Almond Tart Food

ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a small glass measuring cup, stir together butter, vanilla, and 1/2 tablespoon water; pour over flour mixture. Stir to combine. With floured hands, press dough into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove tart shell from oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees.
• Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, stir together almonds, heavy cream, sugar, egg, almond extract, Grand Marnier, and salt. Pour filling into crust. Bake tart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

DIANE'S ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut into appropriate size circles with a glass or cookie cutter and press into tart shells. Spoon 1 teaspoon jam into bottom of each shell.
• In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in rice flour and cocoa powder. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons almond extract. Fill tarts 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and filling is set. Allow to cool.
• In a small bowl, Stir together 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Spread on tarts. Garnish each tart with a maraschino cherry.

ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• For dough: Beat the butter, sugars, and salt until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well. Stir in the flour until well blended, then refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or longer.
• Shaping: Place a rounded teaspoon of dough (about 1/2 oz.)into each ungreased mini-muffin cup. With floured fingers or a tart tamper, press the dough up the sides of the cups to form the floor and walls of the crust. Place the crusts in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling.
• Filling: Crumble the almond paste into a small bowl. Blend in the sugar, salt and extract(s). Add one egg at a time to the almond paste, mixing well after each addition until there are no lumps.
• Assembly and Baking: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon of the raspberry jam into each dough-filled cup. Top with almond filling. The almond filling should come to the top of the dough. Bake the tarts for 24 to 28 minutes, until they're puffed and golden brown. Allow the tarts to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning them out to cool completely. While they cool, make the glaze.
• Glaze: In a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar with the water until dissolved. Add the food coloring, if you're using it. Drizzle the glaze over the tarts. The tarts store well for 3 - 4 days in airtight containers; freeze them for longer storage.

LEMON ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Pulse together flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse in butter until crumbly. Stir egg yolks and vanilla together and pulse into flour mixture. Remove from processor and work with hands to make soft dough. Roll dough out between 2 sheets of waxed paper to about 1/8-inch thickness. Remove waxed paper and place into 9-inch tart pan, pressing dough firmly into sides. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit Toast almonds in shallow pan for 7 to 9 minutes or until brown. Remove and let cool. Finely chop in food processor with metal blade. Set aside. Remove the crust from the freezer. Line crust with aluminum foil and top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil and let cool.
• Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar together on medium speed in large bowl until pale. Stir in lemon juice and zest, then melted butter, almonds and almond extract. Place tart pan with crust in shallow baking pan. Carefully pour filling into crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until tart is set and a rich brown color. When ready to serve dust with powdered sugar.

MINIATURE ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add flour until well blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour. , Shape into 1-in. balls. Place in ungreased miniature muffin cups; press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a shell. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat the almond paste, eggs and sugar until blended. Fill each shell with about 1-1/2 teaspoons filling., Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Pipe or spread over tarts. Top each with a cherry half.

ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Take 2/3s of the puff pastry and roll out thinly to line a buttered 10 inch quiche dish or tart pan, allowing a 1 inch overhang all around.
• Roll out the remainder of the pastry slightly thicker and cut into strips that are ½ inch wide and set aside.
• Cream the butter with the sugar.
• Add 1 egg and beat well.
• Add 1 tblsp of the flour.
• Add second egg and beat well.
• Mix the almond extract with the milk and add it to the batter along with remaining flour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spread jam on the pastry in dish to within 1 inch of the rim.
• Sprinkle the grated almond paste on top.
• Cover with the batter using a spatula, being very careful not to disturb filling Make a lattice with the pastry strips over the top and crimp the edges, turning in the overhang of pastry to form a rim.
• Crimp.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake 15 minutes longer.

