Ambrosia Chess Tarts Recipes

LEMON CHESS TARTLETS

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour. Mix just until combined.
• Shape the dough into 48 balls, using a scant tablespoon of dough at a time. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 48 mini muffin cups.
• Place 1 dough ball into each cup. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the cups, forming a pastry shell. If you have a tart tamper, this is a perfect use for it. Coat it lightly with a bit of flour to keep the dough from sticking to it.
• Whisk together the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, lemon juice, and melted butter. Fill each pastry shell with the mixture.
• Bake 18-22 minutes, or until the filling is set. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then, carefully remove the tarts from the pans to cool completely on wire racks.

CHESS TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the tart shell: Coat a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Mix together wafers, butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer pan to a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until tart shell is golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
• Make the filling: Mix together sugars, cornmeal, and salt, breaking up clumps. Whisk in eggs, yolk, and vanilla. Whisk in butter. Pour filling into tart shell. Bake until top is dark golden brown and edge is set but center is still a bit wobbly, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

LEMON BUTTERMILK CHESS TARTLETS

Steps:

• Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface, fit it into 8 tartlet tins, each 3 3/4 inches across the top and 3/4 inch deep, and roll a rolling pin over the edges of the tins to trim the excess dough. Chill the shells for 30 minutes.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the buttermilk, the cornmeal, the grated zest, the lemon juice, and the salt. Divide the mixture among the tartlet shells and bake the tartlets on a baking sheet in the lower third of a preheated 425°F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. and bake the tartlets for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until they are golden and set. Let the tartlets cool in the tins on racks until they can be handled, remove them from the tins, and let them cool completely on the racks. The tartlets may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered loosely in a cool place. Dust the tartlets lightly with the confectioners' sugar and garnish them with the lemon zest knots.

LEMON CHESS TART

Steps:

• Mix almond meal and powdered sugar in processor to fine powder, about 10 seconds.
• Transfer to bowl of electric mixer and add butter; beat until light.
• Blend in eggs, lemon juice and salt.
• Beat in flour all at once until just combined;do not overmix.
• Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic.
• Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• Roll dough out on generously floured surface into 11 1/2-inch circle 1/8 inch thick. (Keep surface and rolling pin well floured to prevent sticking.).
• Fit dough into 10-inch tart pan;trim edges.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Brush shiny side of 11 1/2-inch foil circle lightly with melted butter.
• Fit buttered side down into shell.
• Fill shell with dried beans or pie weights.
• Bake until dough is set, 15 to 20 minutes;remove foil and weights.
• Continue baking shell until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Stir cream into cornmeal in small bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until light.
• Blend in cornmeal mixture, lemon peel, juice and extract.
• Spoon filling into shell almost to rim; do not overfill.
• Bake tart until custard is set, about 30 minutes. (If edges brown to quickly, cover with strips of foil.).
• Cool on rack.
• Just before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar.
• Garnish with whipped cream and berries, if desired.