Tiny tartlet and tart crusts are the perfect vehicles for whatever you want to put inside. Fresh berries, flavored custards, or tangy lemon- or lime-curds topped with a dollop of whipped cream make fantastic light desserts. Small tartlet pans are perfect for pick-up desserts when entertaining and are simple to make. Usually, the flavors in a tart recipe are more intense, so a small sliver is all you need to serve.
Tart shells are perfect for savory dishes such as the ham and olive tart or a classic tomato pie using fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Tortes or tortas are more of a thin cake, using a small amount of flour and baked enough to keep the center semi-moist and dense. Tart crusts are simple enough to make yourself, but store-bought pie dough seems to work just as well. Keep dough on hand in the freezer and pull it out when you have an abundance of summer fruits to whip up a tart on the fly.
Chocolate Torte Tartufata with Chocolate Spread and Lavender Ice Cream
3½ ounces butter
4½ ounces dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs, separated
3½ ounces sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ ounce flour
1½ ounces toasted and chopped macadamia nuts
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (26.5-ounce) jar Nutella
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a round 9½-inch springform pan. In a saucepan, melt butter and add chocolate and cocoa. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool. With mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until very creamy. Stir in chocolate mixture. Whisk in flour, nuts, and salt. Fold whipped egg whites into chocolate mixture until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Middle should be slightly soft. Cool, then spread with Nutella and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Yield: 10 servings
Lavender Ice Cream
1 half-pint whipping cream
1 heaping teaspoon unsprayed lavender flowers
3 egg yolks
3½ ounces sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (8-ounce) carton mascarpone
In a medium saucepan, pour cream, and slowly bring to a boil. Add lavender flowers to cream and immediately remove from heat. Leave for about 10 minutes to infuse, stirring until lavender perfumes. Pour cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove flowers, and then return to saucepan. With mixer, beat egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until pale. For cream, turn heat on low. Stir 1 tablespoon warm cream into egg mixture. Then slowly whisk egg yolk mixture into cream. Continue whisking until mixture is very thick, but not curdled. Slowly beat in mascarpone until smooth. Remove from heat and refrigerate for several hours. Following manufactures instructions, pour the lavender cream into freezer and freeze. Ice cream will be soft in texture.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Tessa Kiros, Limoncello and Linen Water
White Chocolate Carnation Tartlets
1 package frozen pie dough
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
For garnish: white chocolate curls
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 tartlet pans. On a floured board, roll out dough, and cut with 2-inch tartlet pans. Press into pans and bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool and remove from pans; set aside. With mixer, whip cream until thick. Gradually beat in espresso powder and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Divide among tart shells and garnish with chocolate curls to resemble carnations. For white chocolate curls, gently warm a bar of white chocolate between palms. Using a vegetable peeler, run down the sides of bar to form curls, rotating as needed. Chill until ready to serve.
Yield: 12 small tartlets
Filomena’s Apple Cake
5½ ounces butter, softened
5½ ounces, plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs, separated
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons milk
3 honeycrisp or gala apples
For garnish: confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9½-inch springform pan. With mixer, beat butter and 5½ ounces sugar until light in color and creamy. Add vanilla, and then add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and milk until a thick batter forms. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold beaten egg whites into egg and flour mixture until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan and level surface. Core and quarter apples. Slice quarters into several slices. Starting at center of pan, arrange slices slightly tilted and close together to form circles, working outward like rose petals, filling any empty places. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over top. Bake for 45 minutes or until apples began to get golden and some edges are dark. Cover with foil and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cake is done. Center should be slightly gooey. Remove foil and cool before removing from pan. Dust with confectioners’ sugar when ready to serve.
Yield: 10 servings
Tessa Kiros, Limoncello and Linen Water
Victorian Chocolate Tarts
1 package frozen pie dough, thawed
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
For garnish: whipped cream and candied violets
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured board, roll out dough and cut with different small tart pans. Press dough into greased tartlet pans and bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt chocolate and sugar. Stir until smooth, then add cream and continue stirring for 8 to 10 minutes, until mixture thickens. Cool for several minutes, then fill tart shells. Refrigerate filled shells for at least 4 hours until set. Decorate as desired with whipped cream and candied violets.
Yield: 12 tartlets
Focaccia Bread with Strawberries
1 package yeast
1¼ cups warm water
4 heaping tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
2 ⅔ cups bread flour
1 pound fresh strawberries, stems removed
Extra sugar for strawberries and topping
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup strawberry jam
For garnish: confectioners’ sugar for dusting
In a bowl, whisk yeast, water, sugar, and salt together. Set aside for several minutes until yeast begins to bubble. Add bread flour and stir for several minutes until well combined. Cover bowl and let rest for 20 minutes until dough has puffed. Rinse and quarter strawberries. Toss in a bowl with ¼ teaspoon of sugar. Pour dough onto a floured surface and roll to a 4×13-inch rectangle. Place in a parchment paper-lined greased tart pan. Drizzle dough with olive oil. Place strawberries on top and pour extra juice over all. Sprinkle with a couple of big pinches of sugar. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes until bread is golden and crisp. Remove from oven and add more strawberries if desired. In microwave, melt strawberry jam and brush over entire tart. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
Yield: 10 slices
Tessa Kiros, Limoncello and Linen Water
Ham and Green Olive Tart
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
3 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1¾ ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5½ ounces thinly sliced ham, roughly chopped
4¼ ounces pitted green olives, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus thyme sprigs for garnish
Pinch salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9½-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll out pastry dough into a 13½-inch circle. Line pan with dough, going ¾ of the way up the sides. In a bowl, whip eggs with cream. Fold in Parmesan cheese, ham, olives, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture on top of dough, spreading ham and olives out evenly. Bake for 40 minutes until top is golden and set. Cool before cutting.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Tessa Kiros, Limoncello and Linen Water
