Pie and Pastry Bible (119 page)

Remove the plastic wrap and, using a cardboard template and a sharp knife, cut an 11-inch circle from the dough. Prick the dough all over with a fork. For even rising, grease the bottom of a cake pan at least 10 inches in diameter and place it on top of the pastry. (If using commercial puff pastry, evenly distribute some metal pie weights or beans in the pan as additional weight—not too many! The object is not to keep the pastry from rising completely, but to keep it from rising excessively while remaining tender and very flaky.)

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cake pan and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon and bake for another 5 minutes. Then turn off the oven, leaving the door propped open, and leave the dough in the oven for 15 minutes to dry the center layers. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool the pastry completely. (It will have shrunk by ½ to 1 inch and be about ¾ inches high at the outside edge.) If not using the pastry right away, store it airtight at room temperature up to 24 hours.

BAKE AND CARAMELIZE THE PEACHES

While the pastry is baking and cooling, in a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, and sugar and toss gently to mix them. Allow them to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack in the middle level before preheating.

Transfer the peaches to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will exude about 1 cup of liquid. Place this and the butter in a
saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until bubbling. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the liquid caramelizes and turns a medium amber, about 5 minutes. (Or microwave in a greased 4-cup heatproof measure for about 15 minutes.) The syrup will be reduced to ½ cup and an accurate thermometer will register 220°F. Immediately remove the caramel from the heat and pour it into the baking pan.

Arrange the peaches, in a single layer, over the caramel. (Be careful not to touch the caramel, as it is very hot.) Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until just tender but still firm when pierced with a skewer. Cool completely, uncovered. Remove the peaches to a large plate or bowl, reserving all the liquid (there will be about % cup). If you are not ready to assemble the tart, set aside, covered, at room temperature.

ASSEMBLE THE TART

Up to 4 hours before serving, in a small saucepan or microwave oven, heat the apricot preserves until melted and bubbling and strain into a small cup.

Brush the preserves evenly over the baked pastry. Arrange the drained peach slices in slightly overlapping circles on top.

Shortly before serving, boil down the caramel peach juice to ½ cup or until dark brown and syrupy (the temperature will be 196°F.). Spoon it evenly over the peaches. (If using a microwave, place the juice in a 2-cup greased heatproof measure. It will take about 6 minutes to reduce in the microwave.)

Serve accompanied by the cræme fraîche, if desired.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 1 day. The tart is still good on the second day but the peaches will be less firm and less glossy in appearance.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

To prevent a burnt flavor, do not exceed the recommended temperature for the caramel.

Use a white porcelain spoon or drop a small amount of caramel onto a white plate to check the color, as it will look darker in the pan.

UNDERSTANDING

The temperature for the caramel is much lower than the usual temperature, because the peach juices lower the caramelization point.

APRICOT TARTLETS WITH ALMOND CREAM

T
hese tartlets look as fantastic as they taste. If puff pastry is used, it rises in a delightfully irregular fashion, giving the finished tarts dramatic visual appeal. The almond cream filling rises during baking, turning golden and surrounding the deeper golden fanned apricot halves. The apricot glaze topping gives a shiny burnt orange hue to the apricot and the almond cream, and it keeps them moist and fresh for as long as three days. It also adds a wonderful bright sweet/tart sticky quality.

EQUIPMENT

Ten 4-inch fluted tartlet pans with removable bottoms

Make the dough (page 417 or 420 or 26). Cut and prebake it or roll and prebake it (see pages 416 and 417 or pages 9, 13, and 18). Let cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the middle level before preheating.

MAKE THE ALMOND PASTRY CREAM

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the almonds, sugar, and flour until the almonds are very fine. Empty the mixture into a bowl and set it aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until soft. Beat in about ½ cup of the nut mixture until incorporated. Beat in 1 egg with another ½ cup of the nut mixture, then beat in the second egg with the remaining nut mixture until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and pastry cream. (If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before assembling the tartlets. The filling can be made up to 1 week ahead.)

ASSEMBLE THE TARTLETS

In a colander, drain the poached or canned apricots well. Pat them dry with paper towels. Using a thin sharp blade, slice each apricot half crosswise into thin slices without slicing all the way through to the bottom. Press gently on top of each apricot to fan the slices slightly.

Place the tartlet shells on a large baking sheet. Spoon ¼ cup (approx. 2 ounces/6o grams) of the almond pastry cream into each shell. (It will be soft and creamy.) Place a fanned apricot half, rounded side up, on top of each.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is set. When pressed very lightly with a fingertip, the almond cream will spring back. Cool the tartlets on a wire rack.

MAKE THE GLAZE

In a small saucepan, or a 1-cup heatproof glass measure in the microwave, heat the apricot preserves until bubbling and strain. Using a clean artist’s brush or the back of a spoon, coat the apricots and almond pastry cream with glaze. Allow it to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

VARIATION

THE CRUST
Sweet Cookie Tart Crust (page 56) or Sweet Nut Cookie Tart Crust (page 58) can be used in place of the puff pastry or flaky pastry. For 4-inch tartlets, you will need only 3 tablespoons (1.6 ounces/45 grams) of almond cream filling for each. For 3-inch tartlets, you will need 1tablespoon (0.5 ounce/15 grams) of almond cream for each; reduce the baking time to 15 minutes.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 12 hours; refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days. (Allow the chilled tarts to come to room temperature before serving.)

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

The prebaked pastry shells must be fully baked to ensure that even the bottoms stay crisp after the almond cream is added. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pastry will be 212°F. when completely baked. Alternatively, lift a small amount of the pastry with the tip of a sharp knife to ensure that there is no uncooked dough in the center.

To prevent separation while mixing, the butter and eggs for the almond cream must not be cold. If the butter is not soft, it will not mix smoothly with the eggs.

UNDERSTANDING

This almond cream has double the egg, more butter, and some flour, all of which make it softer than the frangipane (almond cream) used in a galette (page 446). Since it is contained in pastry shells, it can be softer, and it becomes firmer after baking. Almond cream freezes well for about a month.