Bon Appetit Desserts (77 page)

This is a French patisserie-style tart with
pâte sucrée
(“sweet pastry”), vanilla pastry cream, and a glazed fruit topping. Instead of kiwi, you can use any combination of stone fruit (think sliced peaches, plums, and apricots) and berries. For a casual look, simply toss the fruit in a bowl with the glaze, mound atop the pastry cream, and serve.
8 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 large egg yolks, chilled

1 cup whole milk

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

¼ cup sugar

3 large egg yolks

1½ tablespoons cornstarch

1½ 6-ounce containers raspberries

2 kiwis, peeled, thinly sliced

⅓ cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons water

CRUST
: Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Combine flour, sugar, lemon peel, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Press dough evenly over bottom and up sides of prepared tart pan. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake crust until golden, about 18 minutes. Cool crust completely.

FILLING
: Bring milk and vanilla bean just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, beat sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils gently, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream and chill completely.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Remove vanilla bean from filling; rewhisk until smooth. Spread filling into crust.

TOPPING
: Arrange raspberries and kiwi decoratively over filling. Simmer apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons water in small saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture boils thickly, about 1 minute. Strain into small bowl. Brush apricot glaze generously over fruit. Chill tart to set, at least 30 minutes.

Strawberry-Lemon Curd Tart

The crust of this pretty tart resembles shortbread; make the tart in spring, when strawberries are at their peak. Slicing off the stem ends of the strawberries will give them a flat base to stand on in the rich lemon curd.
10 servings

2 large eggs

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons (or more) chilled heavy whipping cream

1 large egg yolk

1½ quarts strawberries, stem ends cut flat

½ cup strawberry jam

CURD
: Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan to blend. Add butter and lemon peel. Stir over medium heat until butter melts and curd thickens to pudding consistency, about 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and chill at least 2 hours.

CRUST
: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons cream and egg yolk. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap and chill 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Curd and dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim dough overhang to ½ inch; fold in and press firmly, forming double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork; refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust until golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.

TOPPING
: Spread curd in crust. Stand berries in curd, cut side down. Stir jam in small saucepan over medium heat until melted; strain into small bowl. Brush jam over berries. Chill tart until glaze sets, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Remove pan sides from tart. Transfer to plate and serve.

Lemon Cream Tart

A splash of wine and the addition of cream mellow the tartness of the fresh lemons. Be sure that the lemon, egg yolk, and sugar mixture just boils when initially preparing the filling. Serve the tart with Raspberry-Apricot Compote with Champagne and Lemon Verbena (page 437).
8 servings

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

CRUST
: Butter bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Blend flour, sugar, lemon peel, and salt in processor. Add butter and blend until coarse meal forms. Add egg yolks and blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Press onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Freeze crust until firm, about 15 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep frozen.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust 5 minutes. Press up sides of crust with back of fork if sliding down. Continue to bake crust until golden, pressing up sides as needed, about 18 minutes longer. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.

FILLING
: Whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and lemon peel in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in lemon juice and wine. Cook over medium heat until custard thickens and just begins to bubble, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Cool to just warm, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Pour filling into crust.

Bake tart until filling is set in center and begins to puff at edges, about 20 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack. Chill at least 2 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

Lemon and Honey Tart with Walnut Crust and Honeyed Figs

The combination of lemon, honey, walnuts, and fresh figs gives this dessert a Provengal flavor. If fresh figs aren’t available, use sliced plums instead.
6 servings

1⅓ cups unbleached all purpose flour

⅓ cup walnuts

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg yolk

1½ tablespoons (or more) ice water

¾ cup buttermilk

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

½ teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

½ cup honey

6 fresh figs, cut crosswise (or pitted plums, cut lengthwise) into ¼-inch-thick slices

1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

CRUST
: Mix flour, walnuts, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk and 1½ tablespoons ice water in small bowl to blend; add to dry ingredients and process just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Roll out dough disk on floured surface to ⅛-inch-thick round. Transfer to tart pan. Press crust onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim edges; reserve trimmings. Freeze crust 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue to bake until crust is golden, about 25 minutes longer. Repair any cracks in crust with reserved dough. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.

FILLING
: Whisk buttermilk, lemon juice, eggs, flour, and lemon peel in bowl. Add honey and stir until dissolved. Pour into crust. Bake until filling is set, about 30 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack. Chill until cold.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

TOPPING
: Arrange figs atop tart. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with walnuts.

Blood Orange Tart with Orange Caramel Sauce