Daring Bakers: Bakewell Tarts

This is my first Daring Baker's challenge I've been able to participate in! I was so excited to try this. I'd never even heard of anything like this: essentially, a tart with almond cake baked inside of it. I knew I had to try this as soon as I read about it. The only thing that bugged me was that it seemed a little...flavorless. With both an almond dough and cake, I knew I had to put something more than just a layer of jam at the bottom. The seasonal fruits that are available during the summer are just too good not to include, so I added peaches into the mix. I wanted to maintain the cake feeling of the dessert, but get sort of fruit tart thing in there, too. I ended up layering the peaches on top of the raspberry "jam."

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.



Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.



Filling

5 medium white peaches; pitted, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/2 cups raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium sauté pan, mix peaches, sugar, and lemon juice. Turn heat on medium-high, and wait for the peach juice to fill the pan. Stir frequently with a spoon until when put pressure on, the peaches cut very easily. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg and cook 1 minute more, and stir. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.

For the raspberries, use the same procedure as for the peaches, but omitting the nutmeg and cinnamon. Once cooked, transfer to a food processor, blend until smooth.

Assembly
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Next, layer peaches on top, and end with a layer of frangipane almost to the top of the tart shell. Smooth the top and place one raspberry in the middle and press it slightly into frangipane. Cook for about 25 minutes if making tartlets. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.
Read more...

Nectarine Cherry Almond Crisp & Maple Butter-Pecan Ice Cream

Hi, from the east coast! I got in yesterday, and I had some free time this morning, so I thought I'd finish up my post. I had recently gotten some nectarines from Whole Foods (yum!) and some Tieton cherries from the farmer's market by my house. I couldn't remember ever trying something that combined those two, and what better way to combine fruits than a crisp? I went with an almond crisp because almonds give great texture, but don't have an overwhelming flavor. The only thing about crisps is that in order to really enjoy it, there must be ice cream along with it. I went with a maple butter-pecan, as it has great subtle flavors, but really lets the fruits from the crisp shine.

Nectarine Cherry Almond Crisp

Almond Crisp

85g flour
85g butter
80g butter
110g whole almonds

Combine ingredients in a food processor until a coarse meal.

Filling

4 medium nectarines
3/4 lb cherries
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut nectarines into small pieces and pit cherries. Toss in a bowl with sugar and let macerate for 30 minutes. Pour into a 9"x9" glass/ceramic pan. Sprinkle crisp over fruit and bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven.



This was the first time I felt a made a successful ice cream. The other times I'd made ice cream the custard either got over cooked or undercooked, and this time it was just right. Everyone who tried it thought it was rather addicting, so I guess they thought it was a success, too.

Maple Butter-Pecan Ice Cream

3/4 cup whole pecans
2 tablespoons butter; unsalted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup maple syrup
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

For the buttered pecans, chopped the pecans into small pieces. In a small frying pan, melt two tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add chopped pecans and mix, to coat the pecans. Stir frequently so the pecans don't burn. Once you smell the slightly toasted nuts and they have browned a little, immediately remove from pan and put into a bowl to cool.

IN A SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT, WARM THE MILK UNTIL STEAM BEGINS TO RISE FROM THE SURFACE.

IN A HEATPROOF BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER THE EGG YOLKS, maple syrup AND SALT UNTIL BLENDED. GRADUALLY ADD 1/2 THE HOT MILK, WHISKING CONSTANTLY UNTIL FULLY INCORPORATED. TRANSFER THE MIXTURE BACK TO THE SAUCEPAN AND SET OVER MEDIUM-LOW HEAT. COOK, STIRRING CONSTANTLY WITH A WOODEN SPOON OR SPATULA, UNTIL THE CUSTARD IS THICK ENOUGH TO COAT THE BACK OF THE SPOON AND LEAVES A CLEAR TRAIL WHEN A FINGER IS DRAWN THROUGH IT, 8 TO 10 MINUTES; DO NOT ALLOW THE CUSTARD TO BOIL.

POUR THE CUSTARD THROUGH A FINE-MESH SIEVE SET OVER A CLEAN BOWL AND STIR IN VANILLA. NESTLE THE BOWL IN A LARGER ONE FILLED HALFWAY WITH ICE AND WATER AND COOL THE CUSTARD TO ROOM TEMPERATURE, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY. REFRIGERATE UNTIL COLD [AT LEAST 2 HOURS]

TRANSFER THE CUSTARD TO AN ICE CREAM MAKER AND FREEZE ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS. Add the buttered pecans by hand, mixing thoroughly. TRANSFER THE ICE CREAM TO AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER. CHILL AT LEAST 3 HOURS BEFORE SERVING. MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.
Read more...

Simple Orange and Almond Madelines

Have you ever stuck your nose in a bottle of almond extract? Yum...I think that is one of the best smells. If you've had amaretti you know what I'm talking about. Madelines are sort of controversial: cake or cookie? I'm definitely on the cake side. What defines a cookie, to me, is it has a relatively crunchy exterior, and madelines are all cake. Although, a good madeline does have an ever so slightly crunchy, buttery top. Hmmm. Well, they taste good, so that's all that really matters. I've been doing a lot of orange recipes lately because I bought too many one day and had nothing to do with them. I good cook wastes nothing, so I decided to have a heavy orange theme this week. On another note, I will be in New York starting Friday, so no new baking posts until I get back! I will probably put up some pictures of some of the sweets I ate there, but nothing I made. I had some extra time today and made these simple madelines, using my excess orange and that amazing almond flavor.



Madelines

170 g clarified butter*
2 eggs
200 g sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon brandy
1 teaspoon almond extract
Zest of one orange

*To clarify the butter, melt and let it cool. A white foam will rise to the surface. Using a shallow spoon, remove the foam as best you can. It will keep your madelines from browning too much in the oven.

Melt and allow your clarified butter to cool. On top of a double broiler, heat eggs and sugar, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk until thick, light, and creamy. When cooled, sift in the cake flour, a little at a time. Once flour is incorporated, stream in the melted butter, then the brandy, the almond extract, and the orange zest. Scoop a scant tablespoon of batter into each mold of a greased and floured madeline pan. Transfer to the freezer for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and bake until the tops of your madelines are golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Read more...