Carrot Tart With Ricotta And Almond Filling Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border around the perimeter of the puff pastry about a 1/4-inch away from the edges. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick the pastry inside the border using a fork to prevent puffing in the center. Bake on top rack until puff pastry is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, toss carrots with 1 tablespoon oil, season generously with salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast carrots on the bottom rack (underneath the puff pastry) until the edges are golden brown and carrots are still crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While puff pastry and carrots are in the oven, blend ricotta, feta and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry up to the border and arrange the carrots in a single layer on top. Bake until the carrots are tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before serving.

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the almonds and brown sugar and grind until the almonds are finely chopped. Add the melted butter and pulse on and off, just until the butter is incorporated into the mixture. Place 6 (4-inch) tart pans with removable bottoms on a baking sheet. (Or you can use a 10-inch pan with removable bottom.) Divide the almond mixture evenly among the tart pans, pressing the crust firmly against the sides and bottoms. Set aside.
• In a small saute pan, slowly heat the brandy, and pour it over the cranberries in a heatproof bowl. (Caution: Do not heat alcohol over a high heat or it will ignite. If this happens, simply let it burn away, making sure that there is nothing flammable near the stove. It will burn away in a matter of seconds.) Let the cranberries sit for 20 minutes and then drain.
• In a medium-size bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and stir vigorously until the mixture is very creamy.
• TO ASSEMBLE: Place the tart pans on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the cranberries into the crust. Carefully pour the cheese mixture just until it reaches the top of the crust. Bake the tarts in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Let them cool completely before serving. As the tarts cool, the filling will fall and shrivel slightly. Nonetheless, they will still look irresistible. Remove tarts from pans just before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a gently floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the chilled Pie Dough to a circle about 15 to 16 inches in diameter. Trim it to form an even 14-inch circle. Invert a sheet pan so the flat, bottom side is facing up. Lifting the parchment paper to lift the tart dough, transfer it to the sheet pan. Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• In a small bowl, combine the softened chevre, egg yolk, heavy cream, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and stir until smooth. Set aside.
• Cut the carrots, diagonally, into chunks about 2 to 3 inches in length and no wider than 1 inch, and transfer to a large bowl. Slice each onion half into 1/2-inch wide fans and add to the bowl. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and set aside.
• Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator, and using the back of a spoon or a spatula, spread the cheese mixture onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Use your fingers to gently crimp the edges of the dough, creating a pleated freeform crust. Arrange the vegetables in the middle of the tart, making sure they are in one even layer that covers the cheese mixture beneath.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Brush the tart edges with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are deeply caramelized and the crust is a rich golden color, rotating the pan halfway through.
• Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool slightly. Place the chicory leaves in a medium bowl, drizzle with the lemon juice, and toss gently. Sprinkle the herbs over the tart and arrange the chicory leaves on top, leaving a bit of the tart edges peeking through. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and serve.
• Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse twice more, until the butter is in medium-sized pieces. Steadily pour the ice water into the machine while pulsing it as quickly as you can, until the butter is still visible in large smears and the dough is pushing up the sides of the bowl. It should look like damp bread crumbs. (You may not need to add all the water.)
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough will continue to hydrate, but if it still feels powdery and dry, wet your fingertips and flick a little cold water onto the crumbs.) After 1 hour, gently press the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour more before rolling out.

Steps:

• For the pasta frolla: Combine sugar, butter, egg, milk, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Fold in the flour but do not over mix; make sure that the mixture remains cool and does not become pasty. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes, or until firm.
• For the Ricotta Filling: Place the ricotta in a large bowl stir in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla being careful not to over mix.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut off 1/2 of the pasta frolla and reserve. Roll 1/2 of the dough into a 14-inch disc and line a 9-inch cake pan with it. Allow the dough to hang over the edge of the pan. Roll out the reserved dough into a 10-inch circle. Reserve. Pour the ricotta filling into the crust base. Lay the reserved 10-inch circle of dough on the top of the filling. Trim the excess so there is a 1/2 to 3/4-inch overhang. Take the flap of dough left on the edge of the ring and roll it on itself so that it rests completely within the pan.
• In a small bowl, beat together the egg with a pinch of salt and a few drops of water to make an egg wash. Brush the surface of the torta with the beaten egg mixture. Place the torta in the lower third of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon orange peel, salt, and baking powder in food processor. Add butter and blend until coarse meal forms. Add 2 eggs and blend until moist clumps form. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead to combine well, about 1 minute. Divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger. Wrap and chill smaller piece. Press larger piece over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Using electric mixer, beat ricotta cheese, cream cheese, cornstarch, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, and 2 eggs. Transfer filling to dough-lined tart pan. Roll out chilled dough piece to 10-inch round. Place round over tart; trim excess dough. Press edges of tart to seal. Cut 4 slits in top of tart. Bake tart until golden and puffed, about 1 hour. Cool completely.