Passion Fruit Tart Wth Crisp Meringue Top Recipes

PASSION FRUIT TART WTH CRISP MERINGUE TOP

Steps:

• For crust; using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and salt in medium bowl until blended.
• Beat in 3 tsp cream and egg yolk.
• Add flour and beat until moist clumps form, adding more cram by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
• Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.
• Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• For curd; whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan; add butter.
• Whisk over medium low heat until butter melts.
• Stir until filling thickens and leaves path on back of the spoon when finger is drawn across, about 11 minutes.
• (Do not boil) Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Press plastic wrap onto surface.
• Chilluntil firm, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
• For meringue; preheat oven to 275*F.
• Using plate or cake pan as aid, draw 9 inch circle on sheet of parchment.
• Turn parchment over and place on baking sheet (circle will show through).
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add sugar, beating until meringue is stiff and shiny.
• Spoon into pastry bag fitted with 3/8th inch round tip.
• Starting in center, pip tight spiral of meringue to fillcircle.
• Bake meringue until pale golden and puffed but still slightly soft to touch.
• About 45 minutes.
• Cool on sheet.
• Roll out crust on floured surface to 12 inch round.
• Transfer dough to a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Trim overhang to 1/4 inch.
• Fold in and press, making double thick sides.
• Pierce all over with fork.
• Chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Bake crust 5 minutes.
• Press up sides with back of fork.
• Bake crust until golden, pressing occasionally with back of fork to keep shape, about 13 minutes longer.
• Cool.
• Spread curd in crust; chill tart.
• Place 1 1/2 ounces of white chocolate in microwave safe cup.
• Microwave at low setting for 10 second intervals until softened; stir until smooth.
• Spread over bottom of meringue.
• Chill meringue, chocolate side up, until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.
• Place meringue chocolate side down, atop tart.
• MOund chocolate curls on meringue.
• (Can be made 8 hours ahead, chill).
• Release tart from pan and serve.

PASSION-FRUIT MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Make curd:
• Whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
• Heat passion-fruit purée in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until heated through, then add hot purée to egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Return to saucepan. Whisk in butter, 1 cube at a time, over moderate heat and cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened and just comes to a boil, about 6 minutes. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes more. Force curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and chill, its surface covered with wax paper, at least 8 hours.
• Make pastry while curd chills:
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolk and water with a fork and stir into flour mixture (or pulse) until combined well.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, to dough, stirring (or pulsing) until just combined. (Do not overwork, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Bring dough to cool room temperature before rolling out, about 30 minutes.
• Lightly dust dough with flour and roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 12-inch round. Fit dough into tart pan (discard paper), pressing with floured fingers onto bottom and up side of pan. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch and fold inside, pressing against rim of pan, then chill shell 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Remove side of pan.
• Make meringue and assemble tart:
• Combine whites and salt in a bowl.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Put thermometer facedown into sugar syrup, resting other end against rim of saucepan, and continue to boil (but do not stir), brushing any sugar crystals down side of pan with pastry brush dipped in water.
• When syrup reaches about 235°F, beat egg whites with salt at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks.
• When syrup reaches 238 to 242°F, immediately remove syrup from heat and pour in a slow, thin stream down side of bowl into whites (avoid beaters), beating at high speed until meringue is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes in a stand mixer or 15 with a handheld.
• Transfer shell to a cake plate. Spoon curd into shell and spread evenly. Dollop meringue on top of curd, then spread to edge of crust. Draw meringue up into peaks with a rubber spatula.
• Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth over meringue peaks, holding flame 1 to 2 inches from meringue to avoid burning, until lightly browned in spots.
• *Available at Latino markets and some supermarkets.