Brandied Fruit Tartlets Recipes

BRANDIED SOUR CHERRY AND PEAR TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend together flour, salt, butter, shortening, and 2 tablespoons sugar with your fingertips or a pastry blender in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup ice water and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and divide into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, then flatten each into a 5- to 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Peel, halve, and core pears. Cut pears into 1/4-inch dice, then stir together with remaining filling ingredients in a 3-quart heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes. Transfer filling to a shallow dish and cool to room temperature.
• Roll out smaller disk of dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking.
• Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 3 1/2-inch fluted cutter, transferring as cut to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Chill rounds until firm, about 10 minutes, before decorating. Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll, cut, and chill additional 31/2-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16.
• Cut out shapes from rounds with decorative cutters or a sharp paring knife, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge, and reserve cutout pieces if desired for additional decoration. Brush tops lightly with milk. Lightly press reserved cutouts (if using) onto decorated pastry rounds and brush lightly with milk. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over tops and chill while making bottoms.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out larger disk of dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on floured surface with floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 4-inch cutter. Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll and cut additional 4-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16. Fit each 4-inch round into a tartlet pan (don't trim). Fill each tartlet with 3 tablespoons cooled filling and brush edge of pastry lightly with milk. Place decorated tops over filling in each tartlet, then press each top lightly around edge to help seal edges and trim pastry if necessary.
• Bake tartlets on a large baking sheet until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool 10 minutes. To remove tartlets from pans, cover 1 hand with a folded kitchen towel and invert tartlets 1 at a time onto towel, reinverting them onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PAINTED CHOCOLATE FRUIT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or up to 3 days. Remove from refrigerator and cut into small pieces. Reknead the dough into a 12-inch log. Cut the log into even pieces; the size of the tartlet molds used will determine how many to cut. For 4 - inch tartlets you'll get 8 to 10 from one dough, for 3-inches about 12, and for miniature about 14 to 16. (For 65mm tartlet rings, cut the log into 12 to 16 pieces.)
• Lightly dust a piece of plastic wrap with flour. Round a piece of dough and place it on the plastic wrap. Cover the dough with another piece of plastic and press with the palm of your hand to flatten. Roll the piece out, flipping the whole thing once or twice, rolling on the other side to keep it even. Roll it out to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. It should be about 3/4-inch larger than the mouth of the tartlet mold. Peel the dough off the plastic and center it over the mold. Using floured fingers, gently press the dough down to the bottom of the mold and against the sides, making it even as you go. If the dough tears or is too thin in places, simply patch it with another small piece of dough. (If using tart rings, rotate the mold on a lightly floured surface as you press the bottom and sides with lightly floured thumbs. Be sure to press along the inside bottom to form a nice square bottom edge.) Place the saran over the top of the mold and press with your hand or a small rolling pin to cut any excess dough off the top. (For rings, simply shave off the excess with a paring knife.) Remove the plastic and, using lightly floured fingers, press the dough up around the sides so that it extends slightly above the rim of the mold. Dock it a few times with a fork. Place in the freezer. (Tart rings must be placed in the freezer on a sheet tray.) Repeat with the remaining dough. Scraps of dough can be chilled and reused. The tarts can be frozen in the molds for up to 5 days.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the tartlets on a sheet tray while they are still frozen and bake immediately. It will take 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size. They're ready when the bottoms begin to color and the edges are lightly browned. Remove the molds from the sheet tray and cool completely on a rack. (If using rings, slip the ring off and transfer the baked shell to the cooling rack with a metal spatula.)
• Tip the cooled shells out of the mold and onto your hand. If they won't come, gently insert the point of a small knife between the shell and the mold to release it. Then invert it onto your hand.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, or in a microwave, until it's about 3/4 melted. Stir to melt completely. Using a dry pastry brush, brush the bottom and sides of each tart with the melted chocolate. Chill just until the chocolate sets. You probably won't use all the chocolate.
• Combine the creme fraiche, heavy cream, confectioner's sugar and vanillas in a bowl. Whisk until soft peaks form. Be careful not to get it too stiff. Using a pastry bag fitted with #5 tip, pipe the cream in into the shells about 2/3 full. Top with the fresh fruit and/or berries. (Figs and raspberries are a wonderful combination with the chocolate and creme fraiche.)
• The tartlets can be painted with chocolate as much as a day ahead and filled with the cream up to 4 hours ahead. The fruit, however should be put on within an hour or so of serving.

