The beauty industry makes millions of dollars on our obsession for youthful skin. Before the beauty industry women turned to mother nature for their “lotions”. Do you want the curative powers of alpha-hydroxy? Strawberries have the alpha-hydroxy that we desire. Cut a strawberry in half and rub on your skin. It may feel a little sticky, but when you rinse the strawberry juice off your skin will feel wonderful. Make this a habit and watch your skin take on its youthful natural glow once again.

Pastry Cream

Recipe by CHRISTINIBEANIE at all recipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don’ t curdle or scorch on the bottom.
3. When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

Tartlet Crust

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Sweet Pastry Crust

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Place the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Flatten the pastry into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or just until firm (can place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes.)
2. Lightly butter and flour, or spray with a non-stick vegetable/flour cooking spray, an 8 – 9 inch (20 – 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Once the pastry has chilled sufficiently, evenly pat onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Lightly prick bottom of pastry crust with the tines of a fork (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Place tart pan on a larger baking pan and bake crust for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and continue to bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until crust is dry and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. If desired, seal the crust with an egg white glaze or apricot glaze. Can be covered and stored for a few days.

Photography Data:
Featured Photographer
YanZappa

Tart fruits can bite when you first eat them, but after eating the fruit for a bit the sweetness begins to come through. This can be said for our next Strawberry Shortcake character: Raspberry Tart and her pet monkey named Rhubarb. When Raspberry Tart was introduced as a new character she was a tad bit mean. But, eventually, her sweetness came through. Life is truly delicious this time of year as we enjoy the summer season, berry season.

One of the things we love best about summer is all the fresh berries. We cannot eat enough of them. Initially we wanted to make this tart with the lovely black raspberries found at the local farmers market, but we were impatient, having eaten the black raspberries on the walk home. Unadorned, these raspberries were as nature intended…tart enough to make us wince a little and sweet enough to make us want more. Luckily we made it home before diving into the red raspberries.

Raspberry Tart

Sherry Yard’s Master 3-2-1 Flaky Pie Dough

Ingredients

• ½ pound cold, unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 2 ½ cups AP flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

Directions

1. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and place it in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
2. Sift together the flour and sugar into the bowl of a standing mixer (paddle attachment).
3. Add the butter and salt. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes. Stop mixing and by hand pinch flat any large pieces of butter that remain.
4. Combine the ice water and vinegar in a small bowl. Turn the mixer on low and add the liquid all at once. Mix just until the dough comes together, about 15 seconds.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
6.  After properly chilled roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness.
7. Fit dough into tart shells. Bake at 350 degrees or until lightly brown. (Bake using pie beads or poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork.)
8. Cool tart shell completely before filling.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until it is just hot enough to steam. While the milk is warming, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch until the mixture is completely smooth.
2. Once the milk is steaming, add half of it, whisking constantly, to the egg mixture.
3. Add the milk and eggs back into the hot milk continue stirring, and heat it for 1-2 minutes, until the custard reaches 170F on a digital thermometer and is very thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and chill before filling tart shells.

To Assemble

1. Use berries of your choice. For this tart we used raspberries.
2. Spoon or pipe the pastry filling into the tart shell.
3. Gently place rinsed and drained raspberries onto the pastry cream.

Rinse raspberries. Make sure they are as dry as possible before arranging on the tart.

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Featured Viktorija Kuprijanova

What happens when you receive a package from your dear friend who resides in Tokyo? In my home the entire family gathers to see what has been sent. Marie sends me many fun packages. My husband and boys enjoy the chocolates and candy. And, I receive many wonderful girly things like lip balm, hand gel, soaps, etc. I feel like a kid at Christmas for all the packaging is brightly colored and brilliantly decorated. None of the labeling is in English. All the print is Japanese. Sometimes I have no clue what is in the packaging until I open it to peek at the contents.

On one occasion I had left the contents of one of Marie’s care packages on my kitchen table. I was at work one day and my husband called me at work and this is the conversation we had:

My Hubby: “Babe, I think some of the candy Marie sent is bad.”
Me: “Huh? I just ate some last night. Everything seemed fine.”
My Hubby: “The lemon candy tastes like it went bad.”
Me: “What lemon candy?”
My Hubby: “The lemon candy that looks like a giant Sweettart.”
Me: “Hmmm.. I don’t think she sent…oh my god!”
My Hubby: “What?”
Me: “You just ate a bath fizzy.”

