love the elegance of individual tarts. I love their fluted pastry shells
and how the filling always looks so enticing. Yes, I know they are more
work then making one large tart but who can resist this dessert when placed
before them. I found this recipe in Maury Rubin's beautiful book "Book of Tarts'
where one tart recipe looks as good as the next. But since it is the
holiday season and I wanted something festive, what could be more festive than
ruby red cranberries and nuts (almonds and walnuts) glistening in a sweet
caramel.
Now, there are many types of pastry crusts but Maury Rubin suggests
that we use a Pâte Sucrée which has a buttery rich flavor and crisp, yet tender,
texture which goes perfectly with the sweet filling. We do need to partially
bake the tarts shells to ensure that the crusts stay firm even after the baked
tarts have been stored for a few days. Maury Rubin also gives us a handy trick
so we do not have to line and fill the tart shells with beans for pre-baking.
That is, he tells us to simply place the unbaked tart shells in the freezer, not
the refrigerator, for half an hour and this will prevent the shells from puffing
up during baking.
The tricky part of this recipe is
the caramel. To ensure success use a large deep skillet as there will be some
splattering when you add the cream to the melted sugar. And don't worry if
some pieces of hard caramel form when you add the cream. This is normal so just whisk
and cook the caramel until these pieces have melted back into
the cream. If you find some hard pieces do not completely melt then simply strain
the caramel to remove any lumps. These tarts do store very well but I find it
best to store them in the refrigerator and then bring them to room temperature
before serving.
Sweet Pastry Crust:
In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside. Place the butter in your mixer and beat until softened. Add
the sugar and beat
until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until
incorporated. Don't over mix or the butter will separate and lighten in color.
Add flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Don't
overwork or pastry will be hard when baked.
Flatten dough into disk,
cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
Have ready 8 - 4 inch (10 cm)
tart pans or one 9 inch (23 cm) tart
pan with a removable bottom. Divide the pastry into 8 pieces and then, on a lightly floured surface, roll out
each piece of
pastry to fit the tart pans. To prevent the pastry from sticking to
the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the
pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry
outwards to get uniform thickness). To make sure it is
the right size, take your tart pan, flip it over, and place it on the rolled out
pastry. The pastry should be about an inch larger than pan.
When the pastry is rolled to
the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your
rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour as you roll. Unroll onto top of tart pan.
Never pull the pastry or you will get shrinkage (shrinkage is caused by too
much pulling of the pastry when placing it in the pan). Gently lay in pan and with a small
floured piece of pastry, lightly press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of
the pan. Roll
your rolling pin over the top of the pan to get rid of excess pastry. With a thumb up movement, again press dough into pan. Cover and freeze for about 30
minutes to chill the butter and to rest the gluten.
Preheat oven to
375 degrees F
(190 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Place the 8 unbaked tart
shells on a baking sheet and bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until the crust is dry
and a light golden brown. If the bottoms of the pastry shells puff up during
baking, just lightly press the pastry back into shape. Remove from oven
and place on a wire rack to cool.
Caramel: Place
the cream and butter into a medium saucepan and warm over low heat
Meanwhile, spread
the sugar evenly onto the bottom of a 10 inch (25 cm) deep nonstick skillet. Place over
medium low heat and heat until the sugar has completely melted and
turned a nutty brown color (about 10 minutes). As the sugar melts it will
first turn light brown, then gold, and finally to a dark nutty brown. At
this point slowly whisk in the warm cream and butter mixture. Be careful
as the cream will splatter. Continue to cook the caramel until any large
pieces of hard caramel have melted. Strain the caramel into a heatproof
bowl and allow to cool for about 15 - 25 minutes.
Then, stir in the
cranberries and nuts until all are covered with caramel. Divide this
mixture evenly amongst the eight partially baked tart shells, mounding the
mixture in the center.
Bake for 20 - 25
minutes or until the cranberries have puckered and the caramel is bubbling
around the edges of the tarts. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Remove
tarts from pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
These can be made
a day or two before serving. Just cover and place in the refrigerator but
bring the tarts to room temperature before serving.
Makes 8 - 4 inch
(10 cm) tarts.
Source:
Rubin, Maury. 'Book
of Tarts'. William Morrow and Company, Inc. New York: 1995.
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