Food For Thought

Pears poached in simple syrup, vanilla bean, star anise and some liquor. Pâte sucrée, sweet pastry dough, frangipane and the poached pear halves placed flat side down. Bake then brush with hot apricot glaze. Garnish with freshly chopped pistachios. Incredible flavor.

Choose your pears with care. and treat all of your ingredients with respect. You will produce something fragrant and elegant. Remember it needs to cool overnight!

I have included here five recipes for: dough, frangipane, frangipane tart, poaching fruit, and pear frangipane tart. My suggestion is that you read through each recipe a few times in order to study and familiarize yourself with procedure. Then when you are ready to proceed, you will feel very confident in your French Pastry Experience. Bon Appetit!

Pear Frangipane Tart

1 9″ pâte sucrée tart (uncooked)
1 cup frangipane
6 poached pear halves (thinly sliced, but kept together)
finely chopped pistachios for garnish

1) Fill uncooked shell 3/4 with frangipane

2) Place six pear halves flat side down, evenly spaced onto the top of the tart

3) Bake 350º to 375º for 45 to 55 minutes

4) Classic finish is to glaze with hot apricot and garnish in between

the pears on the outer edge with chopped pistachios

Allow to cool overnight

Yield is 16 portions

Do not freeze; store covered in plastic wrap in refrigerator for up to four days

Pie and Tart Doughs

Pâte Sucrée / Sweet Tart Dough

Very rich; crisp; not flaky. Used in tarts or tartlets. Sweet never savory fillings.

It is a sturdy dough and should crumble in your mouth.

8 oz softened butter
4 oz sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t lemon zest
1 large egg
12 oz A P flour
1/4 t salt

1) Cream butter in a mixer with paddle, with a little sugar to cut the butter

2) Add the remaining sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl

3) Add all of the flour and salt. Stir until just mixed and dough holds together when pressed;

Place onto work area and shim down until evenly blended and cut in half

4) Wrap in plastic wrap and let cool in refrigerator 30 minutes or until cool and firm

5) Shape dough by rolling it out quickly…moving and lifting so it will not stick to surface…on a lightly floured and cold work area

Roll to 1/8″ for thicker tarts and to desired thickness for other shapes, and any scraps

may be added back to the dough and rolled out again (this is a nondirectional dough)

which means you can put the dough together, press together and roll it out without

regard to the direction, originally used when rolling)

6) Place over rolling pin and transfer to lightly greased tarts pan. Reinforce walls, roll off top and crimp edges

7) Rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until cool and firm

Bake in preheated oven 350º to 375º 15 to 18 minutes or until amber in color. Bake blind (without any filling) by lining inside with parchment paper and using weights (remove the weights after partially baking and return to oven.) You may also dock the dough; pricking the bottom with tiny holes to allow steam to escape and bake for the specified time. You can bake right out of the freezer too.

Fill according to recipe. You may also use in a recipe which calls for a raw shell to be filled and baked together.

Yield is approximately two 8″ tarts or twelve 2 1/2″ to 3″ tartlets.

** (other ways to use this dough) **

Unfilled shells may be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 3 months. Unrolled dough 1 week in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. To extend the shelf life of a baked shell you may use glaze, egg wash, whole eggs, whites, sugar, 10X, caramel, frangipane, thin layer of chocolate, glaze. For any egg used return shell to heat, in order to seal the surface.

Pies and Tarts

Frangipane & Frangipane Tart (two recipes)

This recipe is a batter that bakes just like a cake. It is used as a bottom filling for many tarts. It can be used as a filling to be baked. Classic flavorings are two tablespoons of lemon zest, dark rum and vanilla.

1 raw pâte sucrée 9″ shell

Frangipane: (Room Temperature Ingredients)
1 lb softened butter
1 lb sugar
1 lb almond flour
10 large eggs
3 oz A P flour (save for later)
1 pinch of salt
1 c seedless raspberry jam

** Finish for a Classic Frangipane Tart **

Topping:
1/2 of a cherry glace
7 or 8 toasted almond slices

1) Cut the butter with a small amount of sugar in a mixing bowl with a paddle

2) Add remaining sugar and cream the butter

3) Pour in the almond flour and pinch of salt; add two eggs at a time until
thoroughly blended and continue adding eggs until blended

4) Add flavoring and the last 3 oz flour, the consistency will be like cake batter

(filling the tart shell)

Spread 1/8″ raspberry jam on the bottom of the raw shell; add frangipane almost to the top

Place 1/2 cherry glacee in the center and surround it with 7 or 8 toasted almond slices.

Bake 350º to 375º 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield is 16 servings. Makes three 9″ tart shells.

Store in refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for 4 to 5 days.

Fruit

Poaching Fruit

Be sure to respect the fruit and while peeling it, let the fruit tell you its shape
Cut in half and melon ball the center to remove the core and seeds

8 to 10 pieces of fresh fruit (peeled and cut in half)
2 parts water
1 part sugar
vanilla bean
star anise

1) Bring water and sugar to a simmer. Add the vanilla bean and the star anise

2) Add fruit flat side up; do not let the top of the fruit dry out

3) Place parchment paper, which has been cut to vent steam, over the pan of fruit
This will form a tent and allow to simmer for about ten minutes

4) Remove from heat and allow to cool thoroughly. Store in liquid in the refrigerator overnight.

5) The liquids may be used in other recipes or sauces so be sure to keep

the lid closed tightly.

Hot apricot glaze is apricot jam thinned with a bit of water and boiled to the right consistency.

Using a pastry brush, gently glaze the tops of your tarts. Make certain it is not goopy or you will ruin the finish.