Strawberry Tart

Strawberry Tart

• • 3 cups sliced strawberries

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • 6 ounces almond paste

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, diced

  • 1 egg yolk

  • 2 tablespoons honey

Notes:

~For a less sweet crust, omit the powdered sugar and use 2 full cups of flour instead.

~The long, rectangular tart pan I used is rather small - only 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. This recipe will yield 2 tarts of this size, or 1 tart in a 9-inch round tart pan. Or you can do like I did and make 1 small tart with half the amount of strawberries, and use the extra dough to make a few chocolate peanut butter tartlets - see below for recipe....

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a tart pan with a removeable bottom with non-stick spray.

In a bowl, toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes to let the juices macerate.

In your food processor, combine the flour, powdered sugar, almond paste, salt, butter and egg yolk. Pulse until crumbly and moistened. Press the dough firmly against the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and press the foil against the dough so that all of the dough is covered. Fill pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and set aside. Fill the crust with the strawberries.

Bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the crust is pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle the strawberries with the honey to give them a pretty sheen. Let cool for 45 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Cut into slices and serve.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets

• • approximately half the dough from above

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • coarse salt

  • whipped cream and strawberries, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray six 3-inch tartlet molds lightly with non-stick spray. Fill each mold with about 1/4-1/3 cup of the dough crumbs and press firmly against the bottom and up the sides of the molds. Set on a baking sheet.

Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat gently over medium low heat just until it begins to simmer around the edges. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, chocolate chips and vanilla until melted and smooth.

Divide the filling between the tartlets, filling them almost to the top. Sprinkle with the salt.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is slightly puffed and cracked.

Cool for 20-30 minutes in the molds then unmold the tartlets and serve warm with whipped cream and strawberries.

Yields 6 tartlets.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen