Prune Nut Tart Food

PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring wine, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat; add prunes, and let steep 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer prunes to a bowl. Return liquid to a boil; cook until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, roll out puff pastry into a 12-by-18-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and orange zest; sprinkle evenly over pastry. Arrange prunes in rows over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream; brush mixture on edges of pastry.
• Bake until crust is golden, about 20 minutes, rotating pan and brushing tart with reserved cooking liquid halfway through. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. Serve warm.

PLUM TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.
• Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down, to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.
• Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PRUNE & NUT TART

Steps:

• If you want to make the pastry by hand, beat the butter until it is smooth then mix in the icing sugar, one of the eggs and then add the flour. Or, put all the pastry ingredients (again 1 egg only) in the food processor with 2 tsp water and process just until they form a dough. Wrap the pastry in cling film and put in the fridge for half an hour or so to firm up. (You can freeze the pastry now for up to a month.)
• You need to bake the pastry case blind before adding the filling. The best and easiest way to roll the pastry is between 2 floured pieces of cling film. Line a loose-bottomed 23cm tart tin with the pastry, then line this with a piece of greaseproof paper. Put your baking beans on the paper then put the pastry case in the freezer.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C.When the pastry case is rock solid (after about 1⁄2-1 hour), put it in the oven on a baking sheet. After 15 minutes, lift out the paper and beans very carefully and glaze the inside with your second egg, beaten first (this makes sure you have no leaks later). Put back in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
• For the filling, melt the butter and leave it to cool a little.While this is happening, beat the eggs, then stir in the sugar and cooled butter. Scatter half the almonds in the base of the tart, then spread the prunes around. Pour the filling over evenly.
• Scatter the rest of the almonds over the top and bake for 20-30 minutes until firm. Take it out, dust over some icing sugar and serve hot, cold or warm with crème fraîche or cream.

MASCARPONE AND PRUNE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Bring prunes and Armagnac just to a simmer in a 1-quart saucepan, then let stand, covered, 1 hour.
• Roll out dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, lifting up dough occasionally and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cut out 6 rounds with 5-inch cutter. Fit each round into a tartlet pan and trim edge. Chill tartlet shells 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Drain prunes, reserving Armagnac in pan, and cut into roughly 1/4-inch pieces, then return to Armagnac. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
• Lightly prick bottoms of tartlet shells all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until sides are set and edges are pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shells until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and increase heat to 400°F.
• Meanwhile, stir together mascarpone, yolks, sugar, zest, vanilla, and salt.
• Spoon 1/4 cup mascarpone mixture into each warm tartlet shell, then divide prunes evenly among tartlets. Bake tartlets until custard is pale golden and slightly puffed, about 25 minutes. Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans (if tartlets stick to pans, gently pry side of tartlets loose with tip of a paring knife) and cool completely, about 45 minutes.

PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• For the tart crust: Add the flour, granulated sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until small pebbles form. With the machine running, add the egg yolk, vanilla and water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Remove to a piece of plastic wrap and press together into a dough ball. Flatten into a disk then refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the honey and pine nut filling: Add the honey, brown sugar and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 13-inch circle and place in an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 30 more minutes.
• Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. Place a piece of parchment in the center of the tart and fill all the way to the top with dried beans. Bake until the crust is set but still slightly pale, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the parchment and beans.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whisk the heavy cream, egg yolk, lemon zest and juice into the cooled filling. Place the cooled tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet and scatter the pine nuts inside the shell. Evenly pour the filling into the tart crust and bake until the top is golden brown, the filling is set and the very center still has a slight jiggle, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool completely before slicing, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• For the tart crust: Add the flour, granulated sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until small pebbles form. With the machine running, add the egg yolk, vanilla and water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Remove to a piece of plastic wrap and press together into a dough ball. Flatten into a disk then refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the honey and pine nut filling: Add the honey, brown sugar and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 13-inch circle and place in an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 30 more minutes.
• Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. Place a piece of parchment in the center of the tart and fill all the way to the top with dried beans. Bake until the crust is set but still slightly pale, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the parchment and beans.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whisk the heavy cream, egg yolk, lemon zest and juice into the cooled filling. Place the cooled tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet and scatter the pine nuts inside the shell. Evenly pour the filling into the tart crust and bake until the top is golden brown, the filling is set and the very center still has a slight jiggle, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool completely before slicing, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

COUNTRY APPLE PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs for 2 minutes at medium speed; blend in apples. Combine dry ingredients; gradually beat into egg mixture. Stir in plums and nuts. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. , Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool. , Just before serving, dust cake with confectioners' sugar.