My son and my husband had mistaken a bath fizzy for an oversized Sweettart. I have to admit, the bath fizzy did look like a large Sweettart candy, however it did not smell like one. It was a mistake I don’t think either will forget. When asked if they spit it out, they both said, “No.” It tasted bad, but not bad enough to spit out. A little extra fizzy in the belly isn’t a bad thing, I guess!

Here is a much more enjoyable lemon treat if you are as much a fan of lemon flavored treats as my family.

Lemon Meringue Pie (or Tarts)
Pâte Brisée (Martha Stewart)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.

2. With machine running, add ice water through feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly; add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll to fit size of baking tin(s).

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Place the dough into the pie or tart shell. Using a fork liberally poke holes into the base. (This releases the hot air during baking and prevents bubbles. If you need to do it mid baking cycle very carefully take a fork and poke holes in any raised areas. Be careful not to burn yourself from the steam.)

7. Prebake the pie or tart shell until golden brown; cool completely.

Lemon Filling

4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1/3 cup corn starch (plus two tablespoons)
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice (Meyer lemons)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

Meringue
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Whisk the egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar and salt. Whisk until combined without lumps. Turn heat on medium and stirring frequently bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute more. (I left on the heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture almost looked like a gelatin)

4. Remove from heat and add one whiskful at a time, beating constantly, the hot mixture to the egg yolks.

5. When completely blended, return mixture to the stove, cook on low, stirring constantly. After about 2 minutes gently stir in the lemon juice and butter until well combined. Keep on heat, stirring continuously, until thick.

6. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while the filling is hot. Make sure meringue covers filling and that it goes to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

What happens when you receive a package from your dear friend who resides in Tokyo? In my home the entire family gathers to see what has been sent. Marie sends me many fun packages. My husband and boys enjoy the chocolates and candy. And, I receive many wonderful girly things like lip balm, hand gel, soaps, etc. I feel like a kid at Christmas for all the packaging is brightly colored and brilliantly decorated. None of the labeling is in English. All the print is Japanese. Sometimes I have no clue what is in the packaging until I open it to peek at the contents.

On one occasion I had left the contents of one of Marie’s care packages on my kitchen table. I was at work one day and my husband called me at work and this is the conversation we had:

My Hubby: “Babe, I think some of the candy Marie sent is bad.”
Me: “Huh? I just ate some last night. Everything seemed fine.”
My Hubby: “The lemon candy tastes like it went bad.”
Me: “What lemon candy?”
My Hubby: “The lemon candy that looks like a giant Sweettart.”
Me: “Hmmm.. I don’t think she sent…oh my god!”
My Hubby: “What?”
Me: “You just ate a bath fizzy.”

My son and my husband had mistaken a bath fizzy for an oversized Sweettart. I have to admit, the bath fizzy did look like a large Sweettart candy, however it did not smell like one. It was a mistake I don’t think either will forget. When asked if they spit it out, they both said, “No.” It tasted bad, but not bad enough to spit out. A little extra fizzy in the belly isn’t a bad thing, I guess!

Here is a much more enjoyable lemon treat if you are as much a fan of lemon flavored treats as my family.

Lemon Meringue Pie (or Tarts)
Pâte Brisée (Martha Stewart)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.

2. With machine running, add ice water through feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly; add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll to fit size of baking tin(s).

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Place the dough into the pie or tart shell. Using a fork liberally poke holes into the base. (This releases the hot air during baking and prevents bubbles. If you need to do it mid baking cycle very carefully take a fork and poke holes in any raised areas. Be careful not to burn yourself from the steam.)

7. Prebake the pie or tart shell until golden brown; cool completely.

Lemon Filling

4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1/3 cup corn starch (plus two tablespoons)
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice (Meyer lemons)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

Meringue
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Whisk the egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar and salt. Whisk until combined without lumps. Turn heat on medium and stirring frequently bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute more. (I left on the heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture almost looked like a gelatin)

4. Remove from heat and add one whiskful at a time, beating constantly, the hot mixture to the egg yolks.

5. When completely blended, return mixture to the stove, cook on low, stirring constantly. After about 2 minutes gently stir in the lemon juice and butter until well combined. Keep on heat, stirring continuously, until thick.

6. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while the filling is hot. Make sure meringue covers filling and that it goes to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

The military tends to move its service members and their families to places that the family members, particularly the spouse, may have never dreamed of living. My husband, being a United States Marine, didn’t have the ability to choose some of the glamorous locales available to the other services.

At one time I found myself sobbing about how much I hated living in the middle of the Mohave Desert when another Marine Corps spouse gave me some very sound advice, “You have to grow where you are planted, honey.” That gooey, corny advice, complete with southern drawl did not sit well with this on-the-verge-of –a-complete- meltdown North Easterner. But, once I stopped feeling sorry for myself I realized she was right. I started to look around me. I discovered that the desert wasn’t a flat, one dimensional, seemingly sterile land. It was a living, breathing environment that hid its precious secrets well. And, when I saw a flower open that hadn’t bloomed in 40 years I knew I witnessed beauty in its purest form.

We spent 5 years in the desert. I grew to love the desert and I grew as a person. I learned how to look at my natural surroundings and not take them for granted, something I could never do at our next assignment. We moved, leaving the desert on December 15th, for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Upon arriving on Cape Cod my senses went into overdrive. I was back in the north east. I smelled the ocean, listened to the gulls, marveled at the trees…even the ones without their leaves. I was inhaling every bit of this dynamic environment.

I couldn’t say that one thing impressed me more than another regarding the natural environment of Cape Cod. There was just so much to take in, changing with each season. But, one of my favorite memories was seeing the cranberry bogs everywhere we drove. They were a part of the landscape. I loved to see the bogs in each season. They were absolutely wonderful to me, from the pink flowers to the floating red berries.

The Cranberry, along with the blueberry and Concord grape, is one of America’s three native fruits. First used by the Native Americans, it wasn’t long before the European settlers, namely the Pilgrims, understood the value of the cranberry. The cranberry was named “craneberry” because the pink flowers resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill crane. Used for medicinal purposes, food and fabric dye, the cranberry was not just for the holidays.

Yet, for most Americans the cranberry has been relegated to a few uses; juice (to go with your vodka of course…making a “cape cod”, relish, chutney or sauce to go with turkey, strung with popcorn for making a Christmas garland and for making tarts or pies. It was on Cape Cod that I first tasted a cranberry linzer tart.

Watching the growing process and the harvesting of cranberries made me appreciate them all the more, but even if you don’t have that opportunity, you will definitely appreciate the sweet-tart deliciousness of this cranberry linzer tart. The recipe was given to me by a local who made it each year for Christmas and promised I’d never make it to give away as a gift! Well, here it is for you. Just make sure, if you’re on Cape Cod, you don’t make it and give it as a gift.

Cranberry Linzer Tart

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
8 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
Zest of 2 oranges
Linzer dough (see below)

Directions

1. Combine the sugar, water, fresh cranberries, dried cranberries, raisins and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop and liquid begins to thicken.

2. Drain the cranberries over a bowl. Set aside the cranberries and return the liquid to the saucepan. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken. Then, pour into the bowl with the cranberries and mix together. Set the cranberries aside to cool completely.

3. At this time you can make the crust.

4. When the crust is made and the cranberry mixture is cool spoon the filling into the crust. Weave the strips of dough into a lattice.

5. Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until crust is a warm brown. When it is finished, place on a cooling rack to set.

Linzer Dough

Ingredients

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups almond flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange peel
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
A pinch of salt
6 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 egg yolks, beaten
Ice water, as needed

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, ground almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, orange peel, cloves, and salt.

2. Add the butter, and process until the mixture is crumbly. With the machine running, add the egg yolks and vanilla. Process until combined.

3. If the dough looks too dry add ice water, one teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together.

4. Set aside about ¼ of the dough. Roll out the other portion to a round the size of your tart pan. Press the dough into the pan. Roll the small portion of dough into strips to be used for the lattice (or you can roll the dough and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter). Chill the dough in the pan and the strips of dough for the lattice.

Winner for the Gingerbread Food Picks is Jenn  at “Baking Jenn”.

We are really enjoying Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking from My Home to Yours. The recipes are easy, delicious and most are perfect for sharing with your guests this holiday season. For this week’s tart we picked the Parisian apple tartlet for two reasons: It is easy to make and it is absolutely delicious. We are all very familiar with the saying: Less is more. The Parisian apple tartlet provides a fine example of this saying. Two main ingredients: puff pastry and apples. Two supporting roles: brown sugar and butter. Who could ask for a better “cast”?

