Cashew Tart Food

CARROT TART WITH CASHEW-TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until softened, 30 to 45 minutes; drain.
• Puree the cashews in a blender with the carrot greens, cilantro, 2 tablespoons cold water, the tahini, vinegar, 1 tablespoon orange juice, the paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and a few ice cubes, scraping down the sides often, until very smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Roll out the puff pastry into an 11-inch square on a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer the dough on the parchment to a baking sheet. Score a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the dough with a paring knife. Brush the border with the beaten egg. Prick the center of the dough all over with a fork.
• Bake the dough until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and prick the center of the dough with a paring knife and gently press with the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten. Return to the oven and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 more minutes. Let cool. Gently flatten inside the border again, if necessary.
• Toss the carrots with the olive oil, coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Simmer the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice and the sugar in a small skillet over medium heat until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Spread the cashew sauce on the cooled crust and arrange the carrots on top. Brush the orange syrup over the carrots. Top with cilantro.

CHOCOLATE CASHEW TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually add the butter with the motor running. Add the egg yolks and water, and mix until just incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a flat rectangle and wrap it tightly in plastic. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least an hour or up to 2 days.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out until 1/8-inch thick. Brush away any excess flour, and cut out eight 3 1/2-inch rounds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eight 2-inch ring molds on the baking sheet, and top them with the dough rounds. Trim the top edge, and press the dough into the base of each ring to ensure there are no air pockets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle position. Bake the shells for 7 to 8 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the shells cool completely; then unmold them.
• Make the caramel filling. Combine the sugar, water, syrup and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan and cook to a dark amber color, about 8 minutes, over medium heat. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the cream until warm. Remove the caramelized sugar from the heat and deglaze the pan with the warmed cream. Return the caramel to low heat and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk the butter into the caramel.
• Make the chocolate ganache. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and syrup to a boil. Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and gradually pour it over the chocolate, stirring to emulsify. Let the ganache cool to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and then stir in the butter.
• Assemble the tarts. Arrange the tart shells on a clean baking sheet and line the bottom of each shell with some cashews, to reach about halfway up the sides. Reserve additional cashews for garnishing.
• Warm the caramel if necessary, and spoon just enough to cover the cashews in each shell. The shells at this stage should be only one-half to two-thirds full, allowing ample space for the ganache. Let the tarts stand for up to 30 minutes to let the caramel set slightly.
• Warm the ganache if necessary, and fill the remaining space in each tart with the ganache. Let the tarts stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour, at room temperature, to let the ganache set.
• To serve, place a finished tart on the center of each plate, and garnish with some cashews, some candied lemon peel, and a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

FRUITY BERRY TARTS WITH VANILLA CASHEW CREAM

Steps:

• Grease four (5-inch) individual, loose-bottomed, fluted or straight-sided tart tins and set aside on a tray.
• Place the dates and pecans for the crust in a food processor or mini blender and blitz until they start to clump together. Divide this mixture equally among the tins. Press the mixture onto the base and up the sides of each one, making sure it is of even thickness. Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes while you get on with the rest of the recipe.
• Place the soaked and drained cashews, the dates and vanilla seeds in a food processor or mini blender along with 1/2 cup of cold water. Blend until as smooth as possible to give a creamy mixture.
• Once the tart bases have set and are feeling firm, remove them from the fridge and divide the cashew cream among them. Spread it out evenly with the back of the spoon. Top with the berries and then scatter over the mint or basil to serve.

CASHEW-COCONUT TART IN CHOCOLATE CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Spray 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Blend flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and blend until moist sandy texture forms. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons ice water and blend until dough comes together. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Chill crust 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place crust on baking sheet. Bake crust until dry-looking and slightly puffed, about 18 minutes. Cool crust on rack completely. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Bring brown sugar, cream, maple syrup, and ginger to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking gently until sugar dissolves. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Adjust heat to maintain low boil; cook until thermometer registers 222°F, whisking occasionally, about 8 minutes. Mix in cashews and coconut. Cool 20 minutes.
• Place chopped chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Cook at medium setting in 15-second intervals until soft and beginning to melt. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Brush enough chocolate over inside of crust to coat completely. Freeze crust until chocolate is cold and hard, about 15 minutes (reserve remaining melted chocolate for garnish).
• Pour filling into crust. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is beginning to darken on top and is bubbling thickly, about 35 minutes. Transfer tart to rack. Cool completely. Remelt reserved chocolate in microwave. Drizzle chocolate over tart in lacy pattern. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)