Almond Tart Crostata Di Mandorle Food

ALMOND-MILK GRANITA (GRANITA DI MANDORLE)

Steps:

• Blend together almond paste, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups water in a blender until smooth, foamy, and white. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch square baking pan, reserving any solids in sieve. Add remaining 1/2 cup water to solids in sieve and whisk over baking pan until most of water passes through (do not press on solids).
• Stir mixture, then freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, until firm but not frozen hard, 2 to 3 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps.

ALMOND TART--CROSTATA DI MANDORLE

Steps:

• Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface.
• Fit it into a 9 inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim, and crimp the edge.
• Chill the shell for 30 minutes.
• Spread the jam on the bottom of the shell.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they are foamy and beat in the granulated sugar gradually.
• Crumble the almond paste into the egg mixture, and beat until it is combined well.
• Fold in the flour gently but throughly.
• Spread the mixture evenly over the jam and sprinkle it with the almonds.
• Bake the tart in the lower third of a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it is golden and firm in the center.
• Let it cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
• Remove the rim, let the tart cool completely on the rack, and dust with confectioners sugar.

ITALIAN ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Fold the dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9 1/2-inch tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides to extend it slightly above the rim to offset any shrinkage during baking.
• Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F
• Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or raw short-grain rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift an edge of the foil. If the dough looks wet, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes, until the dough is pale gold, for a total baking time of 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F
• In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a whisk, beat the butter until smooth. Add the almond paste, one piece at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. While continuing to beat, sprinkle in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour.
• Spread the jam evenly over the bottom of the partially baked tart shell. Spoon in the almond paste mixture and spread evenly over the jam. Sprinkle the surface evenly with the sliced almonds.
• Bake the tart until the filling is golden and the middle is firm to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the tart cool completely. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, let the sides fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature. Makes one 9 1/2-inch tart; serves 8.

CROSTATA DI RICOTTA, MANDORLA E ARANCIA

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
• Spread almonds on a cookie sheet and bake until light brown. Remove and set on a rack to cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325° F.
• Grind almonds into a fine meal in a bowl or food processor.
• Add the eggs, ricotta, sugar, orange zest, orange liquor, vanilla and nutmeg. Process until well mixed, smooth, and fluffy.
• Butter a 9 or 10 inch quiche dish or a glass or ceramic pie plate (you could also use a a tart pan with a removable bottom).
• Pour the batter into the dish, filling almost to the top of the pan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour. The tart will puff up while baking. Remove and place on a rack to cool for 1 hour. Set aside and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• For the topping, peel the zest from the oranges and cut into long, very thin strips. Be careful to remove only the peel and not the white pith underneath.
• Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, add orange zest and cook slowly for 1 hour. If syrup becomes too dry add a little more water. Turn off heat and add cinnamon stick. Set aside.
• Just before serving time, remove the candied orange zest from the syrup and shake off the excess syrup. Reserve syrup and set aside.
• Place 1 tablespoon of sugar on a piece of waxed paper.
• Place the zest on the sugar an toss well to coat with sugar.
• Place orange rind on the top of the tart and distribute evenly over the tart.
• To serve, cut the tart into wedges. Place on serving plates, top with a dollop of Creme Frauche, and drizzle a teaspoon of the reserved syrup on top.
• Garnish with mint leaves.

RASPBERRY AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Mix the flour, sugar, and lemon peel, in a food processor.
• Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Add salt and pulse in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until moist clumps form.
• Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk then wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface to an 11-inch round then transfer the dough onto a heavy baking sheet that has been lined with a silpat or parchment paper.
• Heat in the microwave the almond paste with 2 T of butter to thin it out, then spread on top of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border.
• Stir the lemon juice into the raspberry preserve and spread on top of almond paste, still leaving a 2-inch border.
• Fold the 2-inch dough border over to form an 8-inch round, pleating loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough (looks like a flat pie).
• Bake until the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Allow to cool.
• Sprinkle with the almonds and dust with the powdered sugar, if you wish.
• Slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the crostata from the baking sheet and serve.
• Optional: Top with chopped hazelnuts instead of almonds; or mix some lemon juice w/powdered sugar and drizzle over the top after cooking.
• *There are several good almond paste recipes on Zaar.

FOCACCIA DI MANDORLE (ALMOND TORTE FROM TUSCANY)

Steps:

• Dough:.
• Mix all the dough ingredients and knead until smooth. Halve dough and form each half into a ball. Wrap them in cling film. Leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F Roll out each dough between 2 pieces of lining paper until you get a circle of 11 inches. Shape the circle with your hands, so that you will get a smooth edge. There is no need to get a perfect circle. Bake 15 minutes or until cooked and golden. Let cool.
• Custard:.
• Put milk into a pan. Slice vanilla bean lengthwise. Scratch out black stuff inside vanilla bean with the blade of a knife and add it to the milk together with the sliced vanilla bean. Bring to a boil. Let cool.
• Using an electric mixer, mix yolks and sugar for 2 minutes. Add flour and mix until well combined.
• Remove vanilla bean from milk. Add yolk mixture.
• Stirring all the time, cook mixture on medium-low heat until thickened. The mixture mustn't boil.
• Let custard cool, stirring frequently to avoid building a skin on top.
• Now you've got two variations. The original recipe says to spread 1 biscuit with the cooled filling, to top it with the remaining biscuit, to dust it with the icing sugar and to sprinkle it with the toasted slivered almonds. As I feared that the slivered almonds would fall off that way when you cut it, I reserved a small amount of the filling and spread it on top of the second biscuit, topped it then with the almonds and finally dusted the foccacia di mandorle with icing sugar.