Brandied Sour Cherry And Pear Tartlets
Serves: 6
Irwin Berge
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
42
Spice
46
Sweetness
43
Sourness
44
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.6
Difficulty
Ingredients:
3.5 cups
All-Purpose Flour1 tsp
Salt3 tbsps
Sugar3 tbsps
Whole Milk680 g
Pear (firm-ripe about 3)1 cup
Brandy1 cup
Water2 tbsps
CornstarchDirections:
1
Make pastry: Blend together flour, salt, butter, shortening, and 2 tablespoons sugar with your fingertips or a pastry blender in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps
2
Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup ice water and gently stir with a fork until incorporated
3
Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again
4
(Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough
5
) Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions
6
With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat
7
Bake tartlets on a large baking sheet until golden, 20 to 25 minutes
8
Gather dough together with scraper and divide into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, then flatten each into a 5- to 6-inch disk
9
Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour
10
Blend together flour, salt, butter, shortening, and 2 tablespoons sugar with your fingertips or a pastry blender in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps
11
Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup ice water and gently stir with a fork until incorporated
12
Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again
13
(Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough
14
) Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions
15
With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat
16
Gather dough together with scraper and divide into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, then flatten each into a 5- to 6-inch disk
17
Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour
18
Make filling while pastry chills: Peel, halve, and core pears
19
Cut pears into 1/4-inch dice, then stir together with remaining filling ingredients in a 3-quart heavy pot
20
Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes
21
Transfer filling to a shallow dish and cool to room temperature
22
Peel, halve, and core pears
23
Cut pears into 1/4-inch dice, then stir together with remaining filling ingredients in a 3-quart heavy pot
24
Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes
25
Transfer filling to a shallow dish and cool to room temperature
26
Make tartlet tops: Roll out smaller disk of dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking
27
Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 3 1/2-inch fluted cutter, transferring as cut to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet
28
Chill rounds until firm, about 10 minutes, before decorating
29
Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll, cut, and chill additional 31/2-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16
30
Cut out shapes from rounds with decorative cutters or a sharp paring knife, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge, and reserve cutout pieces if desired for additional decoration
31
Brush tops lightly with milk
32
Lightly press reserved cutouts (if using) onto decorated pastry rounds and brush lightly with milk
33
Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over tops and chill while making bottoms
34
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F
35
Roll out smaller disk of dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking
36
Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 3 1/2-inch fluted cutter, transferring as cut to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet
37
Chill rounds until firm, about 10 minutes, before decorating
38
Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll, cut, and chill additional 31/2-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16
39
Cut out shapes from rounds with decorative cutters or a sharp paring knife, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge, and reserve cutout pieces if desired for additional decoration
40
Brush tops lightly with milk
41
Lightly press reserved cutouts (if using) onto decorated pastry rounds and brush lightly with milk
42
Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over tops and chill while making bottoms
43
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F
44
Make tartlet bottoms: Roll out larger disk of dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on floured surface with floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking
45
Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 4-inch cutter
46
Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll and cut additional 4-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16
47
Fit each 4-inch round into a tartlet pan (don't trim)
48
Fill each tartlet with 3 tablespoons cooled filling and brush edge of pastry lightly with milk
49
Place decorated tops over filling in each tartlet, then press each top lightly around edge to help seal edges and trim pastry if necessary
50
Roll out larger disk of dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on floured surface with floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking
51
Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 4-inch cutter
52
Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll and cut additional 4-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16
53
Fit each 4-inch round into a tartlet pan (don't trim)
54
Fill each tartlet with 3 tablespoons cooled filling and brush edge of pastry lightly with milk
55
Place decorated tops over filling in each tartlet, then press each top lightly around edge to help seal edges and trim pastry if necessary
56
Bake tartlets: Bake tartlets on a large baking sheet until golden, 20 to 25 minutes
57
Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool 10 minutes
58
To remove tartlets from pans, cover 1 hand with a folded kitchen towel and invert tartlets 1 at a time onto towel, reinverting them onto a platter
59
Serve warm or at room temperature
60
Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool 10 minutes
61
To remove tartlets from pans, cover 1 hand with a folded kitchen towel and invert tartlets 1 at a time onto towel, reinverting them onto a platter
62
Serve warm or at room temperature