Apricot And Ganache Tartlets Food

APRICOT AND GANACHE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Sift flour, cocoa, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with heavy cream, beginning and ending with flour. Shape dough into a rectangle, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment to a 1/16-inch thickness. Refrigerate until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working in batches, line twenty-four 3-inch barquette molds (1/2 inch deep) and twenty-four 2 1/4-inch round tartlet molds: Cut out dough 3/4 inch wider than each shape on all sides, fit inside mold, and trim excess by rolling a rolling pin over tops. Place a matching mold over dough in each tart shell and press down gently. Freeze until tart shells are firm, about 20 minutes.
• Bake tart shells on baking sheets for 15 minutes with top molds still in place. Remove top molds and bake until tart shells are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes more. Let cool completely in molds set on wire racks. Remove tart shells from molds.
• Transfer jam to a disposable pastry bag and snip a 1/4-inch opening. Pipe about 1 teaspoon jam evenly into the bottom of each tart shell.
• Transfer ganache to another disposable pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/4-inch opening. Fill each tart shell. Let stand until set, about 2 1/2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator. (Refrigerating tarts will make ganache set faster but be less shiny.)

GANACHE

Steps:

• Coarsely chop chocolate. A serrated knife is best for the job; its sawlike teeth grab the chocolate, breaking it up.
• Bring cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate, and add salt. Let stand for 10 minutes (don't stir -- doing so will cool the ganache too quickly, making it grainy).
• Stir with a whisk until smooth and shiny to break up any pieces and emulsify cream and chocolate.
• Chocolate will often settle on the bottom or sides of the bowl. Scrape the dish with a rubber spatula to incorporate all of it.
• To make a whipped filling or frosting: Let ganache cool to room temperature, stirring often, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Beat it with a mixer on medium-high speed until paler and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. (This will yield about 2 cups.) Transfer to a disposable pastry bag with a large opening and use it as a filling for mini whoopie pies or spread it over cupcakes.

APRICOT-ALMOND TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and water; stir until dough forms a ball. Roll into twenty-four 1-in. balls. Press onto the bottoms and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups., In a small bowl, beat almond paste and butter until blended; beat in egg white and almond extract. Spoon into tart shells, about 2 teaspoons in each., Bake at 350° until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Top with apricot preserves.

AMARETTO CHOCOLATE TART WITH APRICOT CREAM

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Liberally butter the tart pan.
• For the crust: Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, almonds, cocoa powder and sugar in a food processor. Process until the almonds are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms a coarse meal. With the processor running, gradually add 2 tablespoons of iced water until the mixture forms a ball, adding extra water, as needed, if the mixture is too dry. Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Place the dough in the tart pan and trim any excess dough from the top of the pan. If the dough cracks, press scraps of dough into the cracks to seal. Prick the dough all over, using a fork, and bake for 15 minutes. Let the crust cool for 15 minutes.
• For the filling: Place the chocolate and butter in a small bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Beat the eggs, liqueur, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filing has set and begins to crack slightly on top, 22 to 25 minutes. Allow the tart to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For the apricot cream: Beat the cream at high speed until stiff peaks form, using a hand mixer. Add the jam and vanilla. Beat until the jam is incorporated into the cream.
• Remove the tart from the pan and cut into thin wedges. Serve with a dollop of apricot cream.

BERRIES AND CREAM TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make the crusts: Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on low speed until just combined. Add flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt; beat on low speed until dough comes together, 3 to 5 minutes. Press dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out thirty-two 3-inch rounds or twenty-five 3 1/2-inch rounds, and fit each into a 2 1/2- or 3-inch tart pan. Trim excess dough flush with edges of pans using a knife. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. Bake, pressing down dough if puffing, until pale gold, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make the filling: Heat milk and 1/2 cup cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until almost boiling. Whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, flour, and a pinch of salt. Slowly pour some of the warm milk mixture into yolk mixture, and whisk to combine. Pour yolk mixture into saucepan with remaining milk mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and cook for 1 minute, continuing to whisk.
• Strain mixture through a fine sieve, and whisk in vanilla. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. When ready to use, whip remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold into pastry cream.
• Assemble the tarts: Fill each tart shell halfway with pastry cream. Top with berries; gently brush with jam.

GLAZED APRICOT TART WITH FRANGIPANE (MINI TARTS - TARTLETS)

Steps:

• To Prepare Crust:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixture until smooth.
• Add one egg, beating until smooth. Gradually add 1/4 cup ground almonds and the flour, beating at low speed until just combined (dough will be sticky).
• Cover and chill dough for 1 hour. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls; press into bottom and two-thirds up sides of each cup of a miniature muffin pan, or 1 large tart tin.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To Make Filling:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, melted butter, cream, 2 eggs, the vanilla, the almond extract, 1/2 cup ground almonds, and the lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
• Spoon filling mixture into each crust.
• Pit and slice apricots. Arrange apricot slices over the top of each tart.
• To make glaze, mix apricot jam with a little water, brush over tops of fruit.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Dust tops with icing sugar while still warm.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE HEART TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make the tart shells: Coat five 5-inch heart-shaped tart pans with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.
• Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add vanilla and flour mixture, and mix until dough just begins to hold together, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn out dough onto plastic wrap, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 5 equal pieces, and press into bottom and up sides of prepared tart pans. Using a sharp paring knife, trim excess dough flush with edges of pans. Patch any tears. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Bake tart shells on a rimmed baking sheet until firm, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks.
• Make the ganache filling: Place chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream and milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until almost boiling; pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes more. Stir in egg. Return tart shells to baking sheet, and pour in filling. Bake until just set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pans. Decorate with meringue hearts.

ESPRESSO-GANACHE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until light. Beat in egg. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat just until blended. Divide dough among six 3-inch-diameter tartlet pans with 1-inch-high sides and removable bottoms. With floured fingertips, press dough into pans. Refrigerate 1 hour, then freeze 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake tartlets until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely.
• For filling:
• Mix 1/4 cup hot water and espresso powder in small bowl until espresso dissolves. Bring cream and sugar to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Mix in espresso mixture. Pour hot filling into tartlets. Chill until chocolate sets, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) Remove tart pan sides from tartlets. Transfer to plates and serve.