Bon Appetit Desserts (87 page)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crusts until golden, piercing with fork if crusts bubble, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack. Immediately spoon ½ tablespoon preserves over bottom of each crust. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

FILLING
: Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; add white chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk egg yolks and vanilla in medium bowl. Slowly whisk cream mixture into yolk mixture to blend well. Divide custard between crusts. Bake tartlets until centers are just set, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack. Chill tartlets overnight.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle each tartlet with 1 teaspoon sugar. Broil just until sugar melts and browns, covering crusts with foil to prevent burning, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate tartlets until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Remove pan sides from tartlets. Arrange raspberries around edge of tartlets.

Cherry-Almond Tartlets

These tartlets have a classic French “brown butter” filling. Butter is swirled over medium-low heat until it becomes golden brown, giving it a rich, nutty flavor. The filling is slightly cakey—making the tartlets durable enough to transport to a picnic or a party. (For best results, transport the tartlets in their pans.) Morello cherries can be found at Trader Joe’s, at other specialty foods stores, and online. Sweetened whipped cream makes a good substitute for the crème fraîche.
Makes 8

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg yolk

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon almond extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 24.7-ounce jar dark Morello cherries in light syrup, well drained, syrup reserved

1 cup crème fraîche

2 tablespoons sugar

CRUST
: Blend flour, almonds, sugar, and salt in processor until almonds are finely chopped. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and freeze 15 minutes.

Butter bottoms of eight 4-inch-diameter tartlet pans with ¾-inch-high sides and removable bottoms. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of each prepared tartlet pan. Place tartlets on large rimmed baking sheet. Chill while preparing filling.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

FILLING
: Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, about 12 minutes. Whisk sugar, eggs, flour, almond extract, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in browned butter to form a smooth batter.

Divide cherries among tartlets (about 10 per tartlet). Spoon batter over cherries, dividing evenly. Bake tartlets until golden brown and set in center, about 25 minutes. Cool on rack at least 30 minutes. Remove pan sides from tartlets and cool completely.

Meanwhile, boil reserved cherry syrup in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to ⅓ cup, about 25 minutes.

SWEETENED CRÈME FRAÎCHE
: Stir crème fraîche and sugar in small bowl to blend.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover tartlets and keep at room temperature. Transfer reduced cherry syrup to small bowl and chill. Return sweetened crème fraîche to container; cover and chill.

Transfer tartlets to plates. Spoon crème fraîche alongside. Drizzle with reduced cherry syrup and serve.

Nectarine Tartlets with Puff Pastry and Almond Filling

Frozen puff pastry makes an instant crust for the nectarines. Look for delicious all-butter frozen puff pastry (in 1-pound packages) in some markets and at specialty foods stores, or use regular puff pastry. Marzipan can be found in the baking aisle of most supermarkets.
Makes 6

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 16-ounce package all-butter puff pastry or half of 17.3-ounce package regular puff pastry), thawed

1 large egg, beaten to blend

6 ounces marzipan, very thinly sliced

3 firm but ripe nectarines, halved, pitted

8 teaspoons sugar, divided

⅔ cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Drop of almond extract

Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roll out puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 18×11-inch rectangle with about ⅛-inch thickness. Cut pastry into six 6×5 ½-inch rectangles. Cut off ½-inch-wide strip from each side of 1 rectangle. Brush strips with beaten egg. Place 2 long strips, egg side down, atop long edges of 1 rectangle. Place short strips, egg side down, atop short edges, trimming to fit. Repeat with remaining rectangles. Place pastries on prepared baking sheet.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Divide marzipan into 6 equal portions. Press marzipan to fit and cover bottom of pastries. Thinly slice each nectarine half. Slightly fan slices in center of each pastry atop marzipan. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake tartlets until crusts are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool slightly.

Whisk cream, remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, and almond extract in medium bowl until thick and fluffy. Serve tartlets with whipped cream.

Mango Meringue Tartlets

These tartlets are tropical throughout: Coconut adds flavor and texture to the crust, while pureed ripe mangoes enhanced with spices and lime create a velvety filling.
Makes 6

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, lukewarm

3 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut

3 large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, sliced, divided

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅓ cup fresh lime juice

1¼-ounce envelope unflavored gelatin

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

6 large egg whites, room temperature

Pinch of coarse kosher salt

6 fresh mint sprigs

Using fork, mix flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, melted butter, and coconut in medium bowl until dough forms. Divide into 6 equal pieces. Press onto bottom and up sides of six 4 ½-inch-diameter tartlet pans with removable bottoms. Chill crusts 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crusts until golden, pressing down with spoon if bubbles form, about 25 minutes. Cool.

Puree 2 mangoes in processor. Measure 1¾ cups puree; mix in allspice and cinnamon. Transfer to bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Pour lime juice into small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir over low heat just until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in condensed milk, then spiced mango puree. Divide filling among cooled crusts. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours.

Using electric mixer, blend egg whites and coarse salt in large bowl. Gradually add remaining 1½ cups powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Spoon meringue atop tartlets or pipe atop tartlets using pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Using kitchen torch, lightly brown meringue. (Alternatively, place tartlets in 500°F oven until meringue is golden in spots, watching carefully to prevent burning, about 3 minutes.) Garnish with remaining mango slices and mint sprigs.

Apple, Goat Cheese, and Honey Tartlets

Dessert and cheese courses combine for one sophisticated dessert. If you want to serve the tartlets warm but don’t want to do the assembling and baking immediately before serving, bake them up to six hours ahead and store at room temperature. Rewarm the tartlets in the oven at 350°F for five to ten minutes and drizzle with honey just before serving. Look for dark honey (such as forest honey) at natural foods stores and specialty foods stores.
Makes 8

2 17.3-ounce packages frozen puff pastry (4 sheets), thawed

1 egg, beaten to blend

6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

3 medium Gala apples, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup honey (preferably dark), divided

½ teaspoon (scant) ground allspice

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out each puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 11-inch square. Using 5-inch-diameter cookie cutter or bowl, cut out 4 rounds from each pastry sheet, forming 16 rounds total. Divide 8 pastry rounds between prepared baking sheets; pierce pastry all over with fork. Using 3½-inch-diameter cookie cutter or bowl, cut out smaller rounds from center of remaining 8 pastry rounds (reserve 3½-inch rounds for another use), forming eight 5-inch-diameter rings. Brush outer 1-inch edges of 5-inch rounds on baking sheets with beaten egg; top each with 1 pastry ring. Freeze at least 30 minutes.