Pie and Pastry Bible (81 page)

UNDERSTANDING

The challenge with this particular berry tart is to keep the cut cranberries from drying out without underbaking the crust, which would make it soggy. The solution is to make a temporary top “crust” from foil and to bake the tart on a baking stone or directly on the floor of the oven.

Cutting the cranberries in half and allowing them to sit with the sugar allows them to absorb the sugar. With their tough outer peel, whole cranberries would retain most of their juices, so they would not dissolve the sugar fully. This would cause the bitterness of the cranberry to stand apart from the sugar, rendering the final effect too bitter and too sweet simultaneously.

The crust must be prepared without baking powder, as the weight of the cranberry/nut mixture would not be sufficient to keep it from puffing.

DRIED CRANBERRY (OR CHERRY) WALNUT CROSTATA

A
sweet cookie crust is wrapped free-form around a filling of dried cranberries and walnuts, leaving a small window in the center through which to view the bright red berries. This foolproof recipe is from my dear friend Marcel Desaulniers, chef-owner of the Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia, and author of several excellent dessert cookbooks.

Dried cherries make a tasty substitute for the cranberries. Since both are readily available, this is an excellent dessert to make any time of year.

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan; a 12- to 14-inch round heavy steel pizza pan or an inverted baking sheet; and a sheet of parchment

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Place the walnuts for both the filling and the crust (2 cups/7 ounces/200 grams) on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes or just until they start turning a deeper gold. Place two layers of paper towels on the counter and transfer the nuts to the towels. Use the towels to rub the nuts to remove as much of the outer skins as possible. Allow them to cool completely, then divide them into two batches of ½ cup and about 1½ cups. Set aside the larger amount for the filling and the remaining ½ cup for the dough and topping.

MAKE THE CRANBERRY WALNUT FILLING

Break or coarsely chop the 1½ cups of walnuts.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring the cream and sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cranberries, walnuts, and cinnamon. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with plastic wrap. Transfer the hot filling to the pie pan and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the crostata, for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 24 hours. (The mixture seems liquid but firms on chilling and as the walnuts absorb some of the liquid.)

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the ½ cup of walnuts until finely chopped. Remove 2 tablespoons of them, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, and reserve to sprinkle on top of the dough. To the nuts remaining in the processor, add the flour, the remaining teaspoon of sugar, and the salt. Process for a few seconds until mixed. Add the cold butter and pulse until the texture is like coarse meal with some larger pieces of butter.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and ice water. Add it to the dough mixture and pulse about 8 times or until the dough begins to come together and there are no dry floury particles.

ELECTRIC MIXER METHOD

Finely chop the ½ cup of nuts. Remove 2 tablespoons of them, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, and reserve to sprinkle on top of the dough. Place the remaining finely chopped walnuts in a mixer bowl, together with the flour, the remaining teaspoon of sugar, and the salt. Mix on low for 30 seconds to combine the ingredients. Add
the cold butter and mix on low for 1½ to 2 minutes or until the texture is mealy with some large particles.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and ice water. Add it to the dough mixture. Mix on low for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the dough begins to come together and there are no dry floury pieces.

FOR BOTH METHODS

Empty the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and knead it, using the plastic wrap, to form a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and flatten it into a disc. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or freeze it for 10 minutes, until firm enough to roll. If it has been refrigerated for several hours, allow it to soften at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or until malleable, to prevent cracking when rolling.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the middle level before preheating.

Transfer the chilled crostata dough to a sheet of parchment lightly sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour and roll it into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and 1/16 inch thick. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap. Slip the dough, still on the parchment, onto the pizza pan or baking sheet. (Remove and discard the plastic wrap.) Invert the chilled cranberry/walnut mixture onto the center of the dough and remove and discard the plastic wrap. Use the parchment to help lift sections of the border of dough, draping it over the filling to enclose all but the center section, which will be about 3½ to 4 inches in diameter. The dough will pleat attractively as it falls into place. Trim away any excess parchment that may extend beyond the baking sheet and refrigerate the crostata for 10 minutes.

GLAZE THE CROSTATA

Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg yolk. Then sprinkle the dough with the reserved finely chopped walnuts and sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the center cranberry/walnut mixture is bubbling. Remove the crostata to a rack and allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving. To serve, cut with a sharp thin-bladed knife.

STORE

Room temperature, 2 to 3 days. To reheat, place it in a preheated 350°F. oven for 5 minutes.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

The thin outer skins of walnuts are bitter, so removing them results in a purer, more delicious flavor.

Pulsing the nuts instead of processing them keeps them from turning into a paste.

UNDERSTANDING

The walnut crostata crust has less sugar and less butter than the sweet cookie tart dough. It also has 3 tablespoons of water in place of the 2 tablespoons of cream. The smaller amounts of sugar and water make it slightly less fragile and just strong enough to shape as a free-form tart.

GÂTEAU ENGADINE

T
his is my interpretation of a classic tart from the Swiss mountain region of Engadine. I sampled it, for the first time, with my Swiss friends Rüdi and Vera Sprüngli, in a mountaintop restaurant in Klosters, when Vera gave me her piece to taste. When she noticed my reluctance to return the rest of it, I knew this was a dangerous dessert because I couldn’t keep away from it.

This tart resembles a giant circle of Scottish shortbread promising something scrumptious inside. The walnut/caramel filling in the middle complements the sweet cookie crust’s tender, crisp texture and buttery flavor perfectly.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 375°F. • BAKING TIME: 35 TO 45 MINUTES SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Toast for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350°F. oven, until golden but not brown, lest they become bitter. Rub the nuts between paper towels to remove most of the bitter skins.
double recipe Sweet Cookie Tart Crust (page 56)		28 ounces	811 grams
sugar	1 cup	7 ounces	200 grams
corn syrup	2 tablespoons	1.5 ounces	42 grams
water	¼ liquid cup	2 ounces	59 grams
heavy cream, at room temperature or hot	liquid cup	approx. 5 ounces	153 grams
walnut halves, lightly toasted* and coarsely broken	2 cups (broken)	8 ounces	227 grams
honey	2 tablespoons	approx. 1.5 ounces	42 grams

EQUIPMENT

An 8- by 2-inch cake pan (optional) and a 9- by 2-inch loose-bottom cake pan or Springform pan (the sides can be higher but lower sides are easier for placing the pastry), sprayed with Baker’s Joy or greased and floured