Almond Tart Shell Recipes

ALMOND TART SHELL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until light golden and fragrant, seven to 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then finely grind in a food processor. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until smooth and light, about one minute. Add almonds, egg yolk, and extract, and beat on medium speed until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined to form a dough. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; pat into a flattened rectangle. Wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour or overnight.
• Reheat oven to 350 degrees. On a work surface that is lightly floured, roll out dough to a six-by-16-inch rectangle, about 3/8 inch thick. Fit into a four-by-13-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim flush with edge of pan. Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Place tart pan on a baking sheet; bake until crust starts to brown around the edges, 13 to 14 minutes. (Dough will be slightly puffed in spots.) Transfer to a wire rack. Using a metal spatula, gently press on dough until it is smooth and flat. Let cool completely.

CLASSIC LEMON TART WITH COCONUT-ALMOND CRUST

Steps:

• For the coconut-almond crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the coconut for garnishing the tart.
• Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons cooled toasted coconut, the all-purpose flour, almond flour and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the almond extract and egg and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until all of the dry ingredients are just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Form the dough into a disc and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch nonstick tart pan with removable bottom; if necessary, use a piece of plastic wrap to help keep the dough from sticking. Refrigerate the tart shell until firm, about 1 hour, or freeze for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven again to 350 degrees F.
• Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake until the edges of the crust are barely golden, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and continue to bake until the crust is golden brown all over, about 20 minutes. Cool completely, then gently remove the tart shell from the pan and onto a plate.
• For the lemon curd filling: Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, using the butter paper to make sure the butter does not splatter, usually about a minute on 40 percent power. Then, add the sugar and salt and whisk together. Add the whole eggs and egg yolk and whisk again. Add the lemon zest and juice and whisk well. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove carefully and whisk. Continue to microwave in 1-minute intervals, whisking after each minute, until the mixture is thick. It usually takes between 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the microwave. Note that the mixture will get thin before it gets thick.
• Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and push the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
• For the whipped cream: Place the whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until soft peaks form.
• To assemble the tart: Pour the lemon curd into the tart shell and spread evenly. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe a border around the edge of the crust. Sprinkle with the reserved toasted coconut. Allow the tart to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing.

ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• For the shells: Pulse together the granulated sugar, flour and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until mealy. Add the egg yolks (reserve the egg whites for the filling) and pulse until the dough comes together. Press the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
• To mold the shells, grease a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4-inch-thick, dusting with more flour as needed. Cut out 3-inch circles and press them into the muffin cups so that the dough comes all the way up the sides. (No worries if the dough tears; just patch it up with additional dough.) Freeze the shells for 15 minutes.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the almond meal, granulated sugar, salt, and butter, either by blending it in the food processor (no need to clean it out after making the dough, you can just use it immediately for this step), or by stirring it together in a large bowl (I find it's easiest to get in there with my hands). Add the almond extract, egg and the reserved egg whites from the shells, and continue to blend/stir until smooth and combined.
• Fill the frozen shells with the filling so that it comes up about 1/4-inch from the top. Bake until the tops and edges are lightly browned; begin checking for doneness at 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then use a small offset spatula or a knife to remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: If making the glaze with heavy cream, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream and almond extract in a bowl until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar or liquid to thicken it up or thin it out so that you get the consistency of a thick glue.
• To make the glaze with the raspberries, place the raspberries in a fine-mesh sieve and give them a rinse. Place the sieve over a bowl and use a stiff rubber spatula or wooden spoon to smash them through the sieve into the bowl until you're just left with seeds in the sieve. Be sure to scrape the underside of the sieve to get the stuff that's sticking to it. (You should be left with about 2 tablespoons seedless puree. If it's a tiny bit more or a tiny bit less, that's fine.) Add the powdered sugar and almond extract and mix to make a thick glaze. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it out, and if it's too thin, add a few more spoonfuls of powdered sugar. It should be the consistency of a thick glue.
• Spread the glaze over the cooled tarts and decorate with sprinkles, almonds and anything else you'd like! These will keep for several days at room temperature or in the fridge.

ALMOND TART CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, sugar, and salt.
• In a small glass measuring cup, stir together butter, vanilla, and 1/2 tablespoon water; pour over flour mixture. Stir to combine.
• With floured hands, press dough into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove tart shell from oven.

LEMON TART WITH ALMOND CRUST

Steps:

• Place the flour, almonds, sugar, butter, extract and salt in a food processor. Cover and pulse until blended. Gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture forms a soft dough. , Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°., In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, peel and salt until blended. Add butter; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Pour into crust., Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

ITALIAN ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Fold the dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9 1/2-inch tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides to extend it slightly above the rim to offset any shrinkage during baking.
• Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F
• Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or raw short-grain rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift an edge of the foil. If the dough looks wet, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes, until the dough is pale gold, for a total baking time of 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F
• In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a whisk, beat the butter until smooth. Add the almond paste, one piece at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. While continuing to beat, sprinkle in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour.
• Spread the jam evenly over the bottom of the partially baked tart shell. Spoon in the almond paste mixture and spread evenly over the jam. Sprinkle the surface evenly with the sliced almonds.
• Bake the tart until the filling is golden and the middle is firm to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the tart cool completely. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, let the sides fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature. Makes one 9 1/2-inch tart; serves 8.

MINIATURE ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add flour until well blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour. , Shape into 1-in. balls. Place in ungreased miniature muffin cups; press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a shell. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat the almond paste, eggs and sugar until blended. Fill each shell with about 1-1/2 teaspoons filling., Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Pipe or spread over tarts. Top each with a cherry half.