PRUNE CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Two days before preparing the flan, toss the prunes with Armagnac or Cognac, cover securely and set aside to marinate. (If time is limited, you can skip the marinade and simply toss the prunes with the spirits, although the two-day marinade will offer a richer, more flavorful dessert.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 10 1/2-inch straight-sided ceramic baking dish.
• Add one tablespoon of sugar to the marinated prunes and toss. Place them on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, forming a single, tight layer that thoroughly covers the bottom of the dish.
• Place the eggs and three tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl and, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat until well blended. Add the flour and mix well. Add the milk and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until bubbly and brown, about 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature. This is just as delicious the next day.

FINNISH PRUNE TARTS

Steps:

• Blend dough ingredients with pastry blender.
• Add milk to soften as needed.
• Should make into 4 small or 2 large balls.
• Cover and chill dough overnight.
• Cook the prunes in water until soft.
• Drain.
• Press prunes through wire strainer or pureed in blender.
• Add the sugar and mix well.
• Roll out dough into large square in order to cut into 3 inch square Place a mound of filling in the center.
• Split each corner from the top to within 1/2 inch of the center.
• Fold one half of each corner to the center-- to form a star or pinwheel.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet- you may sprinkle croase grain sugar over tart.
• Let stand 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake in hot oven 400*F for 7 to 10 minutes- until light golden brown (they should be realitively pale).
• Remove and cool on rack.

PRUNE AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• At least one hour before preparing the tart, pour the hot tea over the prunes and set aside to marinate.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Prepare the cream filling. In a spice grinder or the bowl of a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine powder. Thoroughly blend the almonds with the egg, sugar, brandy and cream. The mixture should be very smooth.
• Thoroughly drain the prunes, discarding the soaking liquid. Carefully arrange the prunes in the cooled, prebaked tart shell. This will seem like a lot of prunes, and you may have to arrange them in two layers. Pour the cream filling over the prunes and place the tart in the center of the oven.
• Bake until the cream filling has set and the tart shell is nicely browned, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

SUGAR-GLAZED PRUNE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a baking sheet.
• Unfold pastry sheet and cut into 9 (3-inch) squares, then arrange squares on baking sheet. Lightly brush squares with some of egg white. Toss prunes in remaining egg white. Arrange 3 prunes in center of each square, letting excess egg drip off and leaving about a 1/2-inch border around edge. Stir together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over tartlets.
• Bake until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool to warm, about 10 minutes.

PRUNE AND NUT TART

Steps:

• If you want to make the pastry by hand, beat the butter until it is smooth then mix in the icing sugar, one of the eggs and then add the flour.
• Or, put all the pastry ingredients (again 1 egg only) in the food processor with 2 tsp water and process just until they form a dough.
• Wrap the pastry in cling film and put in the fridge for half an hour or so to firm up.
• (you can freeze pastry now for up to a month) You need to bake the pastry case blind before you add the filling.
• The best and easierst way to roll the pastry is between 2 floured pieces of cling film.
• LIne a loose bottomed 23cm tart tin with the pastry, then line this with a piece of greaseproof paper.
• Put your baking beans on the paper and then put the pastry case in the freezer.
• Preheat the oven to 190*C (375*F).
• when the pastry case is rock solid, put it into the oven on a baking sheet.
• After 15 minutes, lift out the paper and beans very carefully and glaze the inside with your second egg, beaten first.
• (this makes sure you have no leaks later) Put back in the ove and bake for a further 5 minutes.
• For the filling, melt the butter and leave to cool a little.
• While this is happening, beat the eggs, stir in the sugar and cooled butter.
• Scatter half the almonds in the base of the tart, then spread the prunes around.
• Pour the filling over evenly.
• Scatter the rest of the almonds over the top and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until firm.
• Take it out, dust with some icing sugar and serve hot, cold or warm with creme fraiche or cream.