Gingered Strawberry Tart Food

STRAWBERRY TARTS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is in the size of peas. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough and fit into 4 (4 1/2-inch) tart pans with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pans or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of each pan. Line the tart shells with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill them with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, prick the bottom of the shells all over with a fork, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
• Before serving, fill the tart shells with the pastry cream. Arrange the berries decoratively on top of the cream. Melt the apricot jelly with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the top of the tarts. Sprinkle with pistachios, if using, and serve.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.
• With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the custard comes to a boil and appears to curdle; switch to a whisk and beat vigorously. Cook, whisking constantly, for another 2 minutes; the custard will come together and become very thick, like pudding. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

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.

FRESH STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place pastry dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough to a round disk about 1/8-inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
• Brush outside 2 inches around the edges of circle lightly with water. Tightly curl up a bit of the edge of the dough to give it a rounder shape with a slightly thickened edge. If some edges are thicker than others, pinch off excess and add to thinner edges forming a circle with even edges. Roll each edge again just once to make the edges thick enough to crimp. Crimp crust with your floured fingers.
• Use a fork to "dock" the bottom surface, covering it with tiny holes to prevent the dough from bubbling up as it bakes.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
• Place cream cheese, creme fraiche, egg yolk, sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest in mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly. Carefully pour a thin layer of mixture evenly into pastry shell (you may not need all the cheese mixture).
• Transfer filled tart to oven. Bake until cheese layer is set and crust is browned, about 20 minutes. Let tart cool completely to room temperature before adding berries.
• Arrange berries cut side down, pointy end out starting with the larger berries around the edges. You can lean strawberries up a bit as your work your way toward the center. Cut some berry halves in half again to fit into any gaps on the cheese layer.
• Place apricot jam and 2 teaspoons water in saucepan. Heat over low heat until thin enough to brush. Let cool slightly before brushing generously over all berries and crust. Transfer tart to serving plate.

STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Unroll crust and press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. , Spread melted chocolate over bottom of crust. Refrigerate until almost set, 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cream and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over chocolate layer. , Arrange strawberries over filling; brush strawberries with jelly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove sides of pan before serving.

RUSTIC BRAIDED STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Add the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar to a bowl and beat together with a hand mixer until light and spreadable.
• In a large bowl, toss together the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the strawberries, flour, cornstarch, vanilla extract and salt, and set aside for later use.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Unroll the puff pastry and roll it out to an 11-by-17-inch rectangle (almost the size of a half sheet tray). Place on the prepared sheet tray and spread the cream cheese down the center of the puff pastry using first a rubber spatula, and then your fingers to evenly spread it out. Spoon the strawberries on top of the cream cheese. Use a knife to cut 1 1/2-inch slits on both sides of the filling, coming within 1/2-inch of the filling. Alternately fold each strip of dough over each other to create a braid. Tuck in the ends and brush the top of the tart with egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool for 25 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar to garnish and slice to serve.

BERRY TART WITH GINGER CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare and bake pastry in 4 quadrants:
• Stir together yolks and 2 tablespoons water for egg wash. Put a baking sheet in freezer.
• Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a 12-inch square of parchment and brush all over with egg wash. Prick entire surface evenly with a fork.
• Unfold a second pastry sheet on a cutting board and cut out a 1 1/4-inch-wide right-angle strip along 2 adjacent edges with a sharp small knife, reserving remaining square for another use. Place right angle on 1 corner on top of 2 adjacent edges of pricked pastry to form first quadrant of tart. Transfer pastry on parchment to baking sheet in freezer and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer pastry on parchment from freezer to cutting board and trim a 1/4-inch-wide strip from all 4 edges using tip of small knife and a ruler and cutting all the way through pastry. Make 1/4-inch-long vertical cuts through double layers of edge about 1/2 inch apart (to help sides rise evenly).
• Return pastry on parchment to baking sheet in freezer and chill until firm but not solid, about 10 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 450°F and heat another baking sheet on lowest rack in oven until hot, about 2 minutes.
• Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer pastry on parchment from freezer to hot sheet. Bake pastry on lowest rack of oven until puffed and deep golden brown (a little darker than usual so double edges are cooked through), 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer pastry on parchment to a rack to cool.
• Repeat procedure with remaining 3 packages puff pastry to make remaining 3 quadrants of tart.
• Make ginger cream:
• Blend cream cheese and granulated sugar in a food processor until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Add ginger and pulse until finely chopped and mixture is combined well.
• Prepare fruit and assemble tart:
• If very puffed, gently flatten inner parts of pastry (single layer) slightly with your palm. Fit quadrants together on flat board to form a giant square tart shell, trimming inside edges of each quadrant slightly with a serrated knife to help quadrants fit together smoothly. "Glue" inner edges together with a little ginger cream, then spread remaining ginger cream evenly over tart, leaving double edges as a border.
• Arrange strawberries in a decorative pattern over cream. Bring jelly to a boil with remaining 2 tablespoons water, whisking until smooth, then simmer glaze 1 minute. Toss three fourths of glaze with blueberries in a large bowl and spoon blueberries onto tart to cover cream between strawberries, mounding slightly. Brush strawberries with remaining glaze.

