Fresh Fig Mascarpone And Pesto Torte Food

GOLDEN FIG AND MASCARPONE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cut Feuille de' Bric sheets into 2 1/2-inch squares, spray with pan spray and crisscross in muffin tins. Bake until golden brown, let cool and remove from pan.
• In a medium bowl mix figs removed from the syrup with mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and 1 large egg. Mix on slow speed until figs are well broken. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Fill tart shell 3/4 of the way and bake for 20 minutes or until filling is firm. Garnish with black fig syrup and serve warm.

FRESH FIGS WITH MASCARPONE AND WARM SPICED HONEY

Steps:

• Arrange the figs cut-side up among four plates. Use the back of a teaspoon to gently press into the center of the flesh and create a small indentation.
• Add a dollop of mascarpone to the center of each fig half and set plates aside.
• Place honey and spices in a small heat-proof bowl and set over a pan with simmering water. Cook over medium heat, whisking to blend, until the honey is liquefied and warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle honey over each fig, garnish plates with mint sprigs, and serve immediately.

FIG TART WITH MASCARPONE CREAM RECIPE

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the nuts and sugar until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse about 15 times, until no loose particles of the nut-sugar mixture remain. Add the flour and salt and pulse again, about 10 times, or until the butter is no larger than small peas. Alternatively, finely grate the nuts and place them in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, flour and salt, stirring to combine. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a small bowl, stir together the yolk and cream. Add it to the mixture and pulse or mix just until incorporated, about 8 times. Knead the dough lightly, just until it holds together. Flatten it into a 6-inch disc, wrap the dough well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze it for 10 minutes, until firm enough to pat into the pan or roll.
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and lightly flour it on both sides. Place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently roll it out into a one-eighth-inch circle slightly more than 12 inches in diameter. At this point, if the dough feels too soft to place in the pan, place the dough, still between the plastic wrap, onto a cookie sheet and into the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.
• Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the dough and use the bottom sheet to lift and invert the dough over a 10-inch-by-1-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Evenly drape the dough into the tart pan, pressing it gently into the sides. If the plastic wrap sticks, refrigerate or freeze the dough until it is firm enough to be removed easily.
• Trim any off the top of the sides, leaving about one-eighth-inch dough over the sides to accommodate any shrinkage during baking. Use the excess dough to patch cracks. You will probably have a little dough left over.
• Place the tart pan in the refrigerator for at least one hour to chill the dough before baking. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. Place the tart shell in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the bottom of the crust is golden and set and the sides are a deeper golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and cool on a rack. The baked crust will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• In a heat proof bowl or the top of a double-boiler, whisk the egg yolks together with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the Marsala. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the upper container. Whisk constantly until the mixture nearly triples in volume and begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the yolks or they will scramble.
• Immediately place the bowl with the egg mixture into a larger bowl filled with ice water, and continue to whisk a couple of minutes until the mixture cools.
• In a large bowl, whip the mascarpone over low speed until creamy, about 10 seconds. Increase the speed slightly, and gradually beat in the cooled yolk mixture until completely incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
• Place 1 1/2 teaspoons water in a small, heat-proof measuring cup. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the water, allowing the gelatin to soften. Place the measuring cup in a small pan of lightly simmering water to allow the gelatin to dissolve and warm.
• In a chilled mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream with 2 teaspoons sugar. Beat on medium speed until the cream just begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the warmed gelatin and the vanilla extract and beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.
• With a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture; you should have about 2 cups. Scrape the mixture into the baked tart shell, smooth the top with the spatula, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.
• Remove the chilled tart from the refrigerator. Starting at the outside edge, place the fig slices, pointed ends upward, in concentric circles on the filling, tilting the slices so they lean slightly toward the edge of the crust in a petal-like fashion.
• In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch and stir until the sugar and starch are dissolved. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the mixture does not burn. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the glaze into a heat-proof glass measuring cup or bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze onto the figs. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before unmolding. The completed tart will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

GLAZED FIGS WITH MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• For the cream: In an electric mixer whip the mascarpone until smooth. Continue whipping and slowly add the cream in a steady stream. Add the sugar and whip for 3 minutes.
• For the figs: In a small pot combine the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and zest.
• Boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Toss the figs with the glaze and spread, cut side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Cook under the broiler for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly caramelized. Serve the warm figs with the mascarpone cream and toasted walnuts.

PASTA WITH PESTO & MASCARPONE

Steps:

• On low heat, add about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan and cook garlic until translucent. Pour into bowl of food processor or mini blender.
• Add everything but the basil leaves and salt to the bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth.
• Add the basil leaves and blend again. Taste, add salt as necessary and mix again, taste and adjust more if needed. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, 4 quarts or 2 litres per pound. You want plenty of water - pasta needs to move around or it will become mushy. If you do not have a large pot, use two small ones.
• Add a generous amount of salt (about 1/4 cup) - or a general rule is one heaping tablespoon for each cup of water. The water should be "slightly less salty than the sea."
• Add the preferred pasta shape to the water. Set a timer for 5 minutes and then taste every 30 seconds until properly cooked. You want the pasta l dente (slightly chewy and less resistant to the bite).
• Before removing pasta, take a mug full of the pasta water to use later in the sauce. The starch from the water helps bind the sauce to the pasta.
• Remove immediately and drain.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, place the pesto and gently heat. Add the mascarpone and few tablespoons of the pasta water, mix together well.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well, coating all pieces and adding more of the starchy water if necessary.
• Scoop pasta into a large serving bowl or individual bowls, sprinkle with some extra cheese and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
• Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes that have been tossed with a little salt and olive oil.

FRESH FIG, MASCARPONE, AND PESTO TORTE

Steps:

• Make crust
• Preheat oven to 325° F. and butter a 10-inch springform pan.
• In a bowl with a fork stir together crust ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Press mixture into bottom of pan and bake in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Make filling
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together filling ingredients and salt and pepper to taste until very smooth.
• Assemble torte
• Pour half of filling into crust. Drop dollops of pesto over filling and spread carefully to form an even topping. (Some filling may show through.) Top pesto layer with half of fig slices, overlapping them slightly, and pour remaining filling over figs, spreading evenly. Bake torte in middle of oven 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until top is golden brown and set. Cool torte in pan on a rack (filling will deflate slightly). Chill torte, covered loosely, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• In a small saucepan stir together preserves and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture. Stir in salt to taste.
• Slice remaining pound figs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side. Spread torte with preserves mixture, leaving a 1/4-inch border, and top decoratively with remaining fig slices. With 2 large metal spatulas transfer torte to a serving plate.
• Serve torte at room temperature to spread on toasts.