Speculaas Tart With Almond Filling Recipe Epicuriouscom

Steps:

• For filling:.
• Blend first 8 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely chopped.
• Transfer to small bowl.
• Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• For dough:.
• Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended; beat in egg.
• Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form.
• Gather dough into ball; divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten dough into disks; wrap and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled. Soften slightly before rolling.).
• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• Roll out larger dough piece on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to pan and press gently over bottom and up sides, pressing any tears together.
• Spread filling in dough.
• Trim dough on sides to 1/2 inch above level of filling.
• Fold dough in over filling.
• Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12- to 13-inch round.
• Using bottom of cake pan as aid, cut out 9-inch-diameter round of dough. Slide dough round onto plate and freeze 5 minutes to firm. (Reserve dough scraps for cookies.)
• Place chilled dough round on tart; press to adhere and seal edges.
• Bake tart until crust is brown, about 50 minutes.
• Remove sides of springform pan; cool tart completely on pan bottom. Maintain oven temperature.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out dough scraps on lightly floured surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness.
• Using 2-inch gingerbread-man cutter, cut out cookies.
• Transfer cutouts to prepared sheets. Repeat, using all of dough.
• Bake cookies until golden, about 8 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets. (Tart and cookies can be made ahead; cover and store at room temperature 1 day or refrigerate up to 3 days.).
• Sift powdered sugar over top of tart.
• Place small dab of preserves on back of 1 cookie; place at top edge of tart; repeat with more cookies, forming border around tart.
• Transfer tart to platter.
• Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, cook carrots, orange juice, 4 Tbsp. butter, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp. allspice, and 1 1/2 cups water in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 10-12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to a plate, reserving liquid in skillet, and let cool.
• Transfer 1/4 cup almonds to a small bowl; set aside. Process 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and remaining almonds, 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. allspice in a food processor until finely chopped. Add eggs, ricotta, thyme, orange zest, and remaining 4 Tbsp. butter and process until smooth.
• Gently roll pastry to an 18x13" rectangle on a lightly floured sheet of parchment. Transfer with parchment to a rimmed baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a 1/2" border around pastry (for a decorative border, make small shallow diagonal cuts within that border).
• Spread egg mixture evenly within border of pastry, then arrange carrots over in a geometric pattern. To create a chevron (zigzag) pattern, form 6 carrots into 3 even "V" shapes so points are touching the long border of the crust. Fill with additional rows of "V" shapes, cutting carrots to fit as needed.
• Bake tart until filling is puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, heat reserved carrot-cooking liquid in skillet over high; cook, stirring, until reduced to a thick syrup, about 10 minutes. Brush top of tart with syrup while still warm. Cut into 12-16 pieces.
• Whisk oil and remaining 1 tsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl. Add shallot, carrot tops, and reserved almonds and toss to combine. Arrange over tart to serve.

Steps:

• For crust:
• Butter 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Combine almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in processor; grind nuts finely. Add flour, powdered sugar, and salt; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add egg yolk and blend until moist clumps form, about 30 seconds. Knead dough into ball. Transfer 1/4 cup dough to small bowl and reserve for another use. Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Pierce bottom all over with fork. Cover pan with foil and freeze crust at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust uncovered until deep golden brown, checking often and pressing sides and bottom with back of fork during first 15 minutes when crust puffs or bubbles, about 20 minutes total. Cool completely.
• For pudding:
• Place cornstarch and salt in medium bowl. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, whisking until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in egg yolks.
• Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups milk (mixture will bubble). Whisk until caramel bits dissolve. Slowly whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture; return to same pan. Whisk until pudding thickens and boils, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to crust. Chill uncovered until cold and just firm, at least 3 hours. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead.
• For topping:
• Stir 2/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium skillet (do not use nonstick) over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is medium amber color, about 7 minutes. Add almonds and stir to coat evenly with caramel. Immediately scrape coated almonds onto sheet of foil. Working quickly with 2 forks, separate almonds and spread out in single layer. Cool completely. Do ahead Let almonds stand at room temperature up to 6 hours or cover and chill up to 1 day. Break almonds into small clusters before using.
• Press bottom of pan up, releasing tart. Whisk cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in bowl until peaks form; spread over tart. Sprinkle almond clusters with fleur de sel. Garnish tart with clusters.