Category: mini tartlets

An Italian Moment: Summery Ricotta Tart, or When Inspiration Comes from the Amalfi Coast (Part I)

Posted on May 6, 2011 by fromBAtoParis

Geometric & Arithmetic accuracy for cutting and placing strawberries is required..AND patience!

Finally, with one year of delay (Yes, the volcano decided to keep quiet this time!), we were able to make our planned trip to Italy..the Amalfi coast, to be precise. And every time I go to Italy, I realise how much Italians have influenced the life, the memories, the taste of all Argentinians. The star of afternoon tea, coffee, or mate has always been in my family the ricotta tart…with its sweet lemony taste, and the special texture of ricotta…Of course our ricotta tarts were not like this one, they were more simple, like this one here. The one that I made for you is more of a “renegade”(?!), yes…like an Italian country village girl that dreams to be “Parisienne”….

But this is what these images of Sorrento inspired in me…I remember reading that many English poets, like Byron, D.H.Lawrence, or American Henry James went to Italy in search of inspiration..Some of them dreamt of Italy but never stepped on Italian soil..like Shakespeare, but he despicted so well the Juliet’s balcony in Verona, that we all believe that balcony really existed, when it did not (sorry to spoil the business of Verona’s tour operators!!)

In any case, looking for inspiration or for lazy “dolce farniente”, the Amalfi coast is a must because of its beauty ...and good food!

This is Capri, la Piazzeta!! I could have stayed there for hours, enjoying the sun, like a tortoise, chatting noisily with my family or friends…(yes, in Italy you chat noisily!!) Of course, the only thing that would make me leave my chair would be a detour at the several luxury jewelry shops!!! Please, God or whoever is in charge of this…in my next re-incarnation I would love to be the spoilt, protected lover of some Italian viscount, who would have as only penchant to buy me rings!! I LOVE rings…Of course, I did not dare to come up with the suggestion of another ring to my husband because he (unlike my Italian viscount) would have probably locked me inside the clock tower you see in the photo surrounded by all the pidgeons (which I hate!)

Here is Anacapri (on the same island but higher). Less classy, probably more authentic..We had lunch in the little restaurant you see there, in the sun, because technically speaking, we were freezing in Italy!! (yes, only fifteen days ago, it was very cold! ) I had the best spaghetti a la vongole in my life!!! I don’t know what the cook had used, but the taste was incredible!

On another, nearly stormy day, we went to Positano..Sometimes, the lack of sunlight makes settings more dramatic, colors acquire a different hue…The little colourful houses perched on the hills, lemons, artichokes everywhere!!! huge artichokes, the bells of the churches announcing mass, “pepperoncinos” hanging from walls…widows in black, children playing football, chianti…beautiful girls in exuberant bodies….handsome young men..perfect Roman noses….in one word? Italy!!

Initially, I was going to top the tart with pears, but when I went to the market, five boxes of “gariguettes” (extremely perfumed French variety of strawberry) were being sold at 4 euros!!! so…..

A piece of this tart and a capuccino…what can else can we expect from life? Italian heaven…!

Well…if Marcello joined me, I wouldn’t mind…(actually I would have adored an imaginary RDV with Marcello (yes, this is why I don’t quite like Catherine Deneuve!)

And you know, there are thousands of photos where he is looking so elegant in his suits..Mamma Mia!!!, but here, he is like the essence of Italy! I can imagine the face of Catherine Deneuve!!! having breakfast with him in “such a state” Oh, mon Dieu!!!

Marcello, if we had met, I would have made for you ten of these ricotta tarts!!!

Enjoy it!!

