Dried Fruit And Almond Tart Recipes

STOLLEN FRUIT TART OR ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Combine dried fruit, orange juice, cognac, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring; reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Let cool, 15 minutes.
• Cut marzipan into chunks. In a food processor, puree marzipan, egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Butter two 10-inch tart pans with removable bottoms. Divide dough in half. Roll out one half (keep other half refrigerated) on a lightly floured surface to an 11-inch circle. Fit into bottom and up sides of a prepared pan. Fill with half of marzipan, then half of fruit mixture (or almonds for almond tart). Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Drape with buttered plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Bake tarts, rotating pans once, until golden brown, about 20 minutes (15 minutes for almond tart). Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

PRUNE, CHERRY, AND APRICOT FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• make dried fruit compote
• Heat the grappa with the sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the fruit and gently simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let macerate, stirring occasionally, 24 hours.
• make tart shell
• Blend together the flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
• Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture. Gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful of dough: if it doesn't hold together, add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather the dough together with a pastry scraper, if you have one. Press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Set an 11-inch flan ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If using a tart pan, parchment is not necessary.) Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into the flan ring and trim excess dough. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F, with the rack in the middle.
• Lightly prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the side is set and the edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the bottom is golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in the pan, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
• make frangipane filling
• Beat the almond paste, butter, sugar, extract, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the flour.
• fill tart and bake
• Spread the frangipane filling in the cooled shell. Drain the fruit in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the syrup, and scatter the fruit over the filling, pressing in slightly. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the tart on parchment to a rack. Brush the reserved syrup over the tart and cool to warm or room temperature.
• do ahead
• The DRIED FRUIT can be macerated up to 3 days.
• The TART SHELL can be baked 1 day ahead and kept (once cool), wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
• The TART is best eaten the day it is baked but can be made 1 day ahead, covered with foil, kept at room temperature.
• The DOUGH can be chilled 2 days or frozen, wrapped well, 3 months.

DRIED FRUIT AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• For the fruit, combine the prunes, apricots and figs in a mixing bowl and cover with the Armagnac. Let stand for 3 hours, turning the fruit from time to time.
• Meanwhile for the crust, place the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse just to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, pour in the egg mixture. Process just until dough begins to come together. Gently press the dough together with your hands, flatten into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain the fruit; set aside. Roll out the dough between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, or a 10-inch quiche dish. For the filling, cream the butter and the confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Mix in the flour and the salt. Stir in the ground almonds.
• Spread the fruit evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Spoon the filling over the fruit. Bake until the filling is set and the crust is browned, about 40 minutes. Place on a rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.

PRUNE, CHERRY, AND APRICOT FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Make dried-fruit compote:
• Heat grappa with sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Add fruit and gently simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let macerate, stirring occasionally, 24 hours.
• Make tart shell:
• Set flan ring on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. (If using a tart pan, parchment is not necessary.) Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into flan ring and trim excess dough. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until bottom is golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make frangipane filling and bake tart:
• Beat almond paste, butter, sugar, extract, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in flour.
• Spread frangipane filling in cooled shell. Drain fruit in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving syrup, and scatter fruit over filling, pressing in slightly. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer tart on parchment to a rack. Brush reserved syrup over tart and cool to warm or room temperature.