The Parisian apple tartlet is a perfect dessert for a large crowd. They prepare quickly, bake quickly and can be served warm, topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. If you’d like to add a little sophistication to the tartlet simply add a small sprinkle of cardamom and/or cinnamon and garnish with a homemade caramel sauce.

While making your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee) is challenging, we cannot tell you enough that it is also well worth the time. As we state regularly when posting about tart dough, pie dough or other freezable dough always double the recipe so that you will have extra to freeze for another day. The dough we used here came from the same batch that was used for several other posts. Of course, you can use store bought puff pastry and the Parisian apple tartlet will still be a warm, deliciously sweet and buttery dessert.

Dorie Greenspan’s Parisian Apple Tartlet

Ingredients:

1 – 1/8-inch-thick 4-inch circle cold puff pastry
1/2 firm sweet apple, such as a Golden Delicious or Fuji, peeled and cored
light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and put the pastry circle on the sheet.
Cut the apple half into 4 chunks and center the chunks on the pastry circle. Sprinkle the apple with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar-depending on how much sweetness you want-and do with the bits of butter.

Bake the tartlet for about 25 minutes (the time will vary depending on how your apple bakes), until the pastry is deeply browned and puffed up around the apple and the apple can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife.

Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the tartlet cool-it’s great just a little warm and equally good at room temperature.

Puff Pastry (Pate Feuilletee) from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Ingredients
1 pound all-purpose flour, accurately weighed
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup ice water)

Directions

1. Make the butter dough: In the bowl of a food processor or using the flat paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until very smooth. Shape the mixture into a 1-inch-thick flat square, wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the flour dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with the remaining flour, and add cream. Mix the dough well by hand or with an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a 1 1/2-inch-thick flat square, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle twice as long as the butter-dough square. Place the butter dough in the center, fold up the ends of the flour dough to completely encase the butter dough, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes so that the dough achieves the same temperature throughout.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and on a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

5. Repeat this process five more times; classic puff pastry gets six turns, creating hundreds of layers of butter between layers of the flour dough (729 to be exact). Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush off any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes rolling out the dough much easier and keeps the layers of butter equally thick.

6. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

Winner for the Gingerbread Food Picks is Jenn  at “Baking Jenn”.

We are really enjoying Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking from My Home to Yours. The recipes are easy, delicious and most are perfect for sharing with your guests this holiday season. For this week’s tart we picked the Parisian apple tartlet for two reasons: It is easy to make and it is absolutely delicious. We are all very familiar with the saying: Less is more. The Parisian apple tartlet provides a fine example of this saying. Two main ingredients: puff pastry and apples. Two supporting roles: brown sugar and butter. Who could ask for a better “cast”?

The Parisian apple tartlet is a perfect dessert for a large crowd. They prepare quickly, bake quickly and can be served warm, topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. If you’d like to add a little sophistication to the tartlet simply add a small sprinkle of cardamom and/or cinnamon and garnish with a homemade caramel sauce.

While making your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee) is challenging, we cannot tell you enough that it is also well worth the time. As we state regularly when posting about tart dough, pie dough or other freezable dough always double the recipe so that you will have extra to freeze for another day. The dough we used here came from the same batch that was used for several other posts. Of course, you can use store bought puff pastry and the Parisian apple tartlet will still be a warm, deliciously sweet and buttery dessert.

Dorie Greenspan’s Parisian Apple Tartlet

Ingredients:

1 – 1/8-inch-thick 4-inch circle cold puff pastry
1/2 firm sweet apple, such as a Golden Delicious or Fuji, peeled and cored
light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and put the pastry circle on the sheet.
Cut the apple half into 4 chunks and center the chunks on the pastry circle. Sprinkle the apple with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar-depending on how much sweetness you want-and do with the bits of butter.

Bake the tartlet for about 25 minutes (the time will vary depending on how your apple bakes), until the pastry is deeply browned and puffed up around the apple and the apple can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife.

Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the tartlet cool-it’s great just a little warm and equally good at room temperature.

