Individual Strawberry Almond Tarts Recipes

INDIVIDUAL STRAWBERRY & ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unravel the pastry and prick the surface with a fork. Cut out 6 squares and place them on a non-stick baking tray.
• Lightly brush the edges of the squares with melted butter and place a couple of slices of marzipan on the top of each. Lay 2 rows of strawberry slices down the side of each tart and a third over the gap in the middle. Drizzle the tarts with a little melted butter and scatter with sugar. Bake for about 20-25 mins, until golden brown on the base. Scatter the toasted almonds over the top and serve with White chocolate ice cream.

STRAWBERRY TARTS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is in the size of peas. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough and fit into 4 (4 1/2-inch) tart pans with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pans or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of each pan. Line the tart shells with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill them with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, prick the bottom of the shells all over with a fork, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
• Before serving, fill the tart shells with the pastry cream. Arrange the berries decoratively on top of the cream. Melt the apricot jelly with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the top of the tarts. Sprinkle with pistachios, if using, and serve.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.
• With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the custard comes to a boil and appears to curdle; switch to a whisk and beat vigorously. Cook, whisking constantly, for another 2 minutes; the custard will come together and become very thick, like pudding. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

MR. D.'S STRAWBERRY -ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is the size of small peas. Add the water and pulse until the dough barely begins to come together. Press the dough together with your hands, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Fit it into a 9-inch quiche dish. Line the dish with parchment paper, fill with pie weights or raw beans and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for 2 minutes more. Set aside.
• Place the almond paste and butter in a food processor and process until smooth. Mix in the flour, sugar and salt. Add the egg and vanilla and process until smooth. Scrape the mixture into the tart shell, spread evenly and bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool.
• Make a ring of strawberries around the edge of the dish, leaning the cut side of the berries up against the edge. Repeat, making concentric circles until the tart is covered. Just before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Cut into wedges and serve.

ALMOND AND STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt. Cut 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, into cubes, and add to bowl. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and egg yolks. Pulse until the mixture begins to form clumps. Transfer to plastic wrap, and flatten into a disk. Chill until very firm (about 1 hour).
• Coarsely grate the pastry into a 12-inch loose-bottomed, fluted tart pan. Using the palm of your hand, gently press the pastry evenly into the pan, making sure to cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan completely. Line the pastry with foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to oven, and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully remove the foil and weights. Return to oven, and bake until very light brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the almonds until fine. Remove from processor, and place in a mixing bowl.
• Let remaining 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter come to room temperature. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is light and creamy. Add almonds and eggs, one at a time.
• Spread mixture into the cooled pastry, and bake until top is golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.
• Place the strawberries standing upright on tart, in a circular pattern. Dust the tart with confectioners' sugar.

STRAWBERRY ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• For the dough, beat the butter and sugar with the paddle on medium speed until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla and the yolk and continue beating until smooth and shiny, about 3 more minutes. Stop the mixer, sift the cake flour and add to the butter mixture. Pulse the mixer on and off to incorporate the flour. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic, wrap and chill it until firm.
• For the almond filling, combine almond paste, sugar, yolk and zest and beat by machine until smooth. Beat in butter, scrape bowl and beaters and beat in eggs. Continue beating until light.
• Stir in flour. Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll one piece at a time on a floured surface. Use each piece of dough to line a 3 to 4 inch diameter tart pan. Mass the scraps together after rolling the dough for the first four pans and line the last two.
• Arrange the sliced berries evenly on the crust in each pan, then top with the almond filling, spreading it evenly with a metal spatula. Strew evenly with the sliced almonds.
• Bake the tarts at 350 degrees about 25 minutes, until dough is baked through and filling is set.
• Cool in pan, unmold and dust with confectioners' sugar. Decorate each tart with a few whole berries.

FRESH BERRY & ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry sheets. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut each with a floured 3-in. cookie cutter to make eight circles or other shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets; prick holes in pastries with a fork., Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and almond extract until blended. Spread over cooled pastries. Top with berries, pressing lightly to adhere. Sprinkle with almonds and, if desired, confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftovers.

STRAWBERRY ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Bake 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
• Set aside to cool.
• Butter and flour a 9" round cake pan.
• Using a mixer at high speed beat the butter, sugar and almond paste until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
• Turn the mixer speed to low and add the eggs one at a time and then the egg yolk and vanilla.
• Beat until well combined.
• Add flour by 1/2 cups and beat until combined.
• Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool on rack for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the pan and place on rack until completely cool.
• Trim as required to make top of cake completely level.
• Invert onto serving plate.
• Set aside a single strawberry (the best looking one).
• Slice the remaining strawberries into 1/4" slices.
• Melt the jelly over low heat.
• Brush 1/2 of the melted jelly over the top and sides of the cake.
• Press the almonds on the sides of the cake.
• Place the whole strawberry in the center of the cake.
• Starting at the outside edge of the cake, place the strawberry slices in overlapping circles around the whole strawberry.
• The entire top of the cake should be evenly covered in an attractive pattern.
• Brush strawberries with the remaining jelly.

STRAWBERRY ALMOND CREAM TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly.
• Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and water; pulse just until moist.
• Place mixture in a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch.
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and extracts in a medium bowl; stir until smooth.
• Spread mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.
• To prepare topping, place 2 cups strawberries in food processor; process until pureed.
• Combine strawberry puree, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute.
• Remove glaze from heat, and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Combine 4 cups strawberries and juice; toss to coat.
• Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling.
• Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use).
• Sprinkle nuts around edge.
• Cover and chill 3 hours.
• Note: You can use either an 8 x 12-inch rectangular pan or a 9-inch round tart pan. The recipe also works with a 9-inch springform pan and a 10-inch pie plate.