Not-So-Humble Pies (11 page)

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, butter, and strawberry mixture. Whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour through a strainer into a separate bowl, then pour directly into the prepared crust. Place a layer of cling film directly on the custard and chill for 2 hours.

Remove the cling film from the pie and arrange the strawberries, sliced-side down, on top of the custard. Brush the berries with the apricot jam. Serve chilled.

This pie uses a green tea powder called
matcha
, which is made from shade-grown green tea leaves that are steamed and then powdered. You’ll find this flavoring in many Japanese desserts, ice cream, and western-style pastries. It can be found in some grocery stores as well as gourmet stores, and tea and coffee shops, or it can be purchased online.

In a small bowl, combine the green tea powder with the hot water and mix until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, sugar, fruit purée, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt. Whisk until smooth, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil and thicken, about 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, butter, and green tea mixture. Whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the custard through a strainer into a large bowl, cover with plastic, and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Once cool, fold half the Stabilized Whipped Cream into the green tea base. Spread the filling into the prepared crust, cover with plastic, and chill for 2 hours.

Once the filling is cold, spread the remaining whipped cream over the top of the pie. Serve chilled.

In place of a traditional pastry crust, this not-so-humble pie uses a base of
pate a choux
, a French pastry dough that is first cooked on the stove and then baked. It is the same dough used to make cream puffs and éclairs. The name literally translates into “little cabbages,” due to the shape of the dough once it is baked. This pie is essentially an exquisite, inside-out cream puff topped with fresh ripe berries and whipped cream.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large saucepan, bring water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once and immediately beat the mixture with a spoon until it forms a smooth ball. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the work bowl of a stand mixer and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Spread the mixture onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9” pie plate sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 15–25 minutes more, or until the dough is puffed, firm, and shiny. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, sugar, cornstarch, eggs, and salt. Whisk until smooth, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil and thicken, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Whisk until the butter is melted, then pour through a strainer into a separate bowl and place that bowl in an ice bath. Chill the custard, stirring constantly, until cool.

Spread the cool custard into the crust and arrange the berries on top. Spread the Stabilized Whipped Cream over the top, and chill for 1 hour before serving.

This pie has a unique crust and a topping that is full of flavor: Here, ground almonds and coconut are combined to create a flavor that is similar to the popular cookie, but in pie form. The topping looks particularly pretty when some bits of the apricot stick out, so do not be too precise when covering the fruit filling.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, ¼ cup of the almond meal, ½ cup of the sugar, 1 cup of the coconut, and salt. Whisk to combine, then pour in the melted butter.

Mix until the dough is clumping together; it will not form a smooth ball. Press the mixture into a 9” pie pan and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining almond meal, sugar, and coconut with the egg whites. Mix until well combined.

In a medium pot, combine the apricots, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Mix until well coated. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thick and bubbling, about 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the apricot mixture into the prepared crust and top with the coconut mixture. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the topping is deeply golden and the fruit is bubbling. Cool for 1 hour before serving.

Tarts are elegant. They can be made in nearly any shape or size you can imagine. And whether you fill your tart with Gorgonzola, fig, tarragon, rose, quince, or any other upscale ingredient it is a delicious and gourmet alternative to the traditional pie.

What makes a tart different from a pie is the crust; there is a lower filling-to-crust ratio, making the tart the place for a favorite crust to shine. A tart crust is typically made from short crust pastry, which, for sweet pies, means that the crust is like a sophisticated shortbread cookie, buttery and crumbly. However, if you have a favorite pie pastry, you can use that, too! With tarts—as with pie—the only rule is to make something you love.

Spicy ginger is delicious with all kinds of fruits, but it is especially delicious when combined with the succulent flavor of fresh ripe pears. For a bit of extra ginger kick, and a trendy rustic look, this tart is topped with a buttery gingersnap cookie crumble. Add a little vanilla ice cream for the perfect final flourish.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the pears, ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Toss until the fruit is evenly coated, then set aside for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs with the butter until the crumbs are evenly coated.

Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the pears on the pastry, leaving a 2” border. Pour any juices over the top. Carefully fold the pastry over the pears, then spread the gingersnap crumbs over the top.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 30–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the fruit is tender. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Gorgonzola, an enchanting blue cheese produced in the northern part of Italy, has a pungent flavor that gives this indulgent pie a distinct bite. However, while distinct, this bite doesn’t overwhelm the dish; rather, it’s tempered by the addition of sweet pears and fig jam. For the best flavor, this tart should be served slightly warm.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the pears and cayenne pepper until evenly coated. Set aside.

Place the pastry crust on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cream cheese in the center of the pastry, leaving a 2” border around the edge.

Spread the fig jam over the top of the cream cheese, then arrange the pear slices over the top. Carefully fold the edges of the pastry over the fruit and top with the crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 30–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit is tender. Serve slightly warm.

Fresh ripe figs are tasty all on their own, but when you place them atop a tart filled with a lightly sweet lemon mascarpone filling, they become irresistible! The figs are front and center, and in this recipe they are not cooked, to preserve their delicate flavor. Be sure to buy fresh ripe figs and use them within a day or two of buying for the best flavor.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, orange zest, vanilla, honey, sugar, egg yolk, and salt. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spread the mascarpone mixture onto the molded pastry. Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese filling has just set. Cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, add the apricot jam. Heat in the microwave in 10-second bursts, until the jam is melted.

To serve, top the tart with the sliced figs and brush the jam over the figs. Serve immediately.

The name of this Tuscan recipe means “Grandmother’s tart.” But with this pie’s creamy ricotta cheese, orange zest, and pine nuts, your grandmother wouldn’t know what to do with this upscale Torta della Nonna. This tart can be made up to a day before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In the bowl of a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth.

Gradually whisk in the flour so there are no lumps, then whisk in the orange zest.

Stream in the milk, whisking constantly, until smooth.

Heat the double boiler until the water simmers. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta cheese and pine nuts.

Spread the filling into the Short Crust. Lay the All-Butter Pie Crust over the top and use the edge of the pan to trim off any excess. Pinch the edges of the crust together by pressing your thumb against the side of the tart pan, and brush the top of the crust with beaten egg.

Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the tart is golden brown. Cool to room temperature, and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

The slight tang from the cream cheese gives this tart an incredibly rich flavor that pairs well with the sweet flavor of bananas and deeply caramelized sugar, but the flavor profile isn’t the only thing that makes this pie amazing. To give your guests a little show, brûlée this tart just before serving.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the cream until it simmers. Remove the pot from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, add the powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla. Beat the mixture until smooth.

Add in the ganache and whip until lighter in texture. Pour into the prepared tart crust, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Once the filling has chilled, cover the top with the sliced bananas and sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top. Under the broiler or with a kitchen torch, melt the sugar until it turns an amber color. Chill for 5 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

This tart is inspired by the popular coconut and almond candy bar, but it has a much more grown-up feel. Hidden under a glossy layer of chocolate ganache is a soft coconut and almond custard that is jam-packed with sophisticated and succulent flavor. It is both beautiful and, if you are a coconut lover, absolutely irresistible.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line the tart with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, flour, and sugar until well combined. Add the egg and beat well.

Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly, then add the salt and vanilla. Fold in the coconut and toasted almonds.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pastry crust and place on a sheet pan. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake for an additional 25–35 minutes, or until the filling is set at the edges and just slightly wobbly in the center. Cool for 1 hour before making the topping.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a bare simmer. Remove from the heat and add the butter and chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

Cool the mixture for 10 minutes, then carefully spread over the pie. Garnish with toasted coconut and almonds. Chill until the topping is set, about 1 hour.

Saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, is an indulgent ingredient, but it is well worth the expense. Nothing compares to saffron’s one-of-a-kind flavor or the lovely orange color it imparts. This tart features tender pears poached in saffron-infused syrup. Reserve the poaching syrup for iced tea or cocktails.