Maple Walnut Pear Tart Food

MAPLE-PEAR SHEET TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 13x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water.
• If using a 14-ounce puff pastry package, roll the sheet to a 13-x18-inch rectangle on a floured surface. If using a 17-ounce puff pastry package, roll each sheet to a 9 1/2-x13-inch rectangle. Line up the two longer sides and overlap by 1 inch to form a 13-x18-inch rectangle. Brush egg wash in between to form a seam. Use a rolling pin to seal the seam.
• Transfer the pastry to the parchment. Fold sides of pastry towards center to form a 1/2-inch border on all four sides. Lightly score the border by using a paring knife to make small shallow diagonal cuts. Prick the surface of the pastry inside the border with a fork. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Slice the pears in half lengthwise, and then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Trim the seeds and core and toss the slices in the sugar. Arrange on the pastry and brush all exposed pastry (including the borders) with the egg wash.
• Bake until the crust is puffed and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Brush the fruit and pastry with the maple syrup. Let cool completely, and then slice into squares to serve.

MAPLE WALNUT TARTS

Steps:

• To make pastry: in a medium bowl, combine flour,sugar,salt and baking powder.
• Cut in butter or margarine and shortening until mixture is crumbly.
• Add water, 2 tbsp at a time, mixing with a fork; add a little more or less than the 1/2 c water as needed.
• Press mixture into 2 flat disks, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• To make filling: beat together eggs, syrup, brown sugar, melted butter or margarine and vanilla until just blended.
• On a lightly floured board, roll pastry disks to 1/16" thick.
• Cut into 5 inch circles. Roll scraps of dough and cut again. Line 12-3 inch tart pans with pastry. Divide walnuts equally between tart shells. Pour maple syrup mixture over walnuts. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is soft set. Let stand 15 minutes befire removing from tart pans.

PEAR AND WALNUT TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop walnuts and in a shallow baking pan toast in middle of oven until a shade darker, about 4 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Peel, quarter, and core pears.
• In a deep 12-inch heavy skillet melt butter and sugar, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute. Add pears and cook over moderate heat, turning pears occasionally (be careful not to break them) and gently stirring syrup, until pears are glazed and syrup begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir in rum and lemon juice and simmer, turning pears and gently stirring frequently, until most of syrup is evaporated and pears are tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Arrange pears, cored sides up, in a 10-inch (1 1/2-quart) glass pie plate and sprinkle with walnuts.
• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 12-inch round (a scant 1/4 inch thick) and drape over pears. Tuck edge between pears and rim of dish and with a knife cut several steam vents in pastry. Bake tart in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown.
• Have ready a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than pie plate. Let tart stand 5 minutes.
• Invert serving plate over pie plate and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plates firmly pressed together, invert tart onto serving plate. Serve pear and walnut tart warm or at room temperature.

WALNUT TART

Steps:

• For pastry: Combine flour and sugar in large bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Blend in yolks and vanilla; gather dough into a ball.
• Turn out onto lightly-floured surface.
• Using heel of hand, smear dough a little at a time across surface to blend butter and flour thoroughly.
• Flatten into disk.
• Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 390F.
• Roll dough out between sheets of wax paper to thickness of 1/8 inch.
• Fit into 11 inch tart pan and trim edges.
• Pierce shell all over with fork.
• Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dry beans.
• Bake until pastry is set, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
• Remove pie weights and foil.
• Bake until crust is golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300F.
• Blend all filling ingredients.
• Pour into crust.
• Bake until filling is set and looks dry, about 35 minutes.
• Cool and decorate with walnut halves.
• This is sublime served warm with a scoop of walnut ice cream melting over top.

MAPLE WALNUT TARTS

Steps:

• TO MAKE PASTRY:.
• In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter or margarine and shortening until mixture is crumbly. Add water, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing with a fork. Add a little more water if necessary. Press mixture into 2 flat discs. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• On lightly floured board, roll pastry discs to 1/16 inch. Cut into 5-inch circles. Roll scraps of dough and cut again. Line twelve 3 1/2-inch tart pans with pastry.
• TO MAKE FILLING:.
• Divide Walnuts equally between tart shells.
• Beat together eggs, syrup, brown sugar, melted butter or margarine and vanilla until just blended. Pour maple syrup mixture over walnuts.
• Bake in 425F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is soft set.
• Let stand 15 minutes before removing from tart pans.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened cream.