Pate Brisee For Woven Dried Fruit Tart Recipes

WOVEN DRIED-FRUIT TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll each disk of pate brisee into a 14-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Place 1 circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Fit the other circle into an 11-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim dough flush with top edge of pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the lattice: Remove baking sheet from freezer. Using a clean ruler as a guide, cut dough circle into sixteen 1/2-inch-wide strips with a sharp knife or a fluted pastry wheel. Lay 6 strips of dough on another baking sheet in parallel lines that extend slightly past the width of the tart pan. Lay 6 more strips on top, almost perpendicular to the first strips. Starting in the center, weave 1 new strip diagonally through the existing grid, under the bottom layer of strips and over the top layer. Push diagonal strip into corner of each square (where the perpendicular and parallel strips meet) to create a tight fit. Weave a second strip 1 inch away, this time weaving over then under. Repeat weaving strips across 1/2 the tart. (If dough strips become too soft, return to freezer until firm.) Return to center, and repeat with remaining dough strips to form a star lattice pattern. Freeze until ready to use.
• Bring water, Cognac, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and cloves to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add dried fruits, reduce heat, and simmer gently until fruits soften but have not broken down, about 20 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a measuring cup, and reserve fruit and liquid separately. Let both cool. Discard vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and cloves. (If you have more than 2 cups liquid, simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced; it's fine if you have slightly less than 2 cups.)
• Spread cooled fruit mixture evenly on dough in tart pan, and brush with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Combine yolk and cream in a small bowl, and brush some along top edges of tart. Carefully slide frozen lattice on top of tart, centering it on filling, and press edges to seal. Trim excess dough. Brush top of lattice with egg wash. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake tart for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and continue baking until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes. (If crust browns too quickly, tent edges with foil.) Brush crust and fruit with another 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Unmold, and serve immediately with creme fraiche on the side.

PâTE BRISéE TART CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk flour, salt, and sugar in medium bowl. Add butter and shortening; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons cold water. Work mixture with fingertips until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 10-inch round. Carefully transfer dough to 8-inch springform pan. Press dough onto bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan, pressing to adhere to sides. Fold down and roll 1/2 inch of dough sides inward, forming double-thick edge at top of crust sides. Using dull edge of small knife, make small indentations at 1/2-inch intervals on double-thick edge. Chill 20 minutes.
• Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides of crust are set, about 18 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Pierce bottom of crust all over with fork. Continue to bake until bottom is set and pale golden, about 14 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan on rack.

BASIC FRENCH TART DOUGH/PATE BRISEE (DORIE GREENSPAN)

Steps:

• FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the processor and whir a few times, until the butter is coarsely mixed into the flour. Beat the egg with the ice water and pour it into the bowl in 3 small additions, whirring after each one (Don't overdo it - the dough shouldn't form a ball or ride on the blade) You'll have a moist, malleable dough that will hold together when pinched. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it lightly), and flatten it into a disk.
• HAND METHOD: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in the bits of butter and, using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed. You'll have large and small butter bits, and that's fine - uniformity isn't a virtue here. Beat the egg and water together, drizzle over the dough, and, using your fingertips, mix and knead the dough until it comes together. Turn it out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it some more), and flatten it into a disk.
• Chill at least 3 hours or up to 5 days.
• When you're ready to bake the tart shell, butter a 9 - 91/2inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (butter it even if it's nonstick).
• To roll out the dough: Roll out the dough between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a lightly floured rolling cover; or you can roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. If you're working between sheets of paper or plastic wrap, lift it often so that it doesn't roll into the dough, and turn the dough over frequently. If you're just rolling on the counter, make sure to lift and turn the dough and reflour the counter often. The rolled-out dough should be about 1/4 inch thick and at least 12 inches in diameter.
• Transfer the dough to the tart pan, easing it into the pan without stretching it. (What you stretch now will shrink in the oven later.) If you'd like to reinforce the sides of the crust, you can fold some of the excess dough over, so that you have a double thickness around the sides. Using the back of a table knife, trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Prick the base of the crust in several places with a fork.
• Chill - freeze - the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F Press a piece of buttered foil (or use nonstick foil) against the crust's surface. If you'd like, you can fill the covered crust with rice or dried beans (which will be inedible after this but can be used for baking for months to come) to keep the dough flat, but this isn't really necessary if the crust is well chilled. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart pan on the sheet.
• TO PARTIALLY BAKE THE CRUST: Bake for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove the foil (with the rice or beans). Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 3 - 5 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.
• TO FULLY BAKE THE CRUST: Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until it is an even golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.

PATE' BRISEE- FRENCH STYLE TART DOUGH

Steps:

• Blend the cake flour and butter until pea size lumps form.
• Add the remaining ingredients and process just until liquids are incorporated.
• Form into ball and chill the dough before rolling out.

PATE BRISEE (FRENCH SHORTCRUST)

Steps:

• Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times to mix. Add cubed butter; pulse until crumbly.
• Pour slow stream of ice water through feed tube while the processor is on low speed until dough holds together when pinched, making sure not to add too much.
• Divide dough evenly into 2 pieces. Form dough into discs on a lightly floured work surface. Wrap discs with wax paper or parchment paper before wrapping with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until use.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin between 2 pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness when ready to use.
• Butter two 9-inch tart pans. Roll crusts 1 at a time onto the rolling pin and unroll over tart pans. Gently push dough into the prepared pans, molding to the sides. Trim edges with fingers or a knife. Fill and bake according to filling recipe instructions.

PATE BRISEE FOR WOVEN DRIED-FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together.
• Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days (or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using).

PATE BRISEE

Steps:

• Sieve flour and add salt and sugar
• Add butter and use your fingertips to mix it qickly into fine lumbs
• Add the egg and mix well without overkneading
• Add flour if dough is too moist
• Wrap in cling foil and rest in fridge for an hour