Woven Dried Fruit Tart Food

DRIED FRUIT AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• For the fruit, combine the prunes, apricots and figs in a mixing bowl and cover with the Armagnac. Let stand for 3 hours, turning the fruit from time to time.
• Meanwhile for the crust, place the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse just to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, pour in the egg mixture. Process just until dough begins to come together. Gently press the dough together with your hands, flatten into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain the fruit; set aside. Roll out the dough between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, or a 10-inch quiche dish. For the filling, cream the butter and the confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Mix in the flour and the salt. Stir in the ground almonds.
• Spread the fruit evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Spoon the filling over the fruit. Bake until the filling is set and the crust is browned, about 40 minutes. Place on a rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.

INDIVIDUAL DRIED-FRUIT TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Have ready six 4-inch fluted tartlet pans with nonremovable bottoms.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out six 4 1/2-inch-round circles. Transfer the circles to prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic; transfer to refrigerator to chill.
• Place the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Place pan over medium-high heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook, uncovered, without stirring. As the water evaporates, the sugar will begin to caramelize. Once the sugar starts to brown, swirl the pan occasionally so the sugar caramelizes evenly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until caramel is light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Working quickly, divide caramel among tart pans, covering the bottoms evenly. Set the tart pans aside.
• Arrange the fruit, cut sides up or down, on top of caramel in pans, covering bottoms.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 teaspoon water. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Center the rounds over the fruit in the pans, laying the dough flat and not tucking it in. Using a knife, make a knife slit in each piece of dough. Brush rounds with egg wash. Transfer pans to refrigerator; chill 15 minutes.
• Arrange the tart pans on baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between. Bake until the crusts are golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack until pans are cool enough to handle.
• Using your fingers, gently unstick crusts from rims as needed. Turn out each tart onto a plate, tapping to loosen any fruit. Serve tarts warm or at room temperature.

SALLY DARR'S UPDATED DRIED FRUIT TART

Steps:

• In a saucepan simmer dried fruit and cider, covered, stirring occasionally, until cider is absorbed, about 10-minutes. Cool fruit mixture and chop coarse. In a bowl stir together fruit mixture, walnuts, butter, and 3/4 cup sugar.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out 1 pastry sheet into a 13-inch square and transfer to an 11-inch round tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch and fold toward center of tart, pressing gently against edge of pan. Spread fruit filling evenly in shell.
• Roll out remaining pastry sheet into a 10-inch square and with a saw-toothed pastry wheel cut into 10-by 1/2 inch strips. Weave pastry strips into a lattice pattern over tart and trim overhanging ends to 1/4 inch, tucking them between pastry edge and filling. Brush lattice with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake tart in middle of oven 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown, and cool in pan on a rack.
• Serve tart warm or room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.

FRUITY BERRY TARTS WITH VANILLA CASHEW CREAM

Steps:

• Grease four (5-inch) individual, loose-bottomed, fluted or straight-sided tart tins and set aside on a tray.
• Place the dates and pecans for the crust in a food processor or mini blender and blitz until they start to clump together. Divide this mixture equally among the tins. Press the mixture onto the base and up the sides of each one, making sure it is of even thickness. Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes while you get on with the rest of the recipe.
• Place the soaked and drained cashews, the dates and vanilla seeds in a food processor or mini blender along with 1/2 cup of cold water. Blend until as smooth as possible to give a creamy mixture.
• Once the tart bases have set and are feeling firm, remove them from the fridge and divide the cashew cream among them. Spread it out evenly with the back of the spoon. Top with the berries and then scatter over the mint or basil to serve.

PATE BRISEE (PIE DOUGH)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.