Fresh Raspberry Lemon Curd Tart Food

RASPBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
• Butter one side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Spread the tart with raspberry preserves and place the raspberries, stem end down, in concentric circles. If you are making a square tart, place the raspberries in rows. Serve immediately.

LEMON CURD TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch tart pan with 1-inch rim and removable bottom with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup sugar with spoon until well mixed. Stir in flour until blended (dough will be crumbly but can be pressed together). Pat and press dough very firmly on bottom and up sides of tart pan. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until crust is set in center but still pale. Cool 15 minutes.
• In 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Gradually stir in water, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat. Heat to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat.
• In small bowl, beat egg yolks with whisk. Gradually beat about 1/2 cup hot mixture into egg yolks. Gradually stir yolk mixture into hot mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to gently boil. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons butter. Pour over cooled baked crust. Cool at room temperature 15 minutes; refrigerate at least 3 hours until set.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle fresh berries on top. Serve with whipped cream. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

RASPBERRY CURD

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Add raspberries, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until curd coats the back of a spoon and is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Strain curd through a fine mesh sieve, mashing the raspberries with the back of a spoon.

LEMON RASPBERRY TARTS

Steps:

• For the curd: Whisk together the sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest for garnish, then stir the lemon juice and remaining zest into the sugar-egg mixture. Put the bowl over a double boiler and cook, whisking, until the mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Scrape into a clean bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• For the raspberry sauce: Reserve 12 raspberries for garnish and put the rest into a small pan. Add the sugar and cook over medium-low heat, breaking up the raspberries to release their juices. Do not let boil. Strain the juice into a bowl and let cool; discard the solids.
• For the tarts: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the phyllo shells on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the shells to a rack to cool.
• To assemble the tarts: Spoon a small amount of the raspberry sauce into each tart shell. Whisk the cream with a spoonful or 2 of the raspberry sauce and a splash of vanilla. Fill each shell with the lemon curd and then top with a dollop of whipped cream and a whole raspberry. Sprinkle with some of the reserved lemon zest and add a mint leaf.

CLASSIC LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. (If you like, you can let the butter cook until it browns and smells nutty, 2 to 4 minutes longer.)
• Whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle in melted butter and, using a spatula, mix until well combined. Press this into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan, using a measuring cup if you like to flatten the tart shell and make sure it's even. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 months (wrap in plastic if storing for more than 4 hours).
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart dough with a piece of foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and continue to bake until the crust is very lightly golden at the edges and baked through on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool. (Tart shell can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.)
• Make the curd: Put butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted and mixture is hot, 4 to 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, yolks and salt. Whisk the hot mixture gradually into the eggs to temper them. Then pour everything back into the saucepan and return to medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (170 degrees; do not overcook, or it will curdle), about 5 minutes. Pour through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Taste and add a bit more sugar if you like. It should taste tart but balanced.
• Spread the curd (it's OK if it's still warm) into the tart shell, spreading it evenly with a small offset spatula or butter knife. Return to the oven to bake until the curd is just set along the edges but still jiggly in the center, about 7 to 15 minutes. (It will continue to firm up as it cools.) Transfer back to the wire rack to cool completely, at least 2 hours, before serving. If the curd still looks a little loose after cooling, you can chill the tart for an hour or two before serving. Note that it's a soft curd but shouldn't be runny.

RASPBERRY CURD TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in almonds. Press into 2-1/2-in. tartlet pans; trim edges. Place pans on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from pans., For raspberry curd, combine raspberries and lemon juice in a blender or food processor; cover and process until pureed. Press through a strainer to remove seeds., In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; add the raspberry puree, sugar and eggs. Cook and stir for 10-15 minutes or until mixture is smooth and thickened and reaches 160°. Remove from the heat. Add food coloring if desired. Press plastic wrap on surface of curd. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight., Spoon about 3 tablespoons of curd into each tart shell; top with whipped cream, raspberries and mint. Refrigerate leftovers.

RASPBERRY, LEMON & FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the flour and butter in a large bowl and rub them together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Tip in the sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and mix slightly. Now work in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until you have a smooth dough. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
• While the pastry is chilling, make the lemon crème pâtissière (lemon custard). Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk together using a balloon whisk for 1-2 minutes until the mixture turns pale. Tip in the flour and cornflour and mix well. Put the milk and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the boiling milk over the mixture in the bowl, whisking continuously until everything is smooth.
• Pour the custard into the pan, place over a medium heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring continuously until it has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and butter. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge until completely cold. (The custard will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.)
• To make the frangipane (almond cream), tip all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until everything is well combined. (The frangipane will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.)
• On a floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin, then use to line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Trim the pastry with a small knife but leave a lip hanging over the edge. Chill the tart case for at least 1 hour - if you have room to put it in the freezer, this would be ideal.
• Put a baking tray in the oven and preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Using a spatula, stir the crème pâtissière until smooth, then spread three quarters of it over the base of the tart case.
• Spoon the frangipane into a piping bag fitted with a smallish nozzle (about 1cm). If you don't have a piping bag, spoon the mixture into a tough plastic bag, squeeze it into the end, then cut off the tip. Pipe lines of frangipane evenly over the custard. Don't worry about the gaps, as the frangipane will spread while cooking.
• Put the tart tin on the hot baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until the frangipane is golden brown and the pastry is biscuity brown. The frangipane will puff up during the baking. Trim off the overhanging pastry with a small knife to give a professional finish. Lift the tart and base from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the topping, put the cream in a bowl and lightly whip until billowy. Using a spatula, gently fold the remaining crème pâtissière into the cream, then spread the mixture evenly over the frangipane.
• Arrange the raspberries on top, placing them upside down in concentric circles as closely as possible. Put the jam and kirsch in a small pan and bring to the simmer, stirring, until it lightly coats the back of the spoon. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the raspberries with the glaze. Cool slightly, then, using a palette knife, ease the tart off the base on to a serving plate.

LEMON CURD TARTS

Steps:

• Spoon about 1 teaspoon lemon curd into the bottom of each phyllo shell; top with whipped topping. Sprinkle a light dusting of cinnamon over the top.