Mmmm. How to possibly choose which to try first. Todays class was tarts & I have three flavour choices. The contenders are....
Lemon tart
This tart would be more aptly named lemon meringue, as you can see it's topped with a fluffy torched meringue. Both the filling & the pastry are flavoured with lemon. Smooth & tangy, lemon tart is always a winner.
Caramel pecan tart
A crisp shell containing pecan meal houses thin apple slices poached in honey flavoured with Chinese five spice. This is layered with a chewy caramel & a pecan nougatine. It's like a double layer of caramel. A dentist's dream!
Chocolate tart
This tart is composed of an almond shortbread shell with a zesty mandarin jam & a chocolate ganache. A milk chocolate glaze tops off this tart.
Pastry has often been my nemesis. I've struggled to roll it evenly, I've struggled to line the tin, I've struggled to bake it without getting shrinkage. Too hard! Not anymore, hopefully, after doing this class. The processes involved in producing beautiful tart cases are:
- the dough should be mixed only so it comes together. Overmixing should be avoided as this develops the gluten, giving a tough pastry susceptible to shrinkage
- roll the pastry immediately between two sheets of lightly floured silicon paper, using dowels to achieve an even thickness throughout the dough.
- place the rolled dough on a tray in the freezer allowing it to firm sufficiently before cutting out discs with a sharp cutter
- centre the pastry discs over lightly greased rings before easing them in, ruffling the top of the pastry to take up the excess. Dust with flour as required
- freeze the cases to firm before trimming off the excess pastry so the case sits level with the ring
- blind bake the cases using glad wrap & rice, ensuring this sits level with the top of the pastry case. This prevents the pastry from sagging while cooking
- at Savour, they bake their pastry on a perforated tray lined with a perforated non stick mat. This allows the even circulation of air under the tart cases, resulting in even baking & a light, crisp crust
Just a footnote. Each tart was amazing in terms of their appearance, the crispness of the shell & the flavour. Delicious!
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