STRAWBERRY AND RASPBERRY TART WITH MEYER LEMON PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grate the butter on a box grater and add to the bowl of a food processor with the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles Parmesan cheese. Add the egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse to combine until the dough comes together and holds its shape when pressed between your fingers. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Gently knead a few times and bring the dough together into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Roll the dough out evenly into a 1/4-inch-thick circle. Transfer the dough onto a sheet tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and roll evenly in all directions, making sure it doesn't stick to your work surface and dusting with flour as needed. The dough should be about 1/8-inch thick. Slice the dough in half and transfer to two nonstick 6-inch fluted tart pans with removable bottoms. Press the dough snuggly into the edges ensuring the dough runs fully up the side. Use a rolling pin to trim the excess dough. Line each tart with a piece of foil and fill with baking beans (or I use rice!), making sure the foil is tightly packed to the corners. Transfer the dough to the oven to blind bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the pan, then bake for another 6 minutes. Remove the foil and baking beans and place the tart back into the oven until lightly golden, another 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Set up an ice bath. Add the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream to a small bowl. Mix to create a slurry and set aside. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar and the 4 whole eggs to a large bowl and beat with a whisk until pale yellow and foamy. Add the remaining 2 cups heavy cream, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the vanilla extract and lemon peel to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then pour half of the mixture into the bowl with the eggs and sugar and immediately whisk vigorously to combine and temper the mixture. Pour the contents of the bowl into the saucepan and continue to whisk. Add the cornstarch slurry and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken and it reaches the texture of pudding, 3 to 4 minutes. You want to continuously whisk to avoid scorching the mixture. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Set the bowl over the ice bath to cool.
• Place the apricot preserves and a splash of water into a small saute pan. Turn the heat to medium and stir to gently melt the preserves, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• To assemble the tart, spoon an even layer of the lemon pastry cream into each tart shell, but not fully to the top. Line the outside of the tart with raspberries and working inward, arrange the inside of the tart with the sliced strawberries. Repeat this process alternating with more raspberries and strawberries. Glaze the top of each tart with the apricot mixture.
• Serve the tarts with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

GINGERED STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• In food processor, combine the gingersnaps, 2 T sugar and butter.
• Cover and process until blended.
• Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch or 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside.
• In a large saucepan, combine the cornstarch, ginger if desired and remaining sugar.
• Stir in the chopped strawberries and water.
• Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-6 minutes or until thickened.
• Cool for 30 minutes.
• Pour into crust.
• Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until set.
• Arrange sliced berries over filling.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat jam on high for 15-20 seconds or until pourable; brush over berries.
• Remove sides from tart pan.
• Top with whipped cream, if desired.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth, but not fluffy. Mix in the egg until combined, then add the flour. Bring together with your hands to form a dough. Wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
• Dust a surface with flour and roll out the pastry to a 26cm circle (or 3cm bigger than your tin). Line a 23cm fluted tart tin with the pastry, leaving an overhang. Prick the base with a fork to stop any air bubbles forming. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the pastry case with a scrunched up sheet of baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for 15-20 mins more until crisp and golden. Leave in the tin to cool.
• To make the crème pâtissière, heat the milk, cream and vanilla in a pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring up to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar in a bowl for 3 mins until pale, then stir in the cornflour until combined. Pour a quarter of the hot cream over the egg mix, whisking continuously, then pour the warm egg mix into the pan with the rest of the cream. Stir over a low-medium heat for 5-8 mins until the crème pâtissière thickens. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 15 mins, whisking occasionally. Gradually whisk in the butter until smooth, cover and put in the fridge until needed.
• Beat the strawberry jam to loosen it, then spread over the bottom of the pastry case. Put the crème pâtissière into a piping bag and pipe in a spiral on top of the jam. Arrange the strawberries on top in a pattern. Heat the apricot jam in a small pan with 1 tbsp water until warm. Whisk to loosen the jam, then leave to cool slightly. Brush over the top of the strawberries.