Sour Cherry Tartlets Food

SWEET-AND-SOUR CHERRY TARTLETS

Steps:

• Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flours and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/4 cup water and vodka; pulse 6 times or until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead 1 to 2 times. Divide dough into 12 equal portions; shape each portion into a ball and press flat. Roll each dough portion into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Arrange dough circles on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap; cover and chill 1 hour or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with oven rack in lower middle position.
• Unwrap dough circles; fit 6 circles into 6 (4-inch) tart pans. Using a 1 1/4-inch star-shaped cutter, cut a star from the center of each of the remaining 6 dough circles. Refrigerate tart shells and lids until ready to use; refrigerate stars, if using.
• Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 5 tablespoons sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add cherries and lemon juice; toss. Spoon about 1/2 cup cherry mixture into each shell; top with dough lids, pressing edges to seal. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar. Arrange tartlets on a foil-lined baking sheet; bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool 10 minutes. Remove tartlets from pans; cool completely.

BRANDIED SOUR CHERRY AND PEAR TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend together flour, salt, butter, shortening, and 2 tablespoons sugar with your fingertips or a pastry blender in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup ice water and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and divide into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, then flatten each into a 5- to 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Peel, halve, and core pears. Cut pears into 1/4-inch dice, then stir together with remaining filling ingredients in a 3-quart heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes. Transfer filling to a shallow dish and cool to room temperature.
• Roll out smaller disk of dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking.
• Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 3 1/2-inch fluted cutter, transferring as cut to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Chill rounds until firm, about 10 minutes, before decorating. Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll, cut, and chill additional 31/2-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16.
• Cut out shapes from rounds with decorative cutters or a sharp paring knife, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge, and reserve cutout pieces if desired for additional decoration. Brush tops lightly with milk. Lightly press reserved cutouts (if using) onto decorated pastry rounds and brush lightly with milk. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over tops and chill while making bottoms.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out larger disk of dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on floured surface with floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 4-inch cutter. Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll and cut additional 4-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16. Fit each 4-inch round into a tartlet pan (don't trim). Fill each tartlet with 3 tablespoons cooled filling and brush edge of pastry lightly with milk. Place decorated tops over filling in each tartlet, then press each top lightly around edge to help seal edges and trim pastry if necessary.
• Bake tartlets on a large baking sheet until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool 10 minutes. To remove tartlets from pans, cover 1 hand with a folded kitchen towel and invert tartlets 1 at a time onto towel, reinverting them onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHERRY TARTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough water until dough forms a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut out eight 5-in. circles. Place each over an inverted custard cup on an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; flute edges. , Bake 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before removing tart shells from custard cups; cool completely on wire racks., For filling, in a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup juice. Set cherries aside. Stir reserved juice into sugar mixture until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cherries, butter, almond extract and food coloring if desired. Cool to room temperature. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each tart shell.

SOUR CHERRY TART

Steps:

• For the pate brisee, place the flour, sugar, salt and butter pieces in owl and crush the butter into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers until combined somewhat but with pieces of butter still visible in the mixture. Add the ice water and stir with a fork just until the mixture holds together. Gather it up, pressing it between your hands to flatten it and make it round, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.
• Rub a small amount of flour into a pastry cloth and roll the dough into a very thin circle, about 12 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and gently fit it into the bottom and up the sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough against the sides of the pan to fill in any holes and make it adhere to the metal. Remove any excess overhanging dough by rolling the rolling pin across the top of the pan. Refrigerate the tart shell for one hour.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the cherries, tapioca, sugar and almond extract. Sprinkle the ground almond-sugar mixture in the pastry shell and arrange the cherry mixture on top. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for one to one-and-a-quarter hours, until the dough is nicely browned. Unmold and serve with strong coffee.

CHERRY TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C
• For the pastry: Put the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces, and pinch with the fingers to create a crumb texture. Make a well in the middle, and add the eggs. Quickly work in the flour mixture to create dough. Do not over-mix. Pat into a disk and refrigerate 15 minutes before rolling out. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan.
• For the filling: Arrange the cherries in the crust. Beat the eggs with the sugar, and then stir in the creme fraiche and vanilla. Pour the custard over the cherries. Bake until set, about 25 minutes. Cool before serving.

