Not-So-Humble Pies (12 page)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the pastry out to ¼” thick and trim into a 12 square. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet and dock with a fork. Top the pastry with a second sheet of parchment paper, and then place a second baking sheet on top of the pastry.

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the pastry is firm, then remove the top baking sheet and parchment paper and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool completely to room temperature.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine 4 cups of water with the sugar, saffron threads, vanilla bean, and vanilla seeds. Carefully add the pears and cover with a sheet of parchment paper with a small hole cut in the center. Simmer the pears until tender, 15–25 minutes. A paring knife will slide easily in and out of the pear when it is ready. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the pears to cool in their liquid.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the half-and-half, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolk until the mixture thickens and starts to boil, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Whisk until completely incorporated. Pour the mixture through a strainer, then into a bowl. Place a layer of cling film directly on the custard and chill for at least 2 hours.

To assemble the tart, begin by spreading the vanilla custard evenly over the puff pastry crust, leaving a ½” border around the edges. With a sharp paring knife, slice the bottom of the pear downward into ¼” slices, leaving the top of the pear intact. Lay the pears onto the custard and gently press the sliced end to fan out the fruit. Chill the tart for 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Praline
is a word that describes sweet nut confections. Most people think of the praline candy, but the word encompasses so much more. In this case, the nut used is hazelnut, which is ground into butter and then cooked into a creamy custard. It is topped with a mocha whipped cream to add an extra layer of indulgence.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolk until the mixture starts to get warm. Add the hazelnut butter and whisk until it thickens and starts to starts to boil, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Whisk until completely incorporated. Pour the mixture through a strainer, then into the prepared crust. Place a layer of cling film directly on the custard and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Once the pie is chilled, prepare the whipped cream. Combine the gelatin and the cold espresso. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, or until completely bloomed. Heat for five seconds in the microwave, making sure it is completely melted, then cool to room temperature.

Pour the cold cream into a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Whip on medium-low speed until the sugar and cocoa are blended, then increase the speed to medium-high.

When the cream is softly whipped, pour in the cooled gelatin. Whip until the cream forms medium peaks, about 2 minutes. Spread on top of the chilled pie. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Nothing compares to the flavor and richness of homemade ricotta cheese, which perfectly complements the sweet and tangy mixed berry compote spread on top. Happily, it is easy to make your own cheese, and everyone will be impressed by your not-so-humble pie—and by you!

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 12 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

In a large pot over medium-high, add the milk, cream, and salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

Once the mixture reaches a boil, add the lemon juice, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.

Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheese cloth. Pour the mixture into the lined strainer and allow the cheese to drain 1 hour.

In a medium pot, combine the berries, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook the fruit over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries are softened and the sugar is dissolved, about 8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the fresh ricotta with the honey until well mixed. Carefully spread the ricotta mixture into the bottom of the prepared tart crust. Spoon the berry compote over the top. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Do you ever find yourself with peaches that are just a little too hard to eat raw? Put them on the grill to make them lusciously soft with a slightly caramelized flavor. Here, these sumptuous grilled peaches rest atop honey-sweetened cream cheese and crispy puff pastry.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry out to ¼” thick and trim into a 12” square. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet and dock with a fork. Top the pastry with a second sheet of parchment paper, and then place a second baking sheet on top of the pastry.

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the pastry is firm, then remove the top baking sheet and parchment paper and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool completely to room temperature.

Heat the grill or an indoor grill pan to medium heat. Once hot, oil the grate so the fruit will not stick.

Place the peaches flesh-side down and grill for 2–3 minutes, or until the peaches easily release from the grill and have light grill marks. Flip the peaches and cook skin-side down for 1–2 more minutes, or until the peaches are soft. Remove from the grill and cool to room temperature. Remove the peach skin; it will be easy to peel off after grilling.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, golden syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla beans, and lemon zest. Whisk until the cream cheese is smooth and lighter in texture.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the puff pastry, leaving a ½” border around the edge. Arrange the peach halves over the top. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

This tart takes your run-of-the mill pumpkin pie and, using a rum-laced pumpkin mousse and a sophisticated presentation, turns it into an autumnal delight that no one will forget. The mousse is beautifully light but with a rich flavor, and presents your palate with a symphony of spiced pumpkin bliss!

In a double boiler, heat ½ cup of cream, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg yolks, and rum until hot, about 10–12 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water and add to the hot pumpkin mixture; mix well. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whip the remaining heavy cream with an electric mixer or in the work bowl of a stand mixer until it forms soft peaks, about 1½ minutes.

Add the sugar and continue to beat until you have firm peaks, about 1 minute more. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled pumpkin mixture, then pour it into the prepared tart crust. Chill for 2 hours, or overnight. Serve with Spiked Whipped Cream.

Fresh strawberries and white chocolate are a popular combination, especially when you’re looking to add a sensual air to your dessert. This tart takes that combination to the limit with a thick white chocolate ganache filling topped with slices of fresh berries. The crust for this tart is made with toasty brown butter to deepen the tart’s seductive flavor.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cream and heat until it simmers. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and vanilla. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together the white chocolate ganache and cream cheese until smooth.

Pour the ganache carefully into the prepared crust. Cool on the counter for 2 hours, then chill for 2 hours. Once chilled, arrange the sliced strawberries on the top of the tart. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Crème anglaise is a slightly thickened custard sauce that is used as a garnish on all sorts of desserts. Here, the sauce is spiked with a little bourbon and drizzled over slices of warm blackberry tart. If you don’t care for bourbon, you can use rum or crème de cassis in the crème anglaise or omit the alcohol altogether.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the berries, cornstarch, and sugar until well combined. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the blackberry mixture onto the pastry, leaving a ½” border. Fold the pastry just over the edge of the berries, then dot the top with the butter.

Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the cream and vanilla. Bring just to a simmer.