December 1st, 2011
We are away.
In a place that feels so far from our everyday lives.
We are here with family, gearing up for a Thanksgiving feast, in which the menu has yet to be finalized. And this is all fine because we are comfortable – sitting around the fire telling stories.
I made these tartlets last week while my parents were still visiting. Miren had just woken up from a nap and my dad was holding her in his arms. “Aititegaz, aititegaz” he whispered (“you are with grandpa, you are with grandpa”).
The sweetest thing I have ever witnessed.
The tarts were delicious, especially because they took no time to make as I had leftover chocolate and hazelnut tart dough in the freezer. I tend to say that a lot here, don’t I? That I have leftover dough of this and scraps of that. But it is so true. While I am recipe testing, ingredients and scraps accumulate exponentially. A good problem to have, I suppose.
So if you are still thinking about Thanksgiving desserts and have not made up your mind yet, here is a recipe you could try. A light pear and pistachio custard baked in a chocolate and hazelnut tart crust.
And if you have all ready for the big dinner, what dessert are you preparing?
In any case, I wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Cook and eat lots, enjoy your company, and share.
Chocolate, Pear, and Pistachio Tarts
Makes six (4-inch) tartlets
Chocolate Hazelnut Crust
4 ounces (110 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup (70 g) natural cane sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 egg
3/4 cup (105 g) superfine brown rice flour
1/4 cup (35 g) buckwheat flour
1/4 cup (25 g) hazelnut flour
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla seeds with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add them to the butter mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Turn it onto your work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dust your work surface with a little bit of superfine brown rice flour. Place the dough on top and, with a rolling pin, roll it to 1/8 inch thickness. Make sure to keep turning the dough while rolling to ensure it does not stick to the surface. If it cracks, pinch it back together.
Cut circles and fill the tart molds with the dough. Chill the dough for 20 minutes while preparing the filling.
Pear and Pistachio Filling
6 Forelle pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 eggs
2 tablespoons good-quality honey
2 tablespoons pistachio meal
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Arrange the sliced pears over the chocolate crust.
In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the pears. Bake the tarts for 30-35 minutes until golden.
Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie