Fancy Tart Recipes

FANCY ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Defrost 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (usually this takes 40 minutes at room temperature).
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Drain and rinse the beans. Clean the asparagus, trim their tough ends and cut them in half.
• Add all ingredients, except for the asparagus and puff pastry, to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until everything is nice and smooth. You might need to use more or less rice milk depending on the consistency you want.
• Lay a parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet. Spread the puff pastry on it (you can roll it a bit if you want to). Cut the pastry sheet into 4 equal pieces.
• Spread your bean mix on top of the pastry leaving a 1/2 inch border on all sides. Top with the asparagus halves.
• Bake the individual tarts for 22-24 minutes.

FANCY TART

Steps:

• 1. In medium mixing bowl, combine KELLOGG'S ALL-BRAN cereal, flours, salt, spices and sugar. Using pastry blender, cut margarine into cereal mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With fork, stir in two tablespoons cold water, mixing until evenly combined.2. With back of spoon, press cereal mixture evenly in bottom and on side of 9-inch tart or pie pan to form crust.3. Bake at 350°F about 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool completely.4. In small saucepan, soften gelatin in the 1/4 cup cold water for 5 minutes. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat. Gradually add hot gelatin to yogurt, stirring constantly. Pour into cooled crust and refrigerate about 1 hour or until yogurt is set.5. In small saucepan, combine jelly and cornstarch, mixing until smooth. Add strawberries. Cook over medium heat until strawberries thaw and mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking 2 minutes longer. Strain hot mixture, discarding berry pieces. Cool until lukewarm.6. Arrange remaining fruit over top of set yogurt. Brush with cooled strawberry glaze. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.

FANCY FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Press cookie dough in an ungreased 11" x 15" jellyroll pan or 12" pizza pan.
• Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
• Carefully remove cookie crust from pan with a metal spatula, and transfer to a serving platter if desired.
• Beat cream cheese at medium speed of an electric beater until creamy.
• Gradually add sugar and orange juice, beating well.
• Spread mixture evenly over prepared crust.
• Cover and chill 30 minutes.
• Arrange fruit on top of cream cheese mixture.
• Heat jelly in a small saucepan over low heat until melted.
• Brush fruit with jelly.
• Cut tart into square to serve.

ANY VEGETABLE TART

Steps:

• Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. If you like, you can sprinkle Gruyère or Cheddar onto the center of the liner or paper in an approximate 10-by-13-inch rectangle.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, Parmesan, lemon zest or rosemary, garlic (if using), and pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Beat in the crème fraîche until smooth.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to form a 10-by-13-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to prepared baking sheet. (Place directly on top of the grated cheese, if applicable.) With a sharp knife, lightly score a 3/4-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry, making sure not to cut the pastry all the way through. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over inside the border at 1-inch intervals.
• Spread crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Arrange vegetables in an even layer, using just enough to cover the surface in one layer. Scatter scallions and thyme or rosemary sprigs on top. Lightly drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the vegetables are cooked through, about 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve topped with microgreens, herbs or baby lettuces, and accompanied by lemon or lime wedges, for squeezing.

FRESH FRUIT TARTS

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream. In the bowl of a food processor with a blade attachment, pulse the flour, butter, sugar and salt until no big chunks of butter remain. Slowly add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture. Blend to combine but don't overwork the dough.
• Remove the dough and, turning it out onto a lightly floured surface, knead it 4 or 5 times to incorporate.
• Divide the dough in half if making one large tart. Divide the dough into four pieces if making mini tarts. Flatten the dough pieces into discs with your hands, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes and up to overnight. (Freeze any remaining pieces for another project for up to 3 months.)
• Make the pastry cream: Put a damp kitchen towel under a medium bowl and whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the sugar until the yolks are lighter in color, about 2 minutes. (The towel will ensure the bowl doesn't slide around.) Add the cornstarch and salt, whisk again, and set the bowl aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and the remaining sugar 1/4 cup sugar and cook until the mixture almost boils, 4 to 5 minutes. With one hand, start whisking the egg yolk mixture; with the other hand, slowly drizzle the hot milk into the bowl, whisking until all the milk is incorporated.
• Pour the custard back into the saucepan and continue cooking, stirring constantly, on medium-high heat, until the mixture is thick and one bubble plops up on top, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the custard from the heat and pour into a clean medium bowl. Don't scrape the pot if the bottom looks burned or like scrambled eggs. Now, stir in the butter and vanilla. Keep stirring until the butter melts. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl so it is touching the pastry cream, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Bake the tart shell or shells: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is a circle (about 9 inches across and 1/2 inch thick for one large tart and about 6 inches across and 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick for four mini tarts.
• Lay the dough onto the tart pan, and then using your fingers, gently press it down. Try not to tear the dough or make it too thin. Ideally, it should be an even thickness all the way across.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully trim the edges so the dough is perfectly even with the top of the tart shell (see Cook's Note). Place the tart shell on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork, poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the tart shell to keep bubbles from forming during baking. Refrigerate the tart shell for 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tart shells if using.
• Remove the pan or pans from the fridge and lay a piece of parchment over the chilled dough. Fill the uncooked tart shell with pie weights or dried beans or uncooked rice.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then, using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Remove the pie weights and parchment. Return the baking sheet to the oven, continuing to bake until the crust is golden brown, 5 to 8 more minutes. Let the pan or pans cool on a wire rack.
• Make the glaze and finish the tart: In a medium pot over medium heat, cook the apricot jam and water. Stir with a fork as it cooks until the mixture is a thin, shiny liquid, about 3 minutes.
• Take the pastry cream from the fridge and, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat the pastry cream to loosen it up. Spread the pastry cream in a thin 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer on the bottom of the tart shell.
• Carefully cut the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, mangos and figs. Arrange the fruit so there is no visible pastry cream. (You can make the tart look awesome by laying the fruit in cool patterns.)
• Once the fruit is arranged, use a soft pastry brush to paint it with the warm apricot glaze. Don't leave any bare spots. Make sure to glaze all the fruit. Take your time.
• Cut and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 12 hours.