SOUR CHERRY TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter. Rub in with fingers until butter is size of small peas. Add egg; mix until dough comes together. Gather into ball. Shape into 5-inch-long log. Wrap in waxed paper; chill 1 hour.
• Make pastry cream:
• Whisk yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in heavy small saucepan. Whisk in flour, then milk. Add lemon peel. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla. Transfer to bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface. Chill until cold, about 1 hour. (Pastry and pastry cream can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut dough into twenty 1/4-inch-thick slices. Roll out 1 dough slice between sheets of floured plastic wrap to 3 1/2-inch round. Transfer to 3-inch-diameter tartlet pan with 1/2-inch-high sides. Repeat with 9 more dough pieces and tartlet pans.
• Remove lemon peel from pastry cream. Spoon 1 tablespoon pastry cream into each crust. Top each with 2 teaspoons jam. Roll remaining 10 dough pieces out between sheets of floured plastic wrap to 3 1/2-inch rounds. Place 1 round atop each tartlet. Pinch dough edges together to seal.
• Place tartlets on baking sheet. Bake until pastry is golden on top, about 30 minutes. Using small knife, loosen tartlets from pans. Remove from pans. Transfer to rack; cool. Sift powdered sugar over.

SWEET CHERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Make Sour Cream Pastry.
• Combine flour and 1/2 tsp.
• sugar in large bowl.
• Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Stir in sour cream until dough holds together.
• Turn out onto floured surface and knead gently 2 or 3 times.
• Divide dough in half and freeze half for another use.
• This light pastry may be used for any pie.
• Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to fit a 10-inch flan pan.
• Flute edges high.
• Cut aluminum foil to fit center of pastry shell and then fill with pie weights or dried beans.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and CAREFULLY remove the weights and foil from the pastry shell.
• Set aside.
• Re-set oven to 350 degrees.
• In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar and whipping cream with a wire whisk.
• Beating constantly, add scalded milk until all is blended well.
• Arrange cherries in bottom of pastry shell; pour custard over cherries.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the outside edge comes out clean.
• Center will set as custard cools.
• Cool completely.
• Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

SOUR CHERRY CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, butter a 9" spring-form pan dust with ground almonds (or fine, dry unseasoned bread crumbs), shake out extra, set aside.
• Drain cherries, then spread in a single layer on several thicknesses of paper towel, while you continue to prepare the torte.
• Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave, watch carefully, don't allow any water to get in the chocolate or it will seize.
• Cream the butter, add extracts and sugar, beat well; add eggs one at a time beating after each until mixed.
• On low add chocolate, beat until mixed, add almonds, then flour mixing just until incorporated.
• Spread about half or a little more of the batter into the pan (it is thick, using an offset spatula helps) place cherries one at a time over batter in a single layer, they can touch the sides, spoon and spread the remaining batter over the cherries, going slow helps prevent pull up.
• Bake 45 -50 minutes, the cake will be dry and crusty on top and a toothpick will come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes on a rack, then remove sides of the pan, let stand until almost cool ( to serve warm this is about 30 minutes).
• To remove bottom of the pan - cover cake with a rack and flip over, remove pan bottom - you may need to slip a thin spatula between the torte and pan bottom to loosen, cover cake with serving plate and flip back over ( I've been know to serve from the pan bottom, just keep your thin spatula handy).
• Note: Almonds should be finely ground in a blender or food processor, they should be almost powdery). Almond meal or almond flour (fancy names for ground almonds) can be found in some health food stores or at Trader Joes, though it can be very pricey under some labels. I prefer the freshness of grinding the almonds myself.
• Use real whipping cream unless you have dairy issues; a little kirsch added as you whip it is a nice touch.

SOUR-CHERRY FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Pour melted butter over granulated sugar; stir to dissolve. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk together both flours and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir into butter mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Press dough into prepared pan, making sides slightly thicker than bottom. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until slightly puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Filling: Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cream, almond extract, and granulated sugar. In another bowl, whisk together both flours and salt, then whisk into egg mixture until smooth. Arrange cherries in cooled crust in a single layer; gently pour batter around them. Bake, rotating once, until golden brown and just set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let tart cool at least 30 minutes, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.