Puff Pastry (Pate Feuilletee) from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Ingredients
1 pound all-purpose flour, accurately weighed
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup ice water)

Directions

1. Make the butter dough: In the bowl of a food processor or using the flat paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until very smooth. Shape the mixture into a 1-inch-thick flat square, wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the flour dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with the remaining flour, and add cream. Mix the dough well by hand or with an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a 1 1/2-inch-thick flat square, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle twice as long as the butter-dough square. Place the butter dough in the center, fold up the ends of the flour dough to completely encase the butter dough, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes so that the dough achieves the same temperature throughout.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and on a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

5. Repeat this process five more times; classic puff pastry gets six turns, creating hundreds of layers of butter between layers of the flour dough (729 to be exact). Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush off any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes rolling out the dough much easier and keeps the layers of butter equally thick.

6. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

With the passing of Thanksgiving (barely) we enter the time of the year known as “The Season”. One could argue that it is “The Season” of overindulgence and it began, for many, in the wee hours of the morning, the day after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday, which oozed into Small Business Saturday and then Cyber Monday.

Whew! If you were shopping on these days you certainly need a break. Even if you didn’t go shopping you might be exhausted by the onslaught of circulars, flyers and catalogs clogging your mailbox and cluttering your doorstep. The only plus side to all these publications is that your children will have a plethora of material for future collage projects at school.

Shopping, wrapping, parties, more shopping, cooking, baking and decorating can take its toll no matter how joyous. If, after hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer sung ad nauseam at your local market, you feel like shooting at the speaker system Rambo style it is time to give it all a rest. “The Season” can be exhausting so we must remember to take time for ourselves.

Sit down, have an espresso, two or three and take a bite of a delicious chocolate caramel tart. This tart is easy to make while you are in the kitchen baking your 400th cookie. And, the tart is small enough to hide. That’s right. Hide. Okay, maybe it isn’t in the spirit of “The Season” to hide the treats from the family, but sometimes one little fib, as you mumble through a gooey bite of tart, “What am I eating? It’s just a granola bar.” is required for the greater good. After all, who wants to be cranky during “The Season”?

This delicious, decadent tart is from Dorie Greenspans Baking: From my Home to Yours. At first glance it may seem like a long recipe, but it is exceedingly easy. And, as usual, our advice to you is to double the tart dough recipe. Save the extra in the freezer for another tart. If you do this for all your pie and tart dough you will amass a good selection to choose from when you are in a pinch.

Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart

Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup confectioners’ sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 ounces) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 large egg yolk

To make the dough:

Put the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt in the workbowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely – you’ll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that’s just fine. Stir the egg, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses – about 10 seconds each – until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Just before your reaches this clumpy stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change – heads up. Turn the dough out onto a work surface.

Very lightly and sparingly – make that very, very lightly and sparingly – knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

If you want to press the dough into a tart pan, now is the time to do it.

If you want to chill the dough and roll it out later (doable, but fussier than pressing), gather the dough into a ball (you might have to use a little more pressure than you used to mix in dry bits, because you do want the ball to be just this side of cohesive), flatten it into a disk, wrap it well and chill it for at least 2 hours or for up to 1 day.

To make a press-in crust: Butter the tart pan and press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Don’t be stingy – you want a crust with a little heft because you want to be able to both taste and feel it. Also, don’t be too heavy-handed – you want to press the crust in so that the pieces cling to one another and knit together when baked, but you don’t want to press so hard that the crust loses its crumbly shortbreadish texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

To make a rolled-out crust: This dough is very soft – a combination of a substantial amount of butter and the use of confectioners’ sugar – so I find it is easier to roll it between wax paper or plastic wrap or, easiest of all, in a roll-out-your-dough slipcover. If you use the slipcover, flour it lightly. Roll the dough out evenly, turning the dough over frequently and lifting the wax paper or plastic wrap often, so that it doesn’t roll into the dough and form creases. If you’ve got time, slide the rolled out dough into the fridge to rest and firm for about 20 minutes before fitting the dough into the buttered tart pan. Trim the excess dough even with the edge of the pan. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

To fully bake the crust: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil tightly against the crust, placing baking beads on top. Bake the crust 25 minutes, and then carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, take a fork and poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer the crust to a cooling rack; keep it in its pan.

For the caramel layer:

Scant 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. salted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Before making the caramel, make sure that you have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go because you have to work quickly once the sugar caramelizes. Also have a medium heatproof bowl at hand to hold the hot caramel.

