The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [307]
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the tarts from the refrigerator, brush them with water, and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the oven to bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Reduce heat to 350°F, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbly and just starting to run out from center of each tartlet, 10 to 12 minutes more, rotating the pans as needed. Transfer immediately to a wire rack, and let cool before serving.
peanut butter tart
MAKES ONE 13¾ × 4¼-INCH TART
10 4¾ × 2½-inch graham crackers, broken into pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 ounces best-quality milk chocolate, plus more for curls
1¾ cups heavy cream
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup cream cheese (4 ounces)
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1. Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until fine crumbs are formed. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the butter. Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined. Place the crumbs in a 13¾ × 4¼-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the crumbs up the sides of the pan to form the edge of the tart and then evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place in the refrigerator while making the filling.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Finely chop the chocolate, and place in a medium bowl. Place ½ cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate, and set aside for 5 minutes to yield chocolate ganache. Whisk to combine. Set in the ice bath until the ganache is cool, whisking constantly. Once cool, remove from the ice bath, and whisk until the ganache is just thick enough to hold its shape; do not overbeat. Spread in the bottom of the prepared crust, and return to the refrigerator until set.
3. Combine the peanut butter, cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk in a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
4. In another bowl, whip ¾ cup heavy cream to soft peaks. Add the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture; whisk to combine.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared crust; return to the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Remove the tart from refrigerator, and transfer to a serving platter 10 minutes before serving. Whip the remaining ½ cup cream. Top the tart with dollops of whipped cream. Use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate curls for garnish.
apple praline tart
MAKES ONE 8-INCH TART
This tart may also be made in an 8-inch springform pan. Fit the dough into the pan, and press it up the sides. Trim so it is 1¾ inches high.
1 disk Martha’s Perfect Pâte Brisée (Basics)
½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
½ cup dried apricots, cut into quarters
½ cup dried figs, preferably Calimyrna, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cognac
¼ cup water
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (about 1¼ pounds)
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup roughly chopped Almond Praline (recipe follows), plus more for garnish
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place an 8 × 1¾-inch cake ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll the pâte brisée on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Fit gently into the ring, easing the dough into the corners and removing excess dough so the tart shell is flush with the top of the cake ring. Use a fork to pierce the bottom of the tart shell, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Place the apricots, figs, cognac, and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the fruit is softened, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Cut the apples into ¾-inch cubes. Place them in a bowl, and combine with the lemon juice, tossing to coat. Add the dried fruit mixture