Pie and Pastry Bible (120 page)

The pastry cream is half the weight of the almond cream. A higher proportion of pastry cream would make the filling brown less and be more creamy.

RED CURRANT TARTLETS WITH ALMOND CREAM

R
ed currants are one of the most intensely flavorful fruits. For a long while they were in scarce supply, but happily they are now more widely available, though their season is an all too short few weeks in July. One of loveliest ways to enjoy this fruit is uncooked, as a topping. Not only are these tartlets exquisite in appearance, the flavor and textural contrasts are fantastic. Imagine a buttery crisp puff pastry, the creamy perfume of almond filling, and bright, tart, juicy bursts of fresh plump currants. Because currants have such a short season, I also use small wild blueberries. Tiny purple champagne grapes, though less tangy, also work well.

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. Rinse the currants and dry them thoroughly on paper towels. 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 at once, 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

Place the tartlet shells on a baking sheet. Spoon ¼ cup (2 ounces/60 grams) of the almond pastry cream into each shell. (It will be soft and creamy.) (You will have a scant ½ cup left over, which can be frozen for up to 1 month.)

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

MAKE THE JELLY GLAZE

Place the currant jelly in a 1-cup heatproof glass measure and microwave until bubbling; strain. (Or heat it in a small saucepan.) Use a clean artist’s brush or the back of a spoon to brush a thin layer (about ½ teaspoon) of jelly onto the pastry cream in each tartlet. Place a single layer of currants (a scant ¼ cup) on top of each and coat the currants with the remaining hot glaze. (If the glaze becomes too thick, stir in a very small amount of cassis [black currant liqueur], Chambord [black raspberry liqueur], or water, or reheat.) Allow the glaze to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

VARIATIONS

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 a completely different effect. For the same size 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 1 tablespoon (0.50 ounce/15 grams) of almond cream for each; reduce the baking time to 15 minutes.

BLUEBERRY OR CHAMPAGNE GRAPE TARTLETS WITH ALMOND CREAM

Small wild blueberries, available in August, and tiny purple champagne grapes, which appear from midsummer to Thanksgiving, make lovely variations. The blueberries will approach the currants in tartness, but the grapes will be milder. You will need 1¼ cups (7 ounces/200 grams) of stemmed champagne grapes or 1¼ cups (5.3 ounces/150 grams) of blueberries (2 tablespoons for each tartlet). Replace the currant jelly with apple jelly.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 24 hours; refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days. (Allow the tartlets to come to room temperature before serving.)

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

See page 431.

UNDERSTANDING

More pastry cream is used in the almond cream filling than for a tart where the fruit is baked into it, to make it slightly softer and more creamy.

TWO MINIATURE GOLDEN APPLE GALETTES

G
alette
is a French word that refers to an open-faced tart or tartlet that is baked flat or free-form, without a tart pan or flan ring. In both these versions, the lightly sugared juices from the apples form a caramel layer on the bottom of the pastry during baking.

The basic version of this tart is from my friend David Shamah, who created it for his Brooklyn, New York, restaurant, Back to Nature. It consists of a round of buttery, flaky puff pastry topped with substantially chunky slices of apple that are only very lightly sugared so that they remain pleasantly tart despite the addition of a caramel sauce.

The almond upper crust version is from one of my favorite pastry chefs, Stacie Pierce, at New York City’s Union Square Café. In this version, an almond- butter top crust is added, which melds into the apples during baking, leaving a delicate sugary crisp coating with a hint of cinnamon.

Both versions can be prepared ahead and frozen for unexpected company. They will be ready to be eaten an hour from inspiration. They are most delicious while still warm with a scoop of slowly melting caramel or vanilla ice cream on the side.

EQUIPMENT

Two cookie sheets or inverted baking sheets, lined with parchment

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

Make the dough (page 417 or 420).

MAKE THE BASIC GALETTES

On a lightly floured counter, roll out the dough
inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut six 6- to 6½-inch squares. Place them at least ½ inch apart on the parchment-lined sheets. (If you have only one cookie sheet, place 3 of the galettes on a sheet of parchment. Cover and chill until the first batch is baked. When the second batch is ready to bake, quickly slip the remaining galettes, still on the parchment, onto the cookie sheet, and immediately place it in the hot oven to bake.)

Using a cardboard template and a sharp knife, cut out a 5½-inch round from each pastry square, and remove the excess dough. Starting ½ inch from the outer edge, arrange 4 apple slices on each round, cored sides facing toward the center, and then arrange 2 more slices in the middle. Brush the apples with the softened butter, using 1 teaspoon for each galette, and sprinkle each one with ½ teaspoon of sugar.

Bake the galettes for 30 to 35 minutes or until the apples are tender when pierced with a skewer, and the dough is risen and golden. (If frozen, they will need an additional 10 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, move the tartlets on
the parchment to prevent steaming from any condensation from the thawing pastry or leaking juices.)

Remove the galettes to racks and allow them to cool until warm, about 10 minutes. Set them on serving plates and drizzle each with the caramel sauce (about 1½ tablespoons for each one). Place a scoop of ice cream on the side of each and pass the remaining caramel sauce.

MAKE THE ALMOND UPPER CRUST VARIATION

These galettes are slightly larger and richer, so each tart will serve two.

MAKE THE UPPER CRUST

In a food processor with the steel blade, process the almonds, sugar, and cinnamon until the almonds are as fine as powder. Add the butter and process, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until smooth. Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or until firm. (To prepare it with a mixer, finely grate the almonds, or use ¾ cup almond flour, which is finely grated almonds. Combine all the ingredients in a mixer bowl and mix until smooth.)