APPLE TARTE TATIN
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) water
2 tbsp (30 ml) butter, plus extra for greasing ramekins
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
1 cinnamon stick, broken
½ x 1 lb (500 g) frozen puff pastry, thawed
vanilla ice cream, for garnish
fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Grease 4 x ¾ cup (175 ml) ramekins. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Combine sugar and water in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Then continue simmering over medium heat until it begins to turn amber in colour. Immediately remove from the heat and pour enough caramelized sugar in the bottom of each ramekin to lightly coat.
- Keeping remaining caramelized sugar in saucepan, deglaze pan with butter. Add apples and broken cinnamon stick. Stir over medium heat and cook apples until almost tender and have started to release their juices, about 10 to 15 minutes. Apples should be coated in syrup. Divide apple mixture among ramekins and press slices in so they are flush with tops of ramekins. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into an 8 x 10-in (20 x 25 cm) rectangle about ¼-in (0.5 cm) thick. Cut into rounds using pastry cutter the diameter size of ramekins. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use a small bowl to cut puff pastry. Place puff pastry rounds over each individual ramekin and slightly press into apples. Make several slits in pastry to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, until pastry is golden and apples have started to bubble. Remove ramekins and cool on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
- To serve, run a knife around outside edge of ramekins. Carefully place dessert plate over ramekin, making sure it is pressed tightly to the plate to contain the juices. Use oven mitts if ramekin is too hot to touch. Immediately invert plate and let ramekin sit upside-down on plate for a few minutes. Tap top and allow Tartin to release from ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with mint.
Drink Pairings
BOURBON CARAMEL PUMPKIN TART
Ingredients
Serves 10
CRUST:
1½ cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 ml) fine cornmeal
½ cup (125 ml) icing sugar
¼ tsp (1 ml) fine salt
½ cup (125 ml) cold unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for greasing
1 large egg
BOURBON CARAMEL:
½ cup (125 ml) light brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter
½ tsp (2 ml) salt
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
¼ cup (60 ml) bourbon
PUMPKIN CUSTARD FILLING:
4 oz (125 g) plain cream cheese
⅓ cup (75 ml) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup (175 ml) pumpkin purée
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cardamom
¼ tsp (1 ml) ground nutmeg
½ tsp (2 ml) ground ginger
¼ tsp (1 ml) fine salt
½ cup (125 ml) half and half cream
¼ cup (60 ml) toasted, salted pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp (30 ml) toasted pine nuts
sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- To make CRUST: In a food processor pulse together flour, cornmeal, icing sugar and salt. Scatter 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) cubed butter over dry ingredients and pulse until butter is coarsely incorporated, 3 or 4 pulses. Add egg and continue to pulse until dough clumps together. Turn dough out onto a work surface and lightly knead just to incorporating ingredients. Gather into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap or place in a tightly sealed plastic bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Lightly grease a high-sided 9-in (23cm) tart pan with removable bottom and set aside. Roll out chilled dough on lightly floured piece of parchment paper into a 13-in (33 cm) round, lifting and turning dough occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick. Turn dough into prepared tart pan and press into pan. Trim overhang, seal any cracks with extra trimmed dough and pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Press a piece of tin foil tightly against tart shell and bake in middle of oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil. If shell puffs, press down gently with back of a spoon. Bake another 10 minutes until shell is firm and edges are tinged golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, 30 minutes. Keep oven on.
- Make BOURBON CARAMEL: In a medium- sized saucepan, stir together brown sugar, water, butter and salt over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar melts and mixture begins to darken, 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in whipping cream, taking care as mixture will bubble up. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until smooth and very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in bourbon and bring back to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until very thick again, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Pour 1⁄3 cup (75 ml) caramel over bottom of cooled crust, setting remaining caramel aside at room temperature. Spread into an even layer over crust. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, allowing caramel to set.
- To make FILLING: In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and 1⁄3 cup (75 ml) brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk, beating until well combined. Add pumpkin purée, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, salt and cream. Mix until thoroughly combined. Place tart pan containing cooled crust on a baking sheet and slowly pour filling over caramel layer. Bake until filling has puffed slightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Place tart pan on a wire rack and allow tart to cool completely.
- In a small bowl stir together pumpkin seeds and pine nuts.
- Pour remaining caramel over pumpkin custard and spread evenly with a spatula. If caramel is too stiff, warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low or microwave in 10 seconds bursts, stirring between each, until pourable. Sprinkle pumpkin seed mix around edge of tart and refrigerate until caramel is firm, a minimum of 4 hours, up to 24 hours.
- When ready to serve, unmould tart from pan and transfer to a serving platter. Cut and serve chilled.
Drink Pairings
CANDY CANE AND DARK CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO
Ingredients
Serves 16
6 oz (180 g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter
3 large egg whites
¾ cup (175 ml) granulated sugar
2 cups (500 ml) whipping cream
4 oz (125 g) mascarpone, room temperature
1 tsp (5 ml) peppermint extract (optional)
PEPPERMINT CANDY CANE SEMIFREDDO:
1½ cups (375 ml) whipping cream
½ cup (125 ml) coarsely crushed peppermint candy canes, plus more for garnish
3 large eggs, separated
½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) mint liqueur or 1 tsp (5 ml) peppermint liqueur
Instructions
- Spray two 9 x 5-in (2 L) loaf pans with cooking oil and line with plastic wrap with a slight overhang.
- To make Dark Chocolate Semifreddo, melt chocolate in a double boiler, making sure top pan does not touch simmering water. Remove just before fully melted and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and sugar with an electric beater until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a chilled mixing bowl, whip cream and mascarpone with an electric beater until smooth.
- Gently fold chocolate mixture into stiff egg whites until blended. Then, gently fold in whipped-cream mixture. Divide mixture and pour each half into prepared loaf pans. Freeze for at least an hour.
- Meanwhile, make peppermint layer. In a chilled mixing bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in ½ cup (125 ml) crushed candy cane. Cover and chill until ready to use.
- Prepare an ice water bath by placing a medium-sized bowl into a larger bowl with ice and water. Set aside. In a double broiler, whisk egg yolks and 3 tbsp (45 ml) sugar until thick and foamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Make sure top pan is not touching simmering water. While beating slowly, add the mint liqueur or peppermint extract. Then whisk vigorously for another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl over ice bath and whisk until cool.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk egg white and remaining sugar until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then beat with electric beater until stiff and glossy peaks form.
- Gently fold egg-white mixture into egg-yolk mixture a third at a time. Fold in whipped-cream mixture. Divide and spoon mixture on top of the frozen Dark Chocolate Semifreddo. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 to 5 hours.
- Remove Candy Cane and Dark Chocolate Semifreddo from freezer and set aside for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Turn onto a board and remove plastic wrap. Garnish with crushed candy canes. Cut into slices, place on chilled serving plates and serve.