Cream Cheese Tart With Dulce De Leche Food

DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a large bowl, combine cookie crumbs, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Press onto bottom and 2 in. up sides of prepared pan., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in milk, flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. , Pour dulce de leche into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at 50% power until softened. Drop dulce de leche by tablespoonfuls over batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl. , Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. , Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour., In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chips; stir until smooth. Stir in chili powder. Spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. , In a small bowl, whisk dulce de leche and hot water until smooth; drizzle over cheesecake.

PEAR TART WITH DULCE DE LECHE DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Dulce de leche and dough
• If making the dulce de leche, place unopened can of condensed milk on its side in a large pot; pour in room-temperature water to cover by at least 2". Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, adding water as needed to maintain water level, 3 hours. Let cool in pot in water, 40-60 minutes. Remove can from pot and chill 12 hours before opening.
• Combine granulated sugar, salt, and 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour in a large wide bowl. Add butter and toss until generously coated. Using your fingers smash butter into thin disks, tossing with flour as you go. Work until all the butter has been smashed and coated (irregular pieces of butter produce a flakier crust). Sprinkle vinegar and 1 Tbsp. ice water over and toss with a wooden spoon until just combined (the spoon prevents the butter from warming too quickly). Add another 3 Tbsp. ice water a tablespoonful at a time, stirring after each addition until water is absorbed. Using your hands , continue to work in water by the tablespoonful just until mixture holds together when squeezed in your hand, 2-4 Tbsp. more.
• Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead until a dough forms (be careful not to overwork). If dough is too dry, sprinkle with a few drops of water; if too sticky, work in a little more flour. Roll dough to about an 8x5" rectangle, then fold in half crosswise. Roll back out to an 8x5" rectangle, dusting surface as needed, and fold again. Repeat rolling out and folding 2 more times. Divide dough in half. Tightly wrap each half in plastic or parchment paper and gently form into 1"-thick disks (you'll only need 1 for the tart). Chill at least 1 hour.
• Do ahead: Unopened dulce de leche can be made 3 months ahead; keep chilled. Opened dulce de leche can be made 3 weeks ahead; transfer to an airtight container and chill. Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature 1-2 hours or in the fridge overnight before using.
• Filling and assembly
• Place a rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°. Let a disk of dough sit 5 minutes at room temperature. Line a 9" or 10"-diameter tart pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, rotating often and dusting as needed to prevent sticking, to ¼" thick. Fold dough in half and transfer to prepared pan . Unfold and lift edges so dough slumps down into corners. Gently press dough into pan with the back of your index finger. Trim pastry with kitchen shears or a paring knife to a 1" border. Fold excess over into pan and press double layer into sides of pan. Prick bottom of tart a few times with a fork. Chill while you prepare the filling. For a decorative crust like in the photo, see chef's note at the end of the recipe.
• Pour lemon juice onto a large rimmed plate or into a shallow bowl. Working one at a time, hold stem of each pear and cut vertically into 4 pieces, working your way around the core; discard core. Set pieces cut side down and slice lengthwise ¼" thick, keeping slices in groups. Place in lemon juice to prevent cuts sides from browning.
• Combine granulated sugar, flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, and ½ tsp. salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture evenly over dough and dot all over with frozen butter. Fan each group of pears in crust in alternating directions.
• Whisk egg, a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to combine. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash and sprinkle 2-3 Tbsp. raw sugar in an even layer over pears and crust. Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling slightly, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Remove tart from pan by lifting parchment and transfer to a cutting board or large plate.
• To serve, cut tart into slices and transfer to plates. Open dulce de leche and drizzle some over each slice if desired.
• Do ahead: Tart can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or cover and chill up to 4 days.
• Chef's note: For a decorative crust, roll out dough scraps to ⅛"-¼" thick on a lightly floured surface and chill 5 minutes. Generously flour surface and pastry and cut into decorative shapes with pie cutters or small cookie cutters. Gently press around edges of tart as desired. Brush tops of cutouts with egg wash to help them stick and freeze tart 1 hour (cutouts will keep their shape best during baking if they are frozen solid) then continue to fill and bake as instructed. If cutouts brown too much before tart is done, cover individually with small pieces of foil.

CREAM CHEESE TART SHELLS

Steps:

• Blend cream cheese and butter or margarine. Stir in flour just until blended. Chill about 1 hour. This can be made ahead and chilled for up to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Shape dough into 24 one-inch balls and press into ungreased 1 1/2 inch muffin cups (mini-muffin size) to make a shallow shell. Fill with your favorite filling and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is light brown.

DULCE DE LECHE PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is light yellow. Whisk in the cornstarch and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, dulce de leche and vanilla seeds, and bring almost to a boil.
• In a thin, steady stream, slowly add all the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour it all back into the pan, return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and mixed in. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Let cool completely, then store in the fridge.
• Beat the pastry cream in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth before using.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Put the sugar in a large saucepan. Turn the heat to a medium temperature and carefully melt the sugar. Gently tilt the pan as the sugar melts, rather than stirring, as it will adhere to a spoon or spatula.
• When the sugar is melted, add the butter and stir into the sugar. It will bubble, so take care. Next, add the milk a little at a time, stirring continuously.
• Finally, add the can of condensed milk and stir well until it is fully incorporated. Keep stirring as the dulce de leche bubbles and thickens over a medium heat. It will need a further 5-10 mins of cooking. It will turn a darker shade of brown and take on a slight orange-red hue as it darkens. It should be thick enough to leave a clear channel in the pan when a spoon is run through and then add a pinch of salt. It will firm up as it cools. The dulce de leche can be stored in a jar in the fridge and will keep for up to a month. If not storing in a jar ensure it's covered so a skin doesn't form.