To make this Ricotta Tart, with strawberries, you will need:

For the Pâte Sucrée: follow my eternal, classic recipe here

Then,

* ricotta, 500gr *sugar, 100gr *egg, 1 *yolks, 3 *zest of lemon, 1 *corn flour (Maizena), 1tbsp *butter(melted), 1 tbsp *strawberries, many!! (I can’t say the exact quantity because that will depend on their size, but at least 1/2 kilo)

Roll out the pâte sucrée (1/2cm high), trying to have a circle slightly bigger than the intended mold. Put it on parchment paper, and on a baking tray. Put on top your ring mold (here 20cm, previously brushed with butter). Press so that the excess is cut. Take it to the fridge (min 30′) Remember each time you work with this pâte, that it has to be very cold otherwise it breaks easily.

Pre-heat oven 180°C. In a stand-mixer (or a hand one) whisk the ricotta with the sugar till creamy. Then add the agg, and then the yolks, one by one. Finally the lemon zest, and the butter and corn flour.

Remove your mold from the fridge, and immediately, pour the batter in. Take it to the oven. Bake around 30′, till the ricotta becomes golden brown and has set!

Slice the strawberries thinly (photo) and start placing them, on the outer circle of the mold, one on top of the other, leaving one third of the strawberry free (this is difficult to explain but the photos show that clearly!) When you finish, if you are not eating the tart immediately, brush the strawberries with an apricot gelée (dissolved in a bit of water) There are also special products (gelées) for this in bakery professional shops.

Posted in amalfi, Italian, mini tartlets, ricotta, strawberries, trip | 27 Replies

Un Air de Printemps (Spring is in the Air) – Asparagus/Orange Cream Tart

Posted on April 13, 2011 by fromBAtoParis

Et oui! This could be another recipe for my Chefex ! It’s the asparagus season, and so I will devote some posts to these green knights (Have you ever read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? I used to torture my students with that…AND my (at the time) five-year-old nephew, who lives now in Germany but still remembers Gawain in awe, seeing the green knight picking up his head…sorry for the digression!)

What I meant is that, when the nice weather begins, we feel less prone to be in the kitchen, and more inclined to go out….at least that happens to me! I love losing my way in the streets of Paris, stopping at every store, to see what’s new..I particularly love little shops devoted to decoration items (apart from kitchenware stores) It is always nice to find a small new thing to decorate a room, or the balcony!

Of course, nobody is going to give me a Michelin star for this tart! but it is precisely its simplicity that makes this tart a winner…and then, just wait! Wait to see how the mild bitterness of the asparagus blends with the orange cream....Yes! as I always say, appearances are deceptive!

It would be a sort of “must” to have an excellent puff pastry! Buttery and flaky as you see here…or for the bold ones, to make it at home!

The shape of the asparagus suits the rectangle tart, and this provides a playful alternative to the traditional round tart…”Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, my mother used to say…

I hope you enjoy it!

To make this Asparagus/Orange Cream Tart, you will need:
(serves 2 tarts of 20x30cm)

*pastry puff (to roll out), 400gr *asparagus, 16 *orange, 2 *eggs, 2 *crème fraîche, 8tbsp *olive oil, to spray *salt/pepper

Cut the stalk of the asparagus (1/2cm) and in order to blanch them, put them into boiling salted water for 3/5′ (according to how thick they are) (if you can keep the tips out of the boiling water, better. Remove them from the boiling water and pass them immediately to a bowl of icy water (to stop the cooking process) . Let them rest for some minutes (till cool) Dry them.

Pre-heat your oven 210°C. Roll out your puff pastry into the desired shape (here, a rectangle of 20x30cm) Fold the edges (previously damped with water) to create a mold (see picture)

You don’t need parchment paper on the tray if your puff pastry is good quality, since it won’t stick due to the butter content. Just sprinkle the tray with icy water. Then, refrigerate for at least 30′ before putting in the oven!

Grate the orange with a zester. Then remove the skin. Peel the orange “à vif” as explained here. Then, whisk the two eggs with the cream, season to taste. Add in the orange juice that you got during the peeling process, and the zest. Remove the baking trays from the fridge. Pour half the cream/orange juice mixture. Accomodate 8 asparagus, and half the orange slices. Bake for approx 20′ till the crust is golden. Half-way the baking process, spray the tart with olive oil. (Proceed likewise for the other tart!)