HONEY, ORANGE & ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Put the flour in a food processor with a pinch of salt and the icing sugar, and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and orange zest, and pulse again until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and whizz until it just forms a ball, adding 1 tbsp cold water to bring together if you need to. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• Roll out the rested pastry to 5mm thick and use to line a 20cm fluted tart tin. Chill for 10 mins while you heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Lay a scrunched-up piece of baking parchment in the pastry tin and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10 mins, then remove the paper and beans, and cook for 5 mins until dry and lightly golden. Trim any overhanging pastry with a serrated knife.
• While the pastry is cooling, make the frangipane. Beat together the butter, sugar and set honey until well combined. Add the ground almonds, orange zest, 2 tbsp of the juice, almond extract and eggs. Beat well to combine (don't worry if the frangipane starts to split slightly, it will be quite loose). Pour into the pastry case, and scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 25-30 mins until the filling is set, and springs back when lightly pressed.
• Warm the remaining orange juice and 2 tbsp honey in a small pan and simmer until it forms a light syrup. Brush over the cooling tart. Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraîche or ice cream.

ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
• Put 2 strips of baking paper across tin to make lifting pie out easier.
• Line tin with rolled out pastry.
• Spread Jam over pastry base.
• Mix together filling ingredients except flaked almonds.
• Pour filling over jam and sprinkle with flaked almonds
• Bake for approx. 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool in tin before removing.

ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• For the shells: Pulse together the granulated sugar, flour and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until mealy. Add the egg yolks (reserve the egg whites for the filling) and pulse until the dough comes together. Press the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
• To mold the shells, grease a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4-inch-thick, dusting with more flour as needed. Cut out 3-inch circles and press them into the muffin cups so that the dough comes all the way up the sides. (No worries if the dough tears; just patch it up with additional dough.) Freeze the shells for 15 minutes.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the almond meal, granulated sugar, salt, and butter, either by blending it in the food processor (no need to clean it out after making the dough, you can just use it immediately for this step), or by stirring it together in a large bowl (I find it's easiest to get in there with my hands). Add the almond extract, egg and the reserved egg whites from the shells, and continue to blend/stir until smooth and combined.
• Fill the frozen shells with the filling so that it comes up about 1/4-inch from the top. Bake until the tops and edges are lightly browned; begin checking for doneness at 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then use a small offset spatula or a knife to remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: If making the glaze with heavy cream, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream and almond extract in a bowl until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar or liquid to thicken it up or thin it out so that you get the consistency of a thick glue.
• To make the glaze with the raspberries, place the raspberries in a fine-mesh sieve and give them a rinse. Place the sieve over a bowl and use a stiff rubber spatula or wooden spoon to smash them through the sieve into the bowl until you're just left with seeds in the sieve. Be sure to scrape the underside of the sieve to get the stuff that's sticking to it. (You should be left with about 2 tablespoons seedless puree. If it's a tiny bit more or a tiny bit less, that's fine.) Add the powdered sugar and almond extract and mix to make a thick glaze. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it out, and if it's too thin, add a few more spoonfuls of powdered sugar. It should be the consistency of a thick glue.
• Spread the glaze over the cooled tarts and decorate with sprinkles, almonds and anything else you'd like! These will keep for several days at room temperature or in the fridge.

PEAR AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• For pears:
• Bring 4 cups water, sugar, and lemon juice to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until pears are very tender, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool pears in syrup. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For crust:
• Blend powdered sugar, almonds, and salt in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and blend until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Mix in egg yolk. Add flour. Using on/off turns, blend until dough comes together in clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For almond filling:
• Finely grind almonds and flour in processor. Mix in 7 tablespoons sugar, then butter, blending until smooth. Mix in egg. Transfer filling to medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll out chilled dough on floured sheet of parchment paper to 12-inch round, lifting and turning dough occasionally to free from paper. Using paper as aid, turn dough into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom; peel off paper. Seal any cracks in dough. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, making double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze crust 10 minutes.
• Line crust with buttered foil, buttered side down, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until sides are golden and bottom is set, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 10 minutes longer. Cool crust in pan on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Spread almond filling evenly in crust. Stem pears and cut each in half lengthwise; scoop out cores. Cut each half crosswise into thin slices. Gently press each pear half to fan slices but keep slices tightly overlapped. Slide spatula under pears and arrange atop filling like spokes of wheel with narrow ends in center.
• Bake tart until golden and tester inserted into center of filling comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack. Push pan bottom up, releasing tart from pan. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Cut tart into wedges; sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve.