Baroque Tart Recipes

BAKEWELL TARTS

Steps:

• Make the tart shells: In bowl of food processor, combine butter and granulated sugar and process until smooth. Add egg yolks, salt, and vanilla and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup flour and process until smooth. Add remaining 1 cup flour; process to combine. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and form into a flat square; wrap tightly and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Wipe clean food processor bowl.
• Make the filling: In bowl of food processor, add almonds and granulated sugar and process until finely ground. Add butter, egg, flour, rum, salt, and almond extract, and process until frangipane is smooth.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out chilled dough to a 1/4-inch-thickness. Using a 4 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 10 circles, re-rolling dough as necessary. Fit each circle into a 4-inch round fluted tart pan with removable bottom, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each tart shell with 1 tablespoon jam, then top with about 2 tablespoons frangipane; place on parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. (You will have about 1/4 cup frangipane leftover.) Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove tarts from pans.
• Make the glaze: Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Stir in lemon juice to combine. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe glaze onto tarts as desired.

TRADITIONAL BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch pie plate. Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, and baking powder; set aside.
• Roll the pie crust pastry into a round shape a little larger than the pie plate. Cut off a 1/2-inch wide strip from the edge of the pastry circle, and line the lower sides of the pie plate with the strip, placing the cut side upwards (the pastry will not reach the rim of the pie plate). Dampen the strip with water, then place the remaining pie pastry circle into the pie plate, pressing to seal the edges of the circle onto the strip where the pastry overlaps. This will create a crust that is slightly thicker around the lower edges. Spread the strawberry jam evenly over the center of the pastry shell.
• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk the egg together with the lemon zest, and add gradually to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Gently fold the flour mixture, a spoonful at a time, into the egg mixture, folding until just incorporated. Spread the batter over the jam in the pie shell.
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the filling is firmly set and browned, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

BAROQUE TART

Steps:

• THE MERINGUE Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 275 degrees. Line the bottom of a a sheet pan with parchment paper and draw a 10-inch circle 1. In a standing electric mixer with the balloon whisk, beat the egg whites on just below high speed, until foamy. 2. Add the salt, cream of tartar, and the vanilla and beat on high speed for 10 seconds. 3. Gradually add ONE CUP of the sugar, beating well after each addition. Test the density of the meringue by removing the whisk and giving it a little shake. It should be very firm and hold a point well. If not, beat some more until it does. 4. Insert the nozzle into the piping bag. Fold down the top of the bag and fill with the meringue. Unfold the top and, press out the air from the bag. Twist the bag until the meringue is just about to come out of the nozzle. 5. Pipe a circle of meringue, just inside your drawn line. Continue with piping smaller and smaller circles until the base is full. Take a wet, metal spatula and smooth and even out the surface. 6. You will have enough meringue to test-run your turbans. Standing up straight, NOT bending over! Pipe straight down, letting the meringue squish out onto the paper then pull vertically up. Do this a few times until you get the feel. 7. Pipe turbans all around the edge keeping ON the base and within the border. 8. Bake for 1 hour then turn the oven off and leave to cool. 9. Peel the paper off carefully and put the meringue shell on a flat plate.

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until crumbly. Slowly add water to food processor until mixture comes together. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll out dough into a 10-inch disc.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch tart pan.
• Carefully place dough into the prepared tart pan. Trim dough from the edges of the pan. Prick holes into the dough on the bottom and along the sides of the pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Pour heavy whipping cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form along outside of the bowl. Add chocolate chips and let sit for 15 to 20 seconds. Whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate ganache into cooled crust. Let cool at room temperature until set, about 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated.