Art by the Creek

Preheat oven to 325.

Ingredients

1 unbaked 10 inch Sweet Cookie Tart crust, unbaked (see recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Tart)

Carmelized Pears

2 tbs. unsalted butter
2 tbs. brown sugar
¼ cup water
5 small or two large pears, washed, cored and sliced

Frangipane

7 oz. almond paste, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2-3 drops pure almond extract
2 eggs
2 tsp. flour

Preparation

In a large skillet, melt butter and brown sugar. Add water and stir to dissolve. Add pears. Simmer at medium heat, covered, stirring often for 10 minutes. Remove pears and set aside. Cook juices/caramel down to thicken, such that the spoon leaves a trail in the saucepan. Reserve caramel for serving.

In the workbowl of a food processor, blend butter with almond paste until smooth and well combined. Add almond extract. In a small bowl, stir together flour and eggs. Add to almond paste mixture.

Smooth almond custard into unbaked pastry crust. Top with pear silces. Bake 30-40 minutes until well browned and puffy. Remove to cooling rack. Serve with reserved caramel.

Equipment: 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom or a 10-inch springform pan, well buttered

Preheat oven 350*

Ingredients

1 cup hazelnuts, roasted, cooled and peeled
6 oz. unsalted butter, 1 inch cubed, frozen
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup good quality raspberry preserve

Preparation

In food processor fitted with steel blade, pulse hazelnuts with ½ cup flour until moderately finely ground (not powdered). Add flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon, and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Add egg yolks and vanilla and pulse just until dough starts to come together (do not overmix). Turn out onto parchment, knead until it forms a cohesive mass, separate into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap the smaller part in plastic and chill. Press the larger part into the sides and bottom of the tart pan to form the crust. Spread the preserves over the crust. Remove the reserved dough and roll out to approximately ¼ inch width into a 10 X 5 inch rectangle. Slice rolled dough into 10 ½ inch X 10 inch strips. Using a 9-inch pie pan as a guide, cut out a 9-inch circle from the strips. Remove excess and chill strips and excess at least 5 minutes until firm. To form the lattice, place 5 strips horizontal across preserves, and 5 strips vertical. With the reserved dough, form 1/2 inch balls. Place each ball around the perimeter of the tart, pressing slightly to adhere.

Bake 35 minutes. Cool at least 15 minutes before unmolding and serving.

Prior to baking, preheat the oven to 350°.

Ingredients

Tart Shell

3 tablespoons almond paste
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk

Filling

1 1/3 cups milk
1/4 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 3/4 pounds apricots, pitted and quartered
3/4 pound blueberries (2 cups)

Preparation

Make the Tart Shell: In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, blend the almond paste, sugar and salt with 3 tablespoons of the butter at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the remaining butter. Add 2 cups of flour and beat at low speed until just combined, then beat in the egg and milk. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours, until very firm.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 14-inch round, 1/4 inch thick; transfer to a 12-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing over the bottom and up the side without stretching. Trim any excess dough. Freeze the shell for 15 minutes.

Line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 35 minutes, until the pastry is firm and starting to color. Remove the foil and weights and bake the shell for another 20 minutes, until golden and cooked through. If the rim starts to browns too quickly, cover with foil. Transfer the tart shell to a rack; let cool.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk with the vanilla bean and seeds and half of the sugar. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring. Remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs with the cornstarch and the remaining sugar until smooth. Gradually whisk in half of the hot milk. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is thickened, 3 minutes; scrape into a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath and let stand, stirring often, until the pastry cream has cooled completely.

Spread the pastry cream in the shell in an even layer. Arrange the apricot quarters in four concentric circles, leaving a 1-inch gap between the second and third circles and a 2-inch round in the center of the tart. Fill in the spaces with the blueberries. Bake the tart for 50 minutes, until the apricots are tender. Let cool slightly. Unmold the tart, cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.