Candied Bacon And Pecan Meringue Tart With Coffee Frozen Custard

Serves: 5

Ally Shanahan

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

45

Spice

58

Sweetness

45

Sourness

41

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.6

Difficulty

Ingredients:

2 cups

Whole Milk

1 cup

White Sugar

1 cup

Heavy Cream

3.2 cups

Pastry Flour

1

Salt

4 large

Egg

3 tbsps

Brown Sugar

2 tbsps

Butter

Directions:

1

For the pate brisee: Combine the pastry flour, sugar and salt in a food processor

2

Special equipment: nine 4-inch tart pans For the coffee frozen custard: Roughly chop the coffee beans and add to a pot, along with the milk

3

Heat until steaming

4

Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg and sugar until lightened, about 30 seconds

5

Temper the eggs by slowly whisking in some of the hot milk

6

Add back to the saucepan and heat to 170 degrees F on a thermometer, stirring constantly

7

Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, vanilla and espresso powder

8

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, then cool in an ice bath

9

Transfer the frozen custard base to an ice cream maker, churn according to manufacturer's instructions and then freeze until firm

10

Pulse to mix

11

Add the butter and pulse until blended and the mixture looks like sand

12

Drizzle in the eggs, 4 teaspoons water, and vanilla; process just until a dough comes together

13

Transfer the dough to the counter and shape into two 1-inch-thick disks

14

Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes

15

For the filling: Cook the bacon until crispy, though not burned

16

Drain on paper towels

17

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat, leaving the remaining fat in the pan

18

Roughly chop the pecans and add them to the bacon skillet, along with the brown sugar and a pinch of salt

19

Cook over high heat until the sugar melts

20

Reserve in a bowl

21

Cream together butter, reserved bacon fat, white sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment

22

Mix in the vanilla and orange zest

23

Add the eggs in 3 additions, scraping the bowl in between

24

Blend well

25

Add the light corn syrup and dark corn syrup; blend until smooth

26

Reserve

27

Par-bake the tart shell: Roll out lemon-size pieces of pate brisee to a 1/4-inch thickness

28

Place over nine 4-inch tart pans and gently press in

29

Roll the pin over the tart pans to cut away excess dough, then prick the dough with a fork

30

Place the tart pans on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes

31

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

32

Place the foil over each tart and fill with pie weights or dried beans

33

Pre-bake for about 15 minutes, or until the tart shells are lightly browned

34

Remove the pie weights and foil

35

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F

36

Finish the tart: Place enough pecans in each tart shell to fill them level, then crumble over some bacon

37

Pour the filling into the tart shells, filling up to the edge

38

Bake the tarts for 10 minutes

39

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes

40

Let cool

41

For the meringue: With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until foamy

42

Slowly add the sugar and then the vanilla; whip to a medium peaks

43

Transfer to a pastry bag

44

Pipe a rosette of meringue onto each tart, then toast with a kitchen torch

45

Serve the tarts with a scoop of the coffee frozen custard