FRESH FRUIT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Line tartlet tins with the pastry (use boat-shaped tins if you have them). Bake blind in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. When cold, brush the inside of the tartlet cases with the melted chocolate and leave to harden.
• Mix together the cream cheese and double cream until very smooth, then add the sugar and vanilla essence. Fill the tartlet cases with the cream mixture and arrange the fruit on top. Brush with the apricot or red currant glaze, depending on the fruit used, and leave to set.
• Sift the flour and salt together and rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the cheese, if using, and bind with a little cold water. Chill for 30 minutes and then roll out and use as above.

BRANDIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Combine the fruit in a medium bowl.
• Stir together the orange juice and brandy in a measuring cup.
• Pour over fruit; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours before serving, enjoy.

BRANDIED FRUIT TOPPING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine raisins, mandarin oranges, prunes, sugar and water to cover. Simmer over medium heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in peaches, pineapple and brandy. Store in refrigerator.

FRUIT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface 1/8 inch thick. Fill twelve 1 3/4-by-4-inch barquette tartlet molds and twelve 1 3/4-by-3 3/8-inch rectangular molds. Chill at least 30 minutes.
• Line the tart shells with a second mold, gently pressing the second mold into the dough; bake 15 minutes. Remove top mold; reduce oven to 350 degrees. Return tart shells to oven, and bake until golden, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven; place on a rack until completely cool.
• For the raspberry tarts, fill 12 barquette tart shells with pastry cream. Arrange raspberries on top, and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• For the mango tarts, pour the lime curd into the rectangular shells. Thinly slice the mango, and arrange over the curd. Serve.

BRANDIED APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk. Gradually add milk, tossing with a fork until a ball forms., Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 350°., In a small saucepan, combine preserves and brandy; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Brush 2 tablespoons over crust. Arrange apricots over crust and brush with preserve mixture. , Bake 18-22 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

BRANDIED DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the currants, cranberries, cherries, pears and apricots. Zest the orange and add the zest to the bowl. Add the lemon, ginger, anise seeds, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom.
• Juice the orange and add the liquid to the bowl. Add the brandy and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a jar, cover and refrigerate. (If you don't have a jar that's large enough, keep the mixture in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.) Allow the fruit to sit in the liquid for 2 to 14 days before using. The flavor of the fruit, spices and brandy will improve with time. At least once a day, turn the jar upside-down (or thoroughly stir the mixture if it's in a bowl) to make sure all the dried fruit gets coated in the brandied liquid. The mixture keeps in the refrigerator for months, stored in an airtight container.

DRIED-FRUIT TART WITH BRANDIED CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough 1/8 inch thick (about an 11-inch round). Fit dough into an 8-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim and trim edge. With a fork prick bottom of shell all over. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove weights or rice and foil and bake shell until golden, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Make dried-fruit mixture:
• In a heavy saucepan simmer water with sugar and vanilla bean, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Halve apricots and add to syrup with prunes and cherries. Simmer mixture 10 minutes and pour through a sieve into a 2-cup glass measure (you will have about 1 2/3 cups syrup). Reserve fruit and vanilla bean.
• In a food processor purée 1/2 cup reserved fruit and 2 tablespoons syrup until smooth. Spread purée evenly over bottom of tart shell and arrange remaining fruit on top. In a cup sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften 1 minute. In a small saucepan boil 1/2 cup remaining syrup until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove pan from heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved completely, and with a pastry brush brush glaze on fruit. Reserve remaining cup syrup for crème anglaise.
• Make crème anglaise:
• Have ready a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan combine cream and reserved cup syrup. Split reserved vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into pan. Discard vanilla bean. Bring mixture just to a boil and remove pan from heat. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Add hot cream mixture to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer mixture to cleaned pan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 170° F. (Do not let custard boil.) Pour custard through a fine sieve into metal bowl set in bowl of ice water. Cool crème anglaise completely and stir in brandy. (Crème anglaise may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.)
• Serve tart with crème anglaise.

FRESH FRUIT TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the topping mix, milk and vanilla on low speed until blended. Beat on high until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping mixture. , Spoon into tart shells; top with fruit. Refrigerate leftovers.

BRANDIED-FRUIT TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring dried fruit and cider to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, 8 minutes. Transfer fruit mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not pasty. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in pecans and brandy. (To store, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate, up to 1 week.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. With a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut dough into 12 rounds, then press rounds into 12 standard muffin cups (dough should come 3/4 inch up sides). Divide fruit mixture among cups and brush edges with egg. With a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut remaining dough into 12 smaller rounds (reroll scraps if necessary). With lightly floured decorative cutters or a knife, cut out shapes from smaller rounds (or cut slits to vent). Place on tartlets, pressing lightly at edges to seal. Brush tops with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Freeze until firm, 10 minutes (or up to 1 day).
• Bake until tartlets are golden brown, 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan, 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around each tartlet; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.