Scandinavian Almond Tarts Food

SWEDISH TOSCAS (SWEDISH ALMOND TARTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream the butter with the white sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix in 1 cup flour and stir to make a smooth dough. Divide the mixture by placing even amounts into the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
• To make the filling, mix the slivered almonds, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Stir in the cream, and 2 teaspoons flour. Cook and stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until it boils, about 10 minutes. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tart shells.
• Bake in preheated oven until tops and crust edges are light brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing the tarts from the muffin pan. Cool completely on a rack.

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• Lightly grease bottom of small muffin tins. Can use regular size muffin tin, but will reduce the amount of tarts produced with no affects to flavor.
• Crust:.
• Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg, vanilla and flour.
• Drop a rounded teaspoon of crust mixture into each greased small muffin cup, pressing batter over bottom and up around sides, leaving inside hollow; a coating 1/4 inch thick.
• Almond Filling:.
• With electric mixer, gradually add sugar to beaten eggs, beating until incorporated. Fold in ground almonds (or almond paste) and divide equally over crust.
• Bake until set and browned at 325 degrees 25 to 30 minutes.

ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• For the shells: Pulse together the granulated sugar, flour and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until mealy. Add the egg yolks (reserve the egg whites for the filling) and pulse until the dough comes together. Press the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
• To mold the shells, grease a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4-inch-thick, dusting with more flour as needed. Cut out 3-inch circles and press them into the muffin cups so that the dough comes all the way up the sides. (No worries if the dough tears; just patch it up with additional dough.) Freeze the shells for 15 minutes.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the almond meal, granulated sugar, salt, and butter, either by blending it in the food processor (no need to clean it out after making the dough, you can just use it immediately for this step), or by stirring it together in a large bowl (I find it's easiest to get in there with my hands). Add the almond extract, egg and the reserved egg whites from the shells, and continue to blend/stir until smooth and combined.
• Fill the frozen shells with the filling so that it comes up about 1/4-inch from the top. Bake until the tops and edges are lightly browned; begin checking for doneness at 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then use a small offset spatula or a knife to remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: If making the glaze with heavy cream, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream and almond extract in a bowl until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar or liquid to thicken it up or thin it out so that you get the consistency of a thick glue.
• To make the glaze with the raspberries, place the raspberries in a fine-mesh sieve and give them a rinse. Place the sieve over a bowl and use a stiff rubber spatula or wooden spoon to smash them through the sieve into the bowl until you're just left with seeds in the sieve. Be sure to scrape the underside of the sieve to get the stuff that's sticking to it. (You should be left with about 2 tablespoons seedless puree. If it's a tiny bit more or a tiny bit less, that's fine.) Add the powdered sugar and almond extract and mix to make a thick glaze. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it out, and if it's too thin, add a few more spoonfuls of powdered sugar. It should be the consistency of a thick glue.
• Spread the glaze over the cooled tarts and decorate with sprinkles, almonds and anything else you'd like! These will keep for several days at room temperature or in the fridge.

YARNALL FAMILY'S FYRSTEKAKE (NORWEGIAN CARDAMOM-ALMOND TART)

Steps:

• For crust:
• Whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolk and milk. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients and beat just until thoroughly combined.
• Pat dough into a ball; break off one-quarter of dough. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten balls into disks. Cover separately and chill dough disks for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• For filling and assembly:
• Butter tart pan. Break larger dough disk into small pieces and scatter over bottom of tart pan. Using your fingertips, press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to smooth the surface and trim the edges. Roll out smaller dough disk to about 1/8" thick. Using decorative cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and chill crust and cutouts for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse almonds, powdered sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer dry ingredients to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and vanilla in a medium bowl until medium peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into dry ingredients.
• Whisk egg yolk and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl to blend. Fill chilled crust with almond mixture; smooth top. Arrange cutouts on top and brush cutouts with egg wash.
• Bake tart until crust and cutouts are golden brown and filling is set, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool. DO AHEAD: Tart can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.