Mean Chefs Sweet Tart Dough Food

PâTE SUCRéE (SWEET TART DOUGH)

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until the flour is incorporated. The mixture will look like wet, clumpy sand. Add the egg yolk and mix on low speed until the yolk is evenly incorporated and the dough is clumpy, about 30 seconds. Using your hand, lightly knead the dough into a ball inside the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, press it into a 6-inch disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. (The dough can be tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.)
• Lightly spray a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie shell with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place the chilled dough inside the pan. Pinch off pieces of dough and press them against the sides of the pan to reach just shy of a ¼ inch thick and about ⅛ inch above the rim (you'll trim the top later). Using the heel of your hand, press the rest of the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. (It will look like a mess, and it may seem like you won't have enough dough at first, but have faith, it will come together.) Be sure there are no seams in the dough, and press it squarely along the corners where the bottom meets the sides to avoid extra-thick edges. Use a paring knife to trim the top edge of the dough so it is even with the rim of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
• Place the chilled pâte sucrée on a baking sheet (for easy handling) and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

MEAN CHEF'S SWEET TART DOUGH

Steps:

• Process dry ingredients in cuisinart.
• Cube butter and add.
• Pulse until cornmeal consistency.
• Add cream and egg yolk.
• Process until dough just comes together.
• You may need to add a touch more cream.

SWEET DOUGH FOR PIES AND TARTS

Steps:

• To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Using your hands or a pastry blender, rub the butter into the dry ingredients by breaking it into tiny pieces, continuously pinching and squeezing it into the dry ingredients. Be careful to keep the mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and mixing all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Beat the egg(s) in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture. Stir in with a fork, continuing to stir until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry. Scatter flour on the work surface and scrape the dough onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth. To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1-second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1-second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all. Add the egg(s) to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball. Scatter flour on the work surface and scrape the dough onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth. Press the dough into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6-inch disk. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.;

APPLE WALNUT TART

Steps:

• Prebake tart shell and brush warm shell with apricot preserves. (SQ note - Baking time was not included in this recipe but listening to reviewers leads me to think that 15 minutes at 350F should be about right.).
• Peel, core and slice apples.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Arrange apple slices in tart shell.
• Scatter walnuts on top of fruit.
• Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in small bowl.
• Add butter and work with fingers to form a crumb topping.
• Sprinkle over tart.
• Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

SOUR CREAM CUSTARD TART WITH PEACHES, APRICOTS, OR NECTARINES

Steps:

• Making the custard.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees[F].
• Adjust rack to upper third of oven and place a heavy baking sheet on the rack.
• Place all custard ingredients in a food processor or blender.
• Process until well combined.
• (To mix by hand: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg with the orange zest, orange liqueur, and orange juice. Mix in sour cream, sugar, and sifted flour until the mixture is well blended. Break up any lumps of flour with your fingers.) The custard can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated.
• Arranging the Fruit.
• For peaches or nectarine: Do not peel.
• Cut the fruit into sixths.
• Starting at the outside edge of the tart, lay slices on their sides, touching each other, in two concentric circles on the bottom of the baked tart shell.
• Arrange the few remaining pieces, skin side up, in the center to fill in the gaps.
• For apricots: Do not peel.
• Cut the apricots into fourths.
• Arrange the slices in their sides, nestled together, in three concentric circles on the bottom of the baked tart shell.
• Place 2 or 3 slices in the center to fill in the gaps.
• Filling and baking the tart: Place the custard mixture in a heatproof bowl and stir it over gently simmering water until it is just warm to the touch.
• Pour approximately 2 cups of sour cream custard mixture into the tart shell.
• The tops of the fruit slices will be poking up through the custard.
• Place the tart in the oven on the heated baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes.
• During baking, the custard will set from the outside edge toward the center of the tart.
• Watch carefully during the last 8 minutes or so of baking, jiggling the baking sheet occasionally, so that you can remove the tart from the oven as soon as the custard has set.
• (Fruit with a high water content may give off a lot of juice when cooked, which will make the center part of the tart appear very loose. Don't think that it means that the custard hasn't set; these juices will be absorbed back into the tart as it) Cool completely.
• Slip a cardboard round underneath and remove the flan ring.
• Serve at room temperature, with Vanilla Sauce flavored with orange liqueur, or Apricot Sauce.