Chez Panisse Almond Tart Recipes

CHEZ PANISSE ALMOND CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• For the tart dough:
• In a large mixing bowl or in a food processor, mix the flour and sugar together. Add the butter and mix (or pulse) until the butter is just incorporated, with tiny bits still visible. Add the water and extracts and mix until the dough just comes together (do not overmix!).
• Press into a flat disk, wrap in a plastic film and chill thoroughly in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
• Let the dough come to room temperature and press it into a 9" spring form tart shell using your hand/palm first, and then your finger tips to even out the dough on the bottom and the sides.
• Put the tart shell in the freezer and chill thoroughly again (for about 20 minutes).
• When ready, pre-heat the oven to 375F. Bake the shell for about 25 minutes, until the edges turn lightly golden.
• Meanwhile, prepare the tart filling.
• In a big pot, heat up the cream, sugar and salt together. Cook until the mix starts to foam up. Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the almonds, along with the almond extract and the liquor of your choice.
• Mix with a spatula, making sure all the almonds are evenly coated. Scrape the filling into the tart shell (that should still be warm), stopping slightly below the edge of the crust (do not overfill!). Distribute the almonds evenly with a spatula, making sure there is no clumps. Place the tart in the oven, with a sheet of foil underneath to catch any spills (the filling will bubble while baking).
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes,until the top is a nice shade of creamy caramel (it will continue to darken after you take it out of the oven).
• 10 minutes later (allowing the tart to set a bit), loosen the sides of the pan with a knife and then remove the tart from the ring. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack.

CHEZ PANISSE ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Instructions for preparing tart filling: 1. To bake the tart, line the rack under the one you plan to use with a sheet of aluminum foil to catch any spills. 2. Heat the cream, sugar, & salt in a big, wide heavy-duty pot (use one that's at least 4 qts,) until it begins to boil. Continue to cook & when it starts to foam up, remove it from the heat & stir in the almonds, the extract, & liquor. 3. Scrape the filling into the shell. If there's a bit too much filling, don't toss it; in case the tart leaks, you can use it to add more. Make sure there's no clumps or piles of almonds & that everything is evenly distributed, then put the filled tart shell into oven. 4. After the first 10 min., check the tart. Take a heatproof rubber spatula, holding it diagonally & with a tapping motion, break up the surface of the tart. Doing this is important since it avoids the top of the tart getting that 'corn flaky' look. Be sure to give the filling a good series of 'taps'-not enough to break the tart shell pastry underneath, but it's important to break up the surface crust that's forming. 5. Continue to cook, checking the tart every 5-8 minutes, & break up any dry crust that may be forming, getting less aggressive as the filling sets up. As it begins to caramelize, stop tapping it & let the tart do its thing. 6. Remove the tart from the oven when the filling is the color of coffee with a light touch of cream in it & there are no large pockets of gooey white filling, about 30 min. Let the tart cool a few minutes on a cooling rack. 7. Check & see if the tart has fastened itself to the tart ring. Slide a knife between the tart & the pan to loosen it so the sides don't come off when you remove the ring. 8. To remove the ring rest the tart on top of a solid object & gently coax the ring off. Slip a large spatula underneath it to return the tart to a cooling rack.

CHEZ PANISSE ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position the rack to the center of the oven.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with a round of parchment paper, or butter the pan and dust it lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.
• With an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and almond paste until the paste is finely broken up (the sugar crystals helps break the paste into pieces-so don't add the butter yet!) 3.
• Now add the butter and beat for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, or a measuring cup with a spout, stir together the eggs with a fork then dribble it into the batter as you beat.
• Add the vanilla.
• Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt with a whisk.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the batter until just incorporated.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• The baking time may take a but longer due to the variation in different brands of almond paste.
• Cool the cake on a rack before serving.
• This cake is extremely moist and will keep well for up to a week if well-wrapped.