s CHOCOLATE CARAMEL-ALMOND TART *****
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s CHOCOLATE CARAMEL-ALMOND TART *****
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Ingredients
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Instructions Instructions: *** 2-21-09 this was excellent, actually sinful, sort of like making a giant turtle cake/pie, we served with vanilla ice cream *** NOTE: 3 parts to recipe by Tish Boyle Lightly sweetened whipped cream is the perfect counterpoint to chocolate and caramel.Serves eight. Ingredients almonds bittersweet chocolate all-purpose flour more granulated sugar table salt butter cream pure vanilla extract ice cream For the crust 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling the dough 3 Tbs. granulated sugar Pinch of table salt 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces For the caramel-almond layer 3/4 cup blanched whole almonds 1 recipe Basic Caramel 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. table salt For the chocolate layer 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/2 oz. (1 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional) Make the crust: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal with some pea-size butter pieces, 5 to 7 one-second pulses. Sprinkle 2 Tbs. ice-cold water over the flour mixture and process until the dough just begins to come together in small, marble-size clumps. Don't overprocess; the dough should not form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape it into a thick 4-inch-diameter disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, lifting and rotating it often, while lightly dusting the work surface and the dough with flour as necessary. Transfer the dough to a 9-1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Roll the pin over the top of the pan to trim the excess dough. Lightly prick the bottom of the dough with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm it up. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350¦F. Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift the foil (and the weights) out of the tart pan and bake the crust until golden brown along the top edge and in some spots on the bottom, 13 to 17 minutes. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack and cool completely. Raise the oven temperature to 375¦F. Make the caramel-almond layer Toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven until golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool briefly and then chop coarsely. Make the Basic Caramel according to the directions. (see below) Immediately remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up furiously. Once the bubbling has subsided, add the butter and stir until completely melted. Whisk in the vanilla, salt, and almonds until the nuts are completely coated. Pour the hot caramel mixture into the cooled tart shell, using a heatproof spatula to scrape the pot clean and distribute the nuts evenly in the shell. Let cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate until the caramel is completely chilled, about 1 hour. Make the chocolate layer Put the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over low heat and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Pour over the caramel layer and tilt the pan as needed to smooth the chocolate into an even layer that covers the caramel. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Serve the tart with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like. photo: Scott Phillips From Fine Cooking 95, pp. 76 September 1, 2008 *************************************** Basic Caramel by Tish Boyle The caramel will harden quickly upon cooling.Yields 2/3 cup. ingredient discovery Ingredients 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice water Fill a cup measure halfway with water and put a pastry brush in it; this will be used for washing down the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization. In a heavy-duty 2-quart saucepan, stir the sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup cold water. Brush down the sides of the pan with water to wash away any sugar crystals. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan, until the mixture starts to color around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Gently swirl the pan once to even out the color and prevent the sugar from burning in isolated spots. Continue to cook until the sugar turns medium amber, about 30 seconds more. (Once the mixture begins to color, it will darken very quickly, so keep an eye on it.) *************************************** Caramel Learn the basic technique (itÆs easy) and use it in five sticky, gooey desserts by Tish Boyle Like this article Caramel-Pecan Brownies Turning sugar into deep, golden caramel has always been more magic than chemistry to me. Though it may be culinary chemistry, the technique is surprisingly quick and easy. And once you learn it, you can put it to all kinds of delicious uses. Caramel is great for coating nuts, fresh fruit, or the bottom of ramekins for crFme caramel and other caramel-topped desserts. And it can add a touch of sweet and gooey to anything from cakes to tarts to brownies. In this article are some of my favorite caramel desserts, starting with a satiny caramel sauce enriched with cream and butter. Vanilla ice cream never had it so good. The fudgy caramel-topped brownies and decadent chocolate-almond tart make the most of another delicious marriage: caramel and chocolate. Sweet caramel-glazed pears top a tender ginger and cinnamon cake, and orange and espresso flavor a classic crFme caramel. No matter which of these desserts you make, youÆll be making magic. 5 Tips for Perfect Caramel Rich Caramel Sauce One of two things can go wrong when making caramel: The caramel burns, or sugar crystals form, so the caramel goes from liquid and smooth to crystallized and solid. Here are a few pointers for making a perfectly smooth caramel every time: 1. Watch bubbling caramel like a hawk. Caramel cooks quickly and will turn from golden amber to a smoking mahogany in seconds. Burnt caramel has an unpleasantly bitter taste. 2. Use clean utensils. Sugar crystals tend to form around impurities and foreign particles. 3. Acid helps. Adding lemon juice to the sugar and water helps break down the sucrose molecules and prevents sugar crystals from forming. 4. Swirl, donÆt stir. Stirring tends to splash syrup onto the sides of the pan, where sugar crystals can form. So once the sugar is completely dissolved in water, just gently swirl the pan to caramelize the sugar evenly. 5. A pastry brush is your friend. Keep a pastry brush and some water next to the stove; youÆll need it to wash off any crystals that might form on the sides of the pan. The color of caramel The longer you cook caramel, the darker it gets. For most of my recipes, cook it to medium amber (below left); take it to medium-dark amber (below right) for the CrFme Caramel. medium amber medium-dark amber Photos: Scott Phillips From Fine Cooking 95, pp. 70-77 September 1, 2008 Notes: This recipe published with BigOven, and can be imported instantly by BigOven users. 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