Blackberry Lemon Tart With Champagne Mint Granite Recipes

BLACKBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Purée blackberries, sugar, crème de cassis, if using, lemon juice, salt, and 1 cup water in a blender until smooth. Strain purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a 13x9x2" baking pan, pressing on solids.
• Freeze mixture until edges begin to set, about 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape to break up frozen portions. Freeze, scraping and breaking up mixture every 20-30 minutes, until mixture resembles fluffy shaved ice, 2-4 hours.
• DO AHEAD: Granita can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and keep frozen. Scrape before serving.
• Just before serving, whisk mascarpone, cream, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Serve granita topped with lemon cream, halved blackberries, and more lemon zest.

BLACKBERRY-LEMON TART WITH CHAMPAGNE- MINT GRANITE

Steps:

• To make the granite, combine the water, the sugar and the 2 cups of mint in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Strain and let cool completely. Add the lemon juice, Champagne and remaining mint leaves and pour into a shallow, nonreactive dish. Freeze for several hours or overnight, until firm throughout, stirring occasionally.
• To make the tart, pulse the almonds and sugar in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the flour and salt, and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together the egg yolk, water and almond extract. Add to the flour mixture and process just until the mixture starts to come together. Press into a bowl, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place the eggs and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan and whisk until thickened and light in color. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Place over low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes; do not let the mixture come to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Let cool. Refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough and fit into a 10-inch quiche dish. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool.
• Whip the cream until it holds firm peaks and fold it into the lemon mixture. Spoon into the tart shell and refrigerate for several hours. About 1 hour before serving, gently toss the blackberries with the 1/4 cup of sugar. Just before serving, drain the blackberries and arrange them over the filling. Sift a little confectioners' sugar over the top. Place a slice of the tart on each of 8 plates. Scrape the granite into balls with a spoon, place a ball on each plate and serve immediately.

MINTED LEMON GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the sugar and the lemon juice, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and let the syrup cool. In a blender or food processor purée the mint with the syrup, transfer the mixture to 2 metal ice-cube trays without dividers or a shallow metal pan, and freeze it, stirring and crushing the lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours, or until it is firm but not frozen solid. Scrape the granita with a fork to lighten the texture and serve it in chilled goblets.

BLACKBERRY-MANGO TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray a pie pan with cooking spray. Place pie crust in pan, trimming edges to fit.
• Fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Combine sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl and set on top of the simmering water. Add mango puree, melted butter, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring frequently, until filling is dissolved and thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Remove filling from heat and pour into prepared pie crust. Let sit 5 minutes. Arrange blackberries evenly on top of mango mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until semi-firm and starting to brown on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Chill completely before serving.

BLACKBERRY-LEMON TART WITH CHAMPAGNE- MINT GRANITE

Steps:

• To make the granite, combine the water, the sugar and the 2 cups of mint in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Strain and let cool completely. Add the lemon juice, Champagne and remaining mint leaves and pour into a shallow, nonreactive dish. Freeze for several hours or overnight, until firm throughout, stirring occasionally.
• To make the tart, pulse the almonds and sugar in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the flour and salt, and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together the egg yolk, water and almond extract. Add to the flour mixture and process just until the mixture starts to come together. Press into a bowl, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place the eggs and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan and whisk until thickened and light in color. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Place over low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes; do not let the mixture come to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Let cool. Refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough and fit into a 10-inch quiche dish. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool.
• Whip the cream until it holds firm peaks and fold it into the lemon mixture. Spoon into the tart shell and refrigerate for several hours. About 1 hour before serving, gently toss the blackberries with the 1/4 cup of sugar. Just before serving, drain the blackberries and arrange them over the filling. Sift a little confectioners' sugar over the top. Place a slice of the tart on each of 8 plates. Scrape the granite into balls with a spoon, place a ball on each plate and serve immediately.

BLACKBERRY MASCARPONE TART WITH THYME SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; mix to combine. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Gradually beat in flour, thyme, and salt. Dough should come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead dough slightly and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch round or 13x4-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Press dough evenly into the prepared tart pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling, about 30 minutes.
• Combine 3 ounces of blackberries and 1/2 tablespoon sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently and crushing the berries with a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and press mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove all seeds and collect as much of the berry pulp as you can. Discard any seeds and solids left behind in the sieve and return crushed berries to the saucepan.
• Mix together cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to the saucepan with the berry sauce; cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Combine mascarpone cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Beat cream in a separate chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until frothy. Add sugar gradually, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture and mix well. Spoon filling into the cooled tart crust and spread evenly. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of the smooth blackberry sauce on top of the filling. Using a knife, gently cut through sauce and filling to swirl. Garnish the top of the tart with the remaining 3 ounces blackberries and fresh mint.