Queijadas De Evora Sweet Orange Cheese Tart Recipes

QUEIJADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a blender, combine eggs, sugar and butter. Blend until smooth. Pour in flour and milk, a little at a time, blending until smooth again. Stir in vanilla.
• Pour into muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

QUEIJADAS DE SINTRA (PORTUGUESE CHEESE TARTS WITH CINNAMON)

Steps:

• For the pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
• With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the texture of fine meal.
• Forking briskly, drizzle just enough ice water over the mixture to make it hold together.
• Shape into a ball, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate several hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade (or in a blender or electric mixer set at highest speed), process the mozzarella, butter, sugar, and cinnamon about 60 seconds nonstop until smooth and creamy.
• Scrape down the work bowl sides with a rubber spatula and beat 60 seconds longer.
• Note: It will take longer for the electric mixer to reduce the mixture to creaminess, perhaps 3 to 4 minutes of steady beating.
• Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the flour and pulse the motor on once or twice to blend.
• Transfer the mixture to a small bowl; cover and chill several hours.
• When ready to bake the queijadas, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Divide the pastry in half and roll, first one half, then the other, as thin as paper, on a lightly floured pastry cloth with a lightly floured, stockinette-covered rolling pin.
• Cut into rounds with a 3 1/2 inch cutter.
• Also re-roll and cut the scraps.
• Fit the pastry into plain or fluted tart tins measuring 2 1/2 inches across the top.
• Set the tins on baking sheets, then half-fill each tart shell with the cheese mixture.
• Bake uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes, just until the filling is puffy and a rich amber brown.
• Remove the tarts from the oven, cool until easy to handle; then using a small pointed knife, gently pry the tarts from the tins.
• Serve at room temperature.

SWEET CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• In a chilled mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, butter, and lard. Rub the flour and fat together with your fingertips until the mixture is flaky and the consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Drizzle half of the beaten egg over and toss until the dough comes together, adding the remaining egg if necessary to bind the dough. Gather the dough into a compact ball and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. With a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut the dough into 3 1/2 inch rounds. Gather the scraps into a ball, re-roll them and cut more rounds. Repeat until you have used all the dough. Fit the dough rounds into ungreased 2 1/2 inch tart pans or the cups of a muffin pan, pressing them gently against the bottoms and sides to form deep molds. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm the dough. Place the tins on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Set the shells aside in their tins to cool.
• Reduce the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, farmers cheese, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, cinnamon, and salt and beat until smooth.
• Spoon the filling into the tart shells, dividing it evenly, and filling up to within 1/4-inch of the top. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and doesn't jiggle when shaken. Cool the tarts to room temperature and carefully slip them out of their tins. Serve, garnished with a few grape halves.

QUEIJADAS DE EVORA -SWEET ORANGE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• PASTRY:
• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Sift the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt into a large, chilled mixing bowl, and add the chilled butter
• With your fingertips rub the flour and fat together until they look like flakes of coarse meal. (Or use the food processor).
• Add the lightly beaten egg and toss together until the dough can be gathered into a compact ball. Wrap in wax paper and chill the dough for at least an hour before using.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Press into nonstick greased Large Pie Tart Dish.
• FILLING:
• Reduce the oven heat to 350°. With an electric mixer or food processor, beat the cream cheese, pot cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg yolks,orange juice,zest, cinnamon and ½ teaspoon salt.
• Spoon the cheese mixture into the tart
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the tart to room temperature, then carefully slip out of the tin and serve.

INDIVIDUAL ORANGE AND CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the melted butter. Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each mini-muffin cup and press down firmly.
• In a food processor combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, half of the orange zest, and the egg. Blend until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the mini muffin tin with butter. Fill the cups with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture. Place the mini muffin tin in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the mini muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer the mini muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.
• Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Top each individual cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

SWEET RICOTTA CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon orange peel, salt, and baking powder in food processor. Add butter and blend until coarse meal forms. Add 2 eggs and blend until moist clumps form. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead to combine well, about 1 minute. Divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger. Wrap and chill smaller piece. Press larger piece over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Using electric mixer, beat ricotta cheese, cream cheese, cornstarch, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, and 2 eggs. Transfer filling to dough-lined tart pan. Roll out chilled dough piece to 10-inch round. Place round over tart; trim excess dough. Press edges of tart to seal. Cut 4 slits in top of tart. Bake tart until golden and puffed, about 1 hour. Cool completely.

PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS (PASTEIS DE NATA)

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve what's shown in the video.
• Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roll dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough should still be sticky.
• Spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a silicone spatula, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.
• Turn dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter; dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with flour and roll into a square a little over 1/8 inch thick. Spread remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1 1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and polish the ends as needed. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210 to 215 degrees F (100 degrees C). Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven 550 degrees F (288 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Whisk flour, salt, and cold milk together very thoroughly in a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks into the cooled milk. Add the sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a glass measuring cup.
• Unwrap the dough and trim any uneven bits on the ends. Score log into 12 even pieces using a knife; cut through.
• Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes. Cool tarts briefly and serve warm.