The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [83]
4. Using a fork, prick bottom of crust a few times, and line with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil, and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
5. Rinse, hull, and halve strawberries (and slice strawberries if they’re too large). In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with maple syrup, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Rinse blueberries. In a small bowl, toss blueberries with lime zest.
7. Place crust on a serving platter. Spread jam over the bottom of baked crust. Arrange strawberries in layers, packing them in tight, and sprinkle blueberries over the top. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
8. With a sharp knife, cut into serving size slices, and top each with Whipped Topping (if using). The Fresh Strawberry Tart is best eaten within a few hours as the strawberries will begin to soak through the crust. Keep leftovers covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated. This dessert does not freeze well.
Variation: For Raspberry Tart, bake the crust as directed, and cool. Spread 1½ cups seedless raspberry jam over bottom, and substitute fresh raspberries for strawberries. Add 2 cups fresh blueberries if desired. Drizzle ½ to ¾ cup Chocolate Ganache (recipe in Chapter 22) over the top.
DOUGH-NOT
The fresh fruit and jam will quickly soak through this crust, so plan on eating this the day you make it. That shouldn’t be a problem once your diners see how delicious it looks!
Puff Pastry Fruit Tart
A light, flaky puff pastry shell, filled with vegan white chocolate mousse, topped with fresh fruit, and drizzled with Raspberry Coulis—it really doesn’t get much better than this!
Yield:
1 (9×13-inch) tart
Prep time:
2 hours, 30 minutes,
to 3 hours
Bake time:
20 to 30 minutes
Serving size:
1 slice
2 cups vegan white chocolate
chips, or 1 (10-oz.) vegan white
chocolate bar, chopped into
very small pieces
3 TB. agave syrup, or brown rice
syrup
1 (12-oz.) pkg. soft silken tofu,
drained
½ tsp. almond extract, or 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg (optional)
1 (9×13-in.) sheet puff pastry, or
frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 TB. soy milk
1 pt. fresh raspberries
1 pt. fresh blueberries
½ cup Raspberry Coulis (recipe in
Chapter 22; optional), or 2 TB.
apple juice mixed with 4 TB.
seedless raspberry jelly
¼ cup vegan confectioners’ sugar
(optional)
1. In a microwavable bowl, melt white chocolate chips and agave syrup in the microwave for 30-second intervals, checking and stirring each time. Alternately, you could melt them in a bowl over hot water, stirring until smooth. Watch white chocolate carefully because it scorches and burns quickly. Do not let any water come in contact with white chocolate or it will seize up and clump and be ruined. Let cool slightly while continuing with recipe.
2. In a blender, combine soft silken tofu, almond extract, and ground nutmeg (if using). Blend on high speed for 1 minute or until nice and smooth.
3. Slowly add melted chocolate mixture to tofu, and blend on high for 1 or 2 more minutes or until well blended and no lumps remain, scraping down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula if needed. Pour into a medium bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Keep refrigerated until ready to use in tart.
4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. On a lightly floured surface, and using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry sheet to 9×13 inches. With a sharp knife, or pizza wheel, slice a thin, ½-inch strip from each side of pastry dough. This will become the sides, or borders. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, “glue” down strips of dough along the edges with soy milk, pressing to adhere. Brush remaining soy milk lightly over entire pastry shell. Prick the bottom of shell thoroughly with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking