Pasta Flora Greek Fruit Perserve Tart Food

GREEK JAM LATTICE-TOP TART / PASTA FLORA

Steps:

• Combine the flour, baking powder and zest in a bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer outfitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and continue mixing until blended. Add the brandy and vanilla and whisk to blend.
• Change the whisk attachment to a dough hook and slowly add the flour, in half-cup increments, until a dough forms. Knead for a few minutes, but don't overwork it. Remove the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into two balls, the one slightly larger than the other. Break off a golf-ball-size piece from the larger ball and set it aside.
• Preheat oven to 350F / 175C.
• Lightly butter a 10-inch tart pan.
• Spread a sheet of parchment or wax paper on a work surface and flour it lightly. Roll out the first ball on the parchment to a circle slightly larger than the circumference of the pan. Lift the paper carefully, place with dough side down over the tart pan, and carefully peel away the paper on the back side of the dough so that it folds gently and evenly into the tart pan.
• Press the edges slightly. Take a knife and skin the edge of the pan to cut away any excess dough.
• Collect the excess and combine it with the smaller ball that you've set aside. Roll it out and cut out 4 to 6 half-inch / 1.5-cm strips. Place these over the rim of the pie all around the circle, to form the area where the lattice strips can rest once you fill in the pie with jam.
• On a floured piece of parchment or work surface, roll out the remaining piece of pastry to a sheet about 10 inches square. Cut ½-inch / 1.5-cm strips of dough.
• Spread the jam evenly inside the tart pan.
• Take the strips one at a time and place over the tart, first in one direction diagonally and then in the other, to form a decorative latticed top. Secure the lattice strips to the pieces you've already pressed into and around the rim. Trim any excess with kitchen shears or a small sharp knife.
• Brush the lattice top with the egg yolk and bake in the middle of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is set and golden. Remove, cool for at least 30-40 minutes for the jam to set, too, and serve.

PASTA FLORA (GREEK FRUIT PERSERVE TART)

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl or food processor. Add the butter and pulse or cut it into the flour until it becomes pebbly.
• Beat 1 egg and 1 egg yolk (reserve 1 egg white for later) with the vanilla. Add that to the flour mixture, and blend until the dough gathers into a ball. Don't overwork the dough or it will be tough.
• Segment two-thirds of the dough and one-third of the dough. Wrap separately and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Take the larger dough ball and roll it out on a floured surface to form a surface a little larger than 10 inches. Press it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Unlike a traditional pie dough, you are basically making a pâte sucrée, and are able to patch any holes in this and it will not shrink down like a pate brisée. Refrigerate the tart pan for 20 minutes.
• This pastry traditionally has a latticed crust, but in the photo, I cut out snowflakes for the season. You can do whatever works for you. For the lattice, lightly dust the remaining dough with flour and roll out between sheets of waxed paper to form a 10-inch circle. Peel off the top sheed of waxed paper and dust the dough with flour. Replace the waxed paper. Flip the dough over, peel off the waxed paper, and dust with flour. Cut the dough into 10 (3/4-inch wide) strips. Brush off excess flour with a dry pastry brush. Refrigerate strips for 20 minutes.
• Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator and spread the preserves over the dough. It may seem like the preserves barely fill the shell, but the tart will rise and fill out when it bakes, giving it a fuller appearance. Remove the dough strips from the refrigerator. Place 5 strips of dough vertically and 5 strips horizontally over the preserves to lattice the top. Bruch the lattice with reserved egg white and top with a little sugar.
• Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the tart is golden brown. Remove tart from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Remove the sides of the tart shell and serve.

PASTA FLORA (GREEK JAM TART)

Steps:

• Sift together the flour and the baking powder into a bowl.
• Cream the butter with an electric mixer.
• Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and light-coloured (about 5 minutes), scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time.
• Add the egg yolks one by one.
• Then add the brandy and the flavorings.
• Stop beating, and fold in the flour a little at a time, with a wooden spoon, blending it evenly into the mixture.
• When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, mix the flour in by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic (you may need to add a little water or milk to your dough to achieve this consistency - just a little at a time).
• Avoid overworking the dough.
• Cover dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes before proceeding with recipe.
• On a floured surface roll out 2/3s of the dough into a round and line a buttered 10" pie dish or tart pan.
• Spread the jam over the dough.
• Roll out the reserved dough to a thickness of 1/8" and cut it into strips 1/2" wide.
• Lay them across the filling in a lattice pattern.
• Decorate with the almonds and bake the tart in a 350F degree oven for 30-35 minutes until light-golden.
• Store the tart uncovered, in a dry, cool place to prevent it from getting soggy.
• It can be kept one week at room temperature.