called for what seemed like an excessive amount of corn starch (1/4 cup for a recipe that yields 2 cups of custard), but entirely trusting Thomas Keller, I followed the directions anyway. The last time I tried a Bouchon recipe, it turned out pretty splendid, so there was no other reason to doubt this one. I think I should have trusted my instincts--or maybe it was my own error, I'm not sure. The custard thickened quickly and became gelatinous. I think a custard should be smooth and creamy, but it could also be a matter of personal preference.
Though my friends thought it was good (maybe they were being nice), I personally could not get over the texture and was disappointed with the results. Once assembled, the strawberry tart came together just fine--the strawberries and crust covering up the slightly odd texture for custard, but I still felt something creamier would complement the strawberries better than the kind of milky jello custard. For that reason, I'm only providing the recipe for the pate brisee. Once I figure out the custard, I'll post the recipe.
Pate Brisee
Makes enough for two 9" inch tarts
1. In a bowl, sift together:
- 2-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 t. salt
- 1 T. sugar
2. Using a pastry blender, blend in the following until the mixture has a coarse meal texture:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut in 1" pieces
3. Add about 1/4 cup ice water, and turn the dough using your hands to incorporate the water. Form the pastry dough into a ball.
4. Divide the ball of dough in half and shape into 5" disks. Wrap each of them in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour, until ready for use. The dough can also be frozen for about a month.
5. When ready to bake, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Continually lift and rotate the dough to prevent it from sticking to the surface. When it reaches a size large enough to cover a 9" tart pan, gently roll the pastry around the rolling pin, then unroll the pastry over the tart pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan.
6. Place the tart pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Bake the pastry shell for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
7. For the strawberry tart, allow the pastry shell to cool. Fill the shell with a layer of custard, then assemble the strawberries (which have been hulled) in a circular pattern, starting in the center of the tart. Use strawberries cut in half to fill in gaps. Chill before serving.
I think my mind is still on Italy and I am pretty much drawn to all things Italy. Sometimes I'll scroll through my photos and relive the sites and sounds (and tastes!). It's still hard to believe I was actually there, and stood where Michelangelo painted his incredible Sistine Chapel and walked through the halls of the Uffizi.
And I remember how fashionable everyone dresses over there--love the fashion! There is nothing like it where I live, and no one here dresses like they do there. Maybe if I were in, say, New York City, I wouldn't have noticed such a difference, but I'm pretty much in suburbia and work in corporate America, where Banana Republic seems to be more of the norm. Perhaps being around the product of so much talent in Italy inspired the more creative side of me, and since I've been back, I'm more interested in exploring photography...and wanting to shop even more than I normally would, trying to be a little more adventurous with my sartorial choices. Both are not inexpensive pastimes.
Though I haven't been baking and cooking as much recently, especially with traveling and then an increased devotion to some other "hobbies", that hasn't fallen away completely. A girlfriend organized a girls' night this past weekend, and I was designated to bring a dessert. Hooray, it was an opportunity to get back in the kitchen. As I scrolled through epicurious.com (my default recipe repository), I came across an "Italian Strawberry Tart". That was the winner, for sure. For one, it said Italian--never mind that I didn't recall seeing anything like it while I was there; and for another, it was easy. Easy is good, especially if it looks impressive and tastes as good as it looks. The tart generated some oohs and aahs, and the girls loved it. I like that it looks like there are little hearts blossoming throughout the dessert. Kind of like how I still feel when I think about Italy...
Italian strawberry tart
Adapted from epicurious.com
Serves approximately 8
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
1. In a bowl, mix together:
- 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/4 t. sea salt
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
2. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together until the color turns light:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
3. Continue to mix into the bowl from #2:
- 2 large eggs
- 2 T. milk (whole or 2% lowfat)
4. Slowly pour the flour mixture from #1 into the mixture from #3 and mix until just combined.
5. Transfer the batter to a round 9" spring form pan. The batter will be sticky. Press into the batter in concentric circles:
- 2 to 3 cups of fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (save any extras for garnish).
6. Bake the tart for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries (optional).
This post has nothing to do with weddings, but a lot to do with more blueberries! I think this has been a summer of blueberries for me. There must have been a couple of weeks where I was consuming them by the pounds, though I'm tempering that now. I like to think of them as fruits with the best ROI (return on investment). They're plentiful and not too expensive. They go well with other foods like yogurt and cereal, and are high in antioxidants. They're refreshing, and when I use them in desserts, I don't have to worry about peeling, slicing and all that--just wash and go.
