X Rated Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the tart shells on a rimmed baking sheet. Prick the bottoms and sides of the dough with a fork. Bake on the bottom rack until the dough is golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let the tart shells cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the pastry cream. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until bubbles form around the edges. Gradually add the milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir in the sherry. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter and vanilla and let cool completely.
• Spoon the cooled custard into the tart shells. Top with the fruit. Heat the apricot jelly in a saucepan or the microwave until melted. Brush the jelly onto the fruit. Let stand until set.

Steps:

• Mix in a shaker with plenty of ice, pour into a martini glass... and enjoy!
• **fabulous tip -- take a (nonalcoholic) ingredient in your recipe and turn it into your ice cubes!Pour the nectar into an ice cube tray or one of those fun new frozen swizzle stick molds, and a couple hours later you can pop the colorful ice into your drink. Hint: alcohol doesn't freeze, so you'll want to stick to juices on this one.

Steps:

• Place the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. Add the egg yolks and pulse a few times to combine. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and roll it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Put the parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced. With the processor running, pour the olive oil down the feed tube and process until combined. Pour the mixture over the tomatoes and toss gently. Set aside.
• On a well-floured board, roll the dough out to an 11 x 17-inch rectangle and transfer it to the prepared sheet pan. Don't worry if it doesn't fit exactly; you want it to cover most of the bottom of the pan but it can be a little rough on the sides. Place a second sheet pan directly on the pastry and bake for 15 minutes. (You can also line the pastry with foil and fill it with dried beans.) Remove the top sheet pan (or the beans and foil). Using a dinner fork, pierce the pastry in many places. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Check the pastry during baking; pierce any spots that bubble up. Allow the crust to cool for 15 minutes.
• Lower the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the mustard on the crust with a pastry brush. Sprinkle a thick even layer of Gruyere on the pastry, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Place overlapping tomatoes in rows on top. If there is a little garlic and herb mixture in the bowl, sprinkle it over the tomatoes, but if there is liquid in the bowl, strain it through a very-fine-mesh strainer, discard the liquid, and sprinkle the garlic and herb mixture on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of Gruyere and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool slightly, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Remove the zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the lemons to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.
• Fill the tart shell with warm lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature.

Steps:

• To make the pastry: combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the pastry. Combine the egg yolk with the ice water in a small bowl, whisking to blend; pour it into the well and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan so it fits tightly; press the edges into the sides of the pan. It is important to press the dough evenly into every nook and corner of the ring, especially the scalloped edges. Shave off the excess hanging dough with a knife. Put the tart in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to relax.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the tart pan on a sturdy cookie sheet so it will be easy to move in and out of the oven. Line the tart with aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans to keep the sides of the tart from buckling. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and weights. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the crust with a beaten egg white. Return to the oven and continue to bake for another 8 minutes until the tart is golden in color, but not brown. Remember the tart will be cooked again with the filling. It should be cooked but light in color so that it will not burn on the second bake. Set aside to cool and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• To make the filling: Heat the heavy cream and milk in a pot over medium-low flame, until it simmers slightly around the edges. Remove from the heat; add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smoothed out. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until well incorporated. Beat the eggs in a small bowl until blended and add them to the chocolate mixture, stir until completely blended. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell and bake at 325 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes until the filling is set and the surface is glossy. If you see any bubbles or cracks forming on the surface, take the tart out right away - that means it is beginning to become over baked. Cool before cutting.

Steps:

• Make pudding according to package directions and let stand 5 minutes. Stir orange zest into the pudding. Spread a thin layer of preserves across the bottom of graham cracker crust. Top with pudding. Arrange fruit on pudding, then sprinkle pie with mint, if desired.

Steps:

• Make the tart shells: In bowl of food processor, combine butter and granulated sugar and process until smooth. Add egg yolks, salt, and vanilla and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup flour and process until smooth. Add remaining 1 cup flour; process to combine. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and form into a flat square; wrap tightly and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Wipe clean food processor bowl.
• Make the filling: In bowl of food processor, add almonds and granulated sugar and process until finely ground. Add butter, egg, flour, rum, salt, and almond extract, and process until frangipane is smooth.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out chilled dough to a 1/4-inch-thickness. Using a 4 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 10 circles, re-rolling dough as necessary. Fit each circle into a 4-inch round fluted tart pan with removable bottom, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each tart shell with 1 tablespoon jam, then top with about 2 tablespoons frangipane; place on parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. (You will have about 1/4 cup frangipane leftover.) Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove tarts from pans.
• Make the glaze: Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Stir in lemon juice to combine. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe glaze onto tarts as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
• Combine butter with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; stir in 1 cup flour. Press dough into prepared baking pan; pierce crust with fork in several places to prevent crust from puffing up during baking.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until slightly golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Whisk white sugar and eggs in a bowl; stir 3 tablespoons flour into mixture and add lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into baked tart crust.
• Bake until filling is set, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool and dust with 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set out two 6-ounce ramekins.
• Place puff pastry sheet on a work surface and let thaw for just 5 minutes; it should still be partially frozen and very firm. Use a round pastry cutter the same diameter as your ramekins to cut out 2 rounds of dough. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Prick each pastry round all over with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastries are puffed up and the bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide parchment paper off the baking pan onto a work surface; press warm pastries down lightly with the back of a fork to deflate them a bit. Let cool.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Mix brown sugar, white sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, and a very small pinch of salt together in a bowl.
• Use 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to generously grease the bottom and sides of each ramekin. Spoon the sugar mixture evenly into each ramekin, reserving about 1 1/2 teaspoons for later. Shake ramekins gently to settle and flatten the sugar mixture.
• Fill a bowl with 3 cups cold water. Add lemon juice.
• Turn one apple on its side; trim about 1/4 inch off the top and bottom of the apple, then cut it in half through the center. Repeat with the second apple.
• Peel around the apple halves to remove the peel; discard. Continue to peel the flesh, making ribbons as long and as thick as possible until you reach the core, letting the ribbons drop into the water. As long as your ribbons are 3- to 4-inches long, that's fine.
• Pull out 3 to 4 of the longest ribbons and line them up on a work surface into one long ribbon, overlapping the ends an inch or so. Roll the ribbon up tightly to form the center of the tart, then turn it up on its end. Coil more ribbons around the center, overlapping as you go, until you have a coil that's the same diameter as your ramekin. Pick up the apple coil and place it into the ramekin, with the flat side on top of the sugar. Repeat to make the second tart.
• Dot 1/2 teaspoon butter over each tart, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture. Top each tart with a pastry round, placing the fork-poked side down on the apples.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastries have browned and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and press the hot pastries down gently with a fork. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
• Run a knife around each pastry, then turn over onto serving plates. Use a spoon to go around each tart to separate the layers and create more definition, if desired.