To make the caramel, bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet, preferably nonstick, to medium heat and sprinkle in about 3 tablespoons of the sugar. When it melts, stir it with a wooden spatula or a fork and sprinkle over another 3 tablespoons. When that sugar is melted, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar in the pan may already have started to color and that is fine. Stir in the corn syrup and boil the syrup until it reaches a deep caramel color – it will probably begin to smoke, and that is normal.

Bring the simmering cream to a full boil. Stand back from the skillet and stir in the butter and salt, if you’re using it. The caramel will bubble furiously and may spatter, so be careful. When the butter is in, add the warm cream – the caramel will bubble furiously again. Lower the temperature just a tad and let the caramel boil for just 2 minutes. (If you check the temperature with a thermometer, the caramel should be at 226 degrees F.) Pour the seething caramel into the heatproof bowl and set it aside while you make the ganache.

For the ganache:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

To make the ganache, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and have a whisk or rubber spatula at hand. Bring the cream to a boil, then pour half of it over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds. Working with the whisk or spatula, very gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles, starting at center of the bowl and working your way out in increasingly larger concentric circles. Pour in the remainder of the cream and blend it into the chocolate, using the same circular motion. When the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in the butter piece by piece. Don’t stir the ganache any more than you must to blend the ingredients – the less you work it, the darker, smoother and shinier it will be.

Cover the ganache with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface of the chocolate to create an airtight seal. Set aside at room temperature for the moment. To assemble the tart, stir the peanuts into the caramel using a rubber spatula. If the caramel is too thick to stir or spread easily, gently warm it in the microwave in 3-second spurts. (You can also hold the heatproof bowl about 10 inches above the burner on your range. Check the consistency after a couple of seconds and repeat if necessary.) Spread the caramel over the bottom of the tart shell in a thin layer. Refrigerate the tart for 15 minutes to set the caramel.

Check the ganache. If it has thickened and is no longer pourable, warm it in the same way as instructed for the caramel above. Pour the ganache over the caramel and jiggle the tart pan to even it. Refrigerate the tart for 30 minutes but no longer, and then keep it at room temperature until serving time.

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“.

For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion.

There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor.
You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard. It is our fortune that organic, free-range eggs from a local farm are sold to us directly from the farm. They are fresh, delicious and above all the egg yolks are an amazingly bright, deep yellow. Anything made with these eggs has a beautiful color.

It may be that some like the white of a coconut cream pie and that is fine. But, the color of this custard speaks to us of a time when women were embarrassed to put brown sugar on the table, preferring the less healthy, refined white sugar because it was a status symbol.
Today this may seem silly to us as we all know that unrefined sugar is much healthier and often preferred. This is how we feel about the eggs. We love the rich color and we do not hesitate, when asked, to say proudly that the eggs used in the custard come from local, healthy, happy, well-fed chickens!

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. You can use a pate brisee recipe for the crust or sweet tart dough. If you are making this into a tart you have the option to make a variety of sizes. The recipe will yield about 6-8 tartlets or can be used in a large tart pan. And, remember: double your dough recipe and freeze the extra! You’ll be glad you did when you’d like to make a quick pie or tart.

Coconut Cream Pie (or Tart)

Ingredients

1/2 recipe Pate Brisee
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Fresh Coconut Curls
1 large whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 5 large egg yolks
3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Curls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round, a bit less than 1/4 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim crust to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under overhang so it extends slightly beyond edge of pie plate. Crimp edge as desired. Prick dough all over with a fork. Brush rim of dough with beaten egg. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Line chilled pie shell with a round of parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust just turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Return crust to oven, and continue baking until golden all over 15 to 20 minutes more. Place pie shell on a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Place Coconut Curls on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

4. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together coconut milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Whisk a quarter of hot-milk mixture into egg yolks; whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set in ice bath until completely chilled, 30 to 35 minutes. (Filling can be kept in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)

6. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch the water), or in the microwave. Stir until smooth, and set aside until cool to touch, stirring occasionally.

7. Using a pastry brush, coat inside of cooled crust with melted chocolate. Place in refrigerator or freezer until firm to touch, about 10 minutes.

