Pie and Pastry Bible (86 page)

Make the dough (page 29). Roll, shape, and prebake it (see page 251).

Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level before preheating.

Arrange the walnuts, top sides up, in the bottom of the baked crust.

Have ready a strainer suspended over a small bowl.

In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the egg yolks, syrup, sugar, butter, cream, and salt. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and without letting the mixture boil, until it is uniform in color and just begins to thicken slightly (150°F. on a candy thermometer), 7 to 10 minutes. Strain it at once into the small bowl and stir in the vanilla and maple extracts. (At 160°F., little specks start to form. If this should happen, it’s fine to push as much of this thicker part through the fine strainer as possible. It will not disturb the silkiness of the filling.)

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 350°F. • BAKING TIME: 20 MINUTES SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*Maple sugar is available at specialty food stores, such as Balducci’s or Dean & DeLuca (see page 675). If using granulated sugar, increase the maple flavor to 1 teaspoon.
Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust for a 9½-inch tart (page 29), prebaked	11 ounces	312 grams
walnut halves	1½ cups	5.25 ounces	150 grams
4 large egg yolks	2 full fluid ounces	2.6 ounces	74 grams
maple syrup	liquid cup, lightly greased	4 ounces	113 grams
maple sugar,* or granulated sugar	cup	3.75 ounces 4.6 ounces	108 grams 132 grams
unsalted butter, softened	4 tablespoons	2 ounces	57 grams
heavy cream	¼ liquid cup	2 ounces	58 grams
salt	a pinch	•	•
vanilla extract	1 teaspoon	•	4 grams
maple flavor*	½ teaspoon	•	•

Slowly pour the filling over the nuts, coating their upper surface.

Place a foil ring (see page 19) on top of the crust to prevent overbrowning and bake for about 20 minutes or until the pie is puffed and golden and just beginning to bubble around the edge. The filling will shimmy slightly when moved. Allow the pie to cool completely on a rack, about 45 minutes, before unmolding from the pan (see page 251).

STORE

Room temperature, up to 1 week.

UNDERSTANDING

The filling for this pie is slightly sweeter than for the pecan pie to compensate for the slight bitterness of the walnuts. The walnuts cannot be toasted to remove the skins because they will become too roasted when baked in the filling.

CHOCOLATE OBLIVION TARTLETS

T
his tartlet is for the pure chocolate lover. It contains a filling featuring chocolate at its most intense flavor and perfect consistency, which has been described by Susan Wyler, as editor of Food and Wine magazine, as the creamiest of truffles married to the purest chocolate mousse. This is an easy filling to make, consisting of only three ingredients: bittersweet chocolate, butter, and eggs.

The sweet cookie tart crust protects the filling from the oven’s heat the way a water bath would protect a cake. It also provides a crisp and flavorful container for it. For an all-chocolate tart, the sweet walnut cookie tart crust can be replaced with the Bittersweet Chocolate Cookie Tart Crust (page 61). I prefer the contrast of a nonchocolate crust, as it provides a flavor accent and visual contrast.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 350°F. • BAKING TIME: 10 MINUTES MAKES: SEVEN 4¾-INCH TARTLETS OR EIGHT 4-INCH TARTLETS
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Sweet Nut Cookie Tart Crust, made with walnuts, for eight 4-inch tartlets or seven 4¾-inch tartlets (page 59), prebaked and cooled	14 ounces	402 grams
Chocolate Filling	bittersweet chocolate, chopped	(2 cups) 2 3-ounce bars	(1 pound) 8 ounces	(460 grams) 227 grams
unsalted butter, softened	8 tablespoons	4 ounces	113 grams
6 large eggs	1 cup	4.25 ounces	120 grams
Raspberry Sauce (page 603)	full ¾ cup	7.5 ounces	211 grams

EQUIPMENT

Eight 4- by ¾-inch flan rings or seven 4¾-inch fluted tart pans with removable bottoms

Make the dough (page 59). Roll, shape, and prebake it (see page 254). Leave the shells in the flan rings or tart pans on the baking sheet. Let cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking the tartlets.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE FILLING

In a large bowl set over a pan of hot, not simmering, water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water), combine the chocolate and butter and let them stand, stirring occasionally, until smooth and melted. (The mixture can be melted in the microwave on high power, stirring every 15 seconds. Remove it when there are still a few lumps of chocolate and stir until fully melted.) Set it aside.

In a large mixer bowl, set over the same pan of water—which should now be simmering—heat the eggs, stirring constantly to prevent curdling, until just warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat, using the whisk beater, until
tripled
in volume and soft peaks form when the beater is raised, about 5 minutes. (If using a hand mixer, to ensure maximum volume, beat the eggs over simmering water until they are hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat until cool.)

Using a large wire whisk or rubber spatula, fold half the eggs into the chocolate mixture until almost incorporated. Fold in the remaining eggs until just blended and no streaks remain. Finish by using a rubber spatula to ensure that the heavier mixture at the bottom is incorporated. Fill the pastry-lined molds, using a heaping ¼ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) for each flan ring (almost to the top), or
cup (2.25 ounces/65 grams) for each fluted tart pan (two-thirds full).

Bake the tarts for 10 minutes or until the filling is slightly puffed, the surface has dulled, and the centers wobble when tapped gently on the sides. Remove the baking sheet to a rack and cool for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the flan rings or unmold the fluted tart molds (see page 251) and serve warm or at room temperature.

If desired, garnish each tartlet with a 2-tablespoon dollop of whipped cream. To gild the lily, make a depression in the cream and fill it with a generous tablespoon of raspberry sauce.

VARIATIONS

CHOCOLATE INDULGENCE TARTLETS
Almond/hazelnut paste, with its slight caramelized edge, adds an extra flavor dimension while accentuating the chocolate flavor of the filling. Add ¼ cup (2.25 ounces/78 grams) praline paste to the chocolate before melting it. (This will give you 1½ teaspoons more filling for each tart, which is fine if using the fluted tart pans; if using the flan rings, you will have enough extra filling to make an extra tartlet.)

CHOCOLATE DEPENDENCE TARTLETS
Liqueur adds both flavor and a heightened sensation in the mouth. Add 1 tablespoon of your favorite liqueur to the melted chocolate mixture and serve with cræme anglaise flavored with the
same liqueur. Some of my favorites are: Grand Marnier, Frangelico, Kahlúa, Nocello, and Pistacha.