Tarte Pastry
Ingrediants
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yoke
2 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of zest : lemon, orange whatever citrus you have on hand.
1. Add flour, butter, salt into a food processor and pulse until butter is blended with flour in small pieces. Then add yoke, cold water & zest. Pulse until dough forms a ball- Stop machine the instant it forms a ball.
Press onto a wooden board with flour to form a disk shape- do not over work. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate up to half an hour.
2. To roll out pastry, flour a work surface and a rolling pin well. At this point you can use half the dough or as I do- all of it! Roll into a disk ¼ to ½ inch think.
3. Place the pastry on top of fruit. Tuck the overhanging dough around the fruit.
Yield: Pastry for two tarts but I use it all for one!
Pear Tartin
6 firm. Large pears
2 tablespoons of lemon juice or lime
¾ cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 10” frying pan.
- Preheat oven to 375. Peel pears, cut them in half lengthwise and core therm. Place in large bowl and toss with lemon juice.
- Place a 10” skillet over low heat. Add sugar and allow to melt. It will turn a Carmel color- do not let it over heat otherwise you will burn the sugar. Once sugar is melted. Add the pears cut side up (see photo). Add 4 tablespoons of cut up butter- place on top and in pan. Cook over medium heat for about 15- 20 minutes. I turn the pears once so they cook on both sides but leave them cut side up at the end of the cooking process.
- Roll out tarte dough according to directions. Gently place dough over the cooked pears. If the dough rips just use a little water to mend the dough.
- Place in oven and bake for 25- to 30 minutes.
- Remove tarte from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge. Place a large plate together with two kitchen towels, carefully, but quickly invert the tarte onto the plate.
Ginger whip cream
1 cup of whipping cream
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger diced into small pieces
2 – 3 tablespoons of crystallized ginger.
1. Add freshdiced ginger to a small bowl with fresh whipping cream, cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
2. Using a small sieve pour cream to remove fresh ginger bits. Discard the ginger bits.
3. Using a hand mixer beat the cream to form soft peaks.
4. Chop crystallized ginger into small pieces and fold into whip cream. Add a dollop to each piece of tarte.
Rooting for Ideas 