8. Fill crust with coconut custard, spreading evenly with an offset spatula. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine cream and confectioners’ sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Using a small offset spatula, spread whipped cream on top of custard. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with toasted Coconut Curls and Chocolate Curls just before serving.

Pate Brisee

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chilled (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Make sure all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled before you begin. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.

2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture by pressing down quickly, using as few strokes as possible. You may leave a few pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons water. Gather the dough and gently press into a ball. It should come together loosely; if not, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half; place each on plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap tightly; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

3. Remove disks from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, press rolling pin gently all over dough to flatten it slightly. Working from the center to the edge in all directions, roll out dough into a round about 3 inches larger than the pie plate.

4. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; lift and center it over the pie plate. Gently unroll the dough over the plate, leaving an even amount of overhang around the perimeter. Baking time depends on individual recipes.

Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl.

2. Toss butter through flour mixture to coat pieces. Using fingertips, rub fat into flour, working it until you have created a coarse meal with a few pea-size particles of fat.

3. Empty crumbs onto a cool surface. Form mixture into a mound. Make a 4 to 5 inch well in center of the mound. Combine egg and vanilla and pour mixture into the well. Using a fork, draw crumbs into egg mixture, about 1 – 2 tablespoons at a time. When all crumbs are added, toss mixture a few times with a pastry blender to form large clumps, and then scrape into a mound.

4. Using the heel of your hand, push 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dough at a time, outward in 6 to 8 inch sweeps. This will blend fat and flour and give crust a delicate texture. If your hand becomes sticky, flour it as needed. Repeat process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into a mound again. Repeat procedure 2 more times.

5. After third time, flour your hands. Gently knead the dough 5 or 6 times to make it smooth. Shape into a 5 inch disk. Dust disk lightly with flour, score with side of your hand, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 20 minutes before shaping. DO NOT LET DOUGH BECOME TOO HARD or it will be difficult to roll. If this happens, let pastry soften at room temperature.

6. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. After dough has been rolled, position rolling pin 4 inches from top of the pastry. Lift dough over top of rolling pin and gently roll dough toward you. Lift pastry up. Make sure you keep a finger pressed against barrel of rolling pin to keep it from slipping. Position pastry, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough hanging over edge of pan on side closest to you. Then unroll pastry over an ungreased tart pan, moving pin away from you. Immediately lift overhang into pan to prevent sharp edge of the pan from cutting dough.

7. Working a small portion of the dough at a time, mold it into crease of the pan. Trim excess pastry from top edge of pan. Chill pastry in refrigerator or freezer for up to 30 minutes. Tear an 18 inch square of tin foil. Make a buttered circle in center of foil 2 inches larger than size of pan. Place foil buttered side down, centering it into the baking pan. Using your hand, press foil flush against the sides.

8. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Position shelf in lower third of oven. Fill pan with enough dried beans or baking nuggets to just cover surface of pan. DO NOT OVERFILL. Bake pastry shell on a shallow pan with sides. Bake crust 15 to 18 minutes or until sides begin to brown. Remove pan from the oven. Let stand about 30 seconds. Gently remove foil and beans. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue to bake crust for 3 to 5 minutes or until it is golden. If bottom of pastry shell puffs up, tap it gently with bottom of a fork to expel the air. Do this carefully so the pastry crust doesn’t break. When crust is done, cool completely before filling.

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“.

For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion.

There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor.
You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard. It is our fortune that organic, free-range eggs from a local farm are sold to us directly from the farm. They are fresh, delicious and above all the egg yolks are an amazingly bright, deep yellow. Anything made with these eggs has a beautiful color.

It may be that some like the white of a coconut cream pie and that is fine. But, the color of this custard speaks to us of a time when women were embarrassed to put brown sugar on the table, preferring the less healthy, refined white sugar because it was a status symbol.
Today this may seem silly to us as we all know that unrefined sugar is much healthier and often preferred. This is how we feel about the eggs. We love the rich color and we do not hesitate, when asked, to say proudly that the eggs used in the custard come from local, healthy, happy, well-fed chickens!

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. You can use a pate brisee recipe for the crust or sweet tart dough. If you are making this into a tart you have the option to make a variety of sizes. The recipe will yield about 6-8 tartlets or can be used in a large tart pan. And, remember: double your dough recipe and freeze the extra! You’ll be glad you did when you’d like to make a quick pie or tart.