Recipe adapted from “Elle à Table”

Posted in asparagus, chefex, mini tartlets, orange cream | 22 Replies

Meringue-Pink Grapefruit/White Chocolate Cream Tartelette, or When We Recycle What We Have in the Freezer !

Posted on March 29, 2011 by fromBAtoParis

We are all becoming more and more involved in recycling: we recycle paper, batteries, cell-phones….so I thought we could “recycle” things we have in our freezers…things that were originally meant for one recipe, and end up making another…like in these tartelettes!

For the crust, I used the almond pâte sucrée, that you have seen in this recipe here..in fact I always make generous quantities of this pâte and store it, to be able to “improvise” tartlets…

The pink grapefruit/white chocolate cream is the one I used for my last macarons, here…..

And the Swiss meringue..impossible to store ( though we can have whites in the freezer!) is the only thing I made “ad hoc”….

The rest is a question of filling the tartlets forming a “dome”, instead of the usual flat presentation…As for the meringue, I decided to give it a half-croissant shape, to avoid the too-sweet taste in your palate….I want people to appreciate the subtile grapefruit perfume, not the sugar in the meringue…

And that’s it: simple, elegant, delicate in taste…as good pâtisserie should be!

I hope you enjoy it..I did !! When we can make something beautiful in no time…a cook’s heaven..Don’t you agree?

For the Swiss Meringue, you will need:

*whites, 2 *sugar, 120gr

Put the whites and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium/low, always stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Whisk until you get firm peaks.

Posted in grapefruit, meringue, mini tartlets | 32 Replies

My Last Winter Mini-Tartelette !

Posted on March 6, 2011 by fromBAtoParis

After some days in summery Buenos Aires, I came back to a cold Paris…chilly but sunny..and that, as everybody who lives here knows, is a real blessing! The following morning, on my way to do some shopping, I crossed Foch Avenue, and there I found all these flowers, framed by enormous still-bare trees….

And there, it dawned on me: winter is coming to an end..Thanks God! We have had such a harsh winter…but then, probably because melancholy is one of the traits of my personality, instead of thinking of all that is coming: fruits, fresh greens..I thought of all I would leave behind: braised meats, citrus, tartlets full of nuts…

So this mini-tartelette made its way to this blog..to you! The crust? An almond “pâte sucrée”

Then, all the nuts we like, or we have at home plus pistachios…Then dried fruits: here apricots, and orange marmelade, to balance the sweet caramel…!

I love the extra-small size of these treats (6cm), because sometimes it is only a question of having a tiny sweet thing with our coffee…just to satisfy our craving for something sweet, without exaggerating….

Making the tartlets can be a challenge at times: remember the “pâte” has to be cold to work with it properly…and don’t overcook the caramel…otherwise it will taste bitter, instead of sweet! (though in this recipe, the addition of glucose gives you more “flexibility” in time)

Don’t feel discouraged if the first time they don’t look like out of a shelf of a Parisian pâtisserie! The human being should beat the inanimated thing (this is what I always repeat myself!) , at least in theory… ;D

I hope you enjoy them..They are great!

To make these tartlets, you will need:

For the pâte sucrée, follow recipe and instructions here, using 6cm ring molds.

For the filling:

*glucose, 80gr *sugar, 200gr *cream, 100gr *butter, 30gr *a pinch of salt *orange marmelade, 100gr * mixed nuts, 150gr (all chopped coarsely except for the pistachios that you will keep whole) *dried apricots, 60gr

In a saucepan, start making a caramel with the glucose and sugar (add the sugar progressively, in batches) When it gets to a light golden colour, remove from the heat. Add the butter (room temperature) and salt. Stir. Then add the cream and marmelade (previously heated in the microwave). Be careful! Then cream has a tendency to splash, particularly if you add it cold!! Finally add all the nuts and apricots. Combine well. Fill your tartlets.