So deciding on trying this recipe was a no-brainer. There are several things I love about this recipe. It incorporates two types of blueberry filling: a sort of blueberry jam (made by cooking the blueberries with some other ingredients and squishing them, which is kind of fun--almost like popping bubble wrap), and fresh blueberries with a glaze--it's kind of like eating both a blueberry pie and a fresh blueberry tart at the same time. The crust also includes ground almonds which adds more complexity to the texture and flavor. I did have to improvise a little, and crush the almonds by hand, then mix the crust with a pastry mixer since I don't have a food processor, but the effort was certainly worth it.
Blueberry-Almond Tart
Adapted from epicurious.com
Makes about 8 servings
For the filling:
1. Heat in a medium saucepan over medium heat, coarsely mashing the blueberries, until mixture begins to boil and thickens:
- 3/4 pound of blueberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 T. lemon juice
2. Whisk together the following, then add to the mixture from #1 slowly, and continue to cook for another couple of minutes until the mixture boils and thickens more:
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 t. cornstarch
3. Add to the mixture:
- 3 T. unsalted butter
- 1 t. grated lemon peel
4. Remove from heat, cover and chill overnight.
For the crust (without food processor):
1. Lightly butter a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
2. Lightly toast 1/4 sliced almonds, then crush by hand using a mortar and pestel (or any other means available to finely crush the almonds).
3. Transfer to a medium bowl, and mix with the following using a pastry blender until a coarsely combined:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 T. sugar
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled (which has been cut into cubes, about 1 T. each)
4. Continue mixing in:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 t. almond extract
5. Form the mixture into a ball then flatten into a disk. Press dough into the bottom and sides of the tart pan, and freeze for about half an hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
6. Line the crust with foil, and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for another 18 minutes until crust is golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely.
To assemble:
1. Spread filling into the crust.
2. Spread on top of the crust:
- 3/4 pounds of fresh blueberries
3. Heat and pour over the fresh blueberries:
- 1/2 cup red currant jelly (or other preferred flavor)
4. Garnish tart with more lightly toasted almond slices (optional).
5. Cover with foil and chill for about 2 hours.
6. To serve, push up the bottom of the tart pan to remove the sides and place on a serving platter.
For a Spring day in April, it's been hot hot hot. And on days like these, it makes me think of only one thing: air conditioning. I just want to somehow get away from the heat and be where it's nice and cool--even if artificially, and yes, I am somewhat of a comfort creature with not much tolerance for extreme temperatures. I do sometimes also have other refreshing thoughts, like imagining myself sitting by a pool or on a beach on some far off tropical island, listening to splashing water or waves hitting the sand, with a cool drink in my hand. And the drink will have to have one of those little umbrellas and a piece of tropical fruit as garnish.
You might already know where I'm going with this. With the weather warming up, visions of pineapples, mangoes, and papayas dance in my head. Okay, not quite--I don't really like papayas honestly, but they all kind of go together. Pineapples and mangoes (mangoes especially), on the other hand, were staple fruits in my family while I was growing up and I cannot imagine a summer without them (and it's certainly feeling like summer today).
When a (new!) friend suggested showing me how to make a mango fruit tart about a week ago, I could not refuse. We met recently through a mutual friend, and I learned that she had a passion, perhaps an obsession?, for fruit tarts. I had never made one before, and with my penchant for baking, we knew this meeting was destiny. Her recipe is surprisingly easy, no fuss, with impressive results. The only touch I added at the end was an apricot glaze, which I've seen in some other recipes. Thinking about it now, this wouldn't be such a bad substitute for relaxing on the beach if you can't get to one on a hot day like today.
Mango Fruit Tart
Adapted from a fellow dessert-lover-baker
Serves about 8
Preheat the oven to 375F; you'll also need a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom
For the crust:
1. Combine the following using a pastry blender (or food processor if you have one):
- 1-1/3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour, fluffed
- 1 stick (or 1/2 cup) + 1 T. butter
2. Combine flour mixture with:
- 1 egg yolk
3. When the dough holds together, press it into the tart pan with your fingers.
4. Bake the crust for about 30 minutes or until edges turn light brown.
For the topping:
Peel and slice two medium-sized mangoes lengthwise (or you can slice any other fruit you'd like to use)
For the filling:
Using an electric mixer, mix together:
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 T. vanilla
(you can play with these proportions to achieve the taste you prefer)
For the glaze:
Over medium heat, stir together until syrupy:
- 2 T. apricot preserves
- 2 T. water
To assemble:
1. Prepare, bake and cool the crust after baking; remove from pan.
2. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the crust.
3. Assemble the sliced mango or other fruit in concentric circles.
4. Using a pastry brush or spoon, gently spread the glaze over the fruit.
5. Chill for about 2 hours before serving.