Coconut Cream Pie (or Tart)

Ingredients

1/2 recipe Pate Brisee
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Fresh Coconut Curls
1 large whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 5 large egg yolks
3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Curls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round, a bit less than 1/4 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim crust to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under overhang so it extends slightly beyond edge of pie plate. Crimp edge as desired. Prick dough all over with a fork. Brush rim of dough with beaten egg. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Line chilled pie shell with a round of parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust just turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Return crust to oven, and continue baking until golden all over 15 to 20 minutes more. Place pie shell on a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Place Coconut Curls on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

4. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together coconut milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Whisk a quarter of hot-milk mixture into egg yolks; whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set in ice bath until completely chilled, 30 to 35 minutes. (Filling can be kept in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)

6. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch the water), or in the microwave. Stir until smooth, and set aside until cool to touch, stirring occasionally.

7. Using a pastry brush, coat inside of cooled crust with melted chocolate. Place in refrigerator or freezer until firm to touch, about 10 minutes.

8. Fill crust with coconut custard, spreading evenly with an offset spatula. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine cream and confectioners’ sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Using a small offset spatula, spread whipped cream on top of custard. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with toasted Coconut Curls and Chocolate Curls just before serving.

Pate Brisee

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chilled (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Make sure all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled before you begin. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.

2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture by pressing down quickly, using as few strokes as possible. You may leave a few pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons water. Gather the dough and gently press into a ball. It should come together loosely; if not, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half; place each on plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap tightly; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

3. Remove disks from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, press rolling pin gently all over dough to flatten it slightly. Working from the center to the edge in all directions, roll out dough into a round about 3 inches larger than the pie plate.

4. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; lift and center it over the pie plate. Gently unroll the dough over the plate, leaving an even amount of overhang around the perimeter. Baking time depends on individual recipes.

Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl.

2. Toss butter through flour mixture to coat pieces. Using fingertips, rub fat into flour, working it until you have created a coarse meal with a few pea-size particles of fat.

3. Empty crumbs onto a cool surface. Form mixture into a mound. Make a 4 to 5 inch well in center of the mound. Combine egg and vanilla and pour mixture into the well. Using a fork, draw crumbs into egg mixture, about 1 – 2 tablespoons at a time. When all crumbs are added, toss mixture a few times with a pastry blender to form large clumps, and then scrape into a mound.

4. Using the heel of your hand, push 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dough at a time, outward in 6 to 8 inch sweeps. This will blend fat and flour and give crust a delicate texture. If your hand becomes sticky, flour it as needed. Repeat process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into a mound again. Repeat procedure 2 more times.

5. After third time, flour your hands. Gently knead the dough 5 or 6 times to make it smooth. Shape into a 5 inch disk. Dust disk lightly with flour, score with side of your hand, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 20 minutes before shaping. DO NOT LET DOUGH BECOME TOO HARD or it will be difficult to roll. If this happens, let pastry soften at room temperature.

6. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. After dough has been rolled, position rolling pin 4 inches from top of the pastry. Lift dough over top of rolling pin and gently roll dough toward you. Lift pastry up. Make sure you keep a finger pressed against barrel of rolling pin to keep it from slipping. Position pastry, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough hanging over edge of pan on side closest to you. Then unroll pastry over an ungreased tart pan, moving pin away from you. Immediately lift overhang into pan to prevent sharp edge of the pan from cutting dough.

7. Working a small portion of the dough at a time, mold it into crease of the pan. Trim excess pastry from top edge of pan. Chill pastry in refrigerator or freezer for up to 30 minutes. Tear an 18 inch square of tin foil. Make a buttered circle in center of foil 2 inches larger than size of pan. Place foil buttered side down, centering it into the baking pan. Using your hand, press foil flush against the sides.

8. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Position shelf in lower third of oven. Fill pan with enough dried beans or baking nuggets to just cover surface of pan. DO NOT OVERFILL. Bake pastry shell on a shallow pan with sides. Bake crust 15 to 18 minutes or until sides begin to brown. Remove pan from the oven. Let stand about 30 seconds. Gently remove foil and beans. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue to bake crust for 3 to 5 minutes or until it is golden. If bottom of pastry shell puffs up, tap it gently with bottom of a fork to expel the air. Do this carefully so the pastry crust doesn’t break. When crust is done, cool completely before filling.