If you REALLY want to stun your dinner guests, this is the dessert to make. It is so different and the texture is unbelievable.
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk (or 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup cream)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup flour
- 8 tsp. Frangelico liqueur
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp. water
To start…
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt, mixing well and set aside.
Combine the butter and 1 cup sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy and light. Add the eggs and egg yolks, once at a time, and beat on low speed until well mixed. Slowly add the flour mixture, making sure it is well combined. Wrap 1/3 of this in plastic wrap and the larger portion in plastic wrap and tap each one slightly flat on top and refrigerate for about 3 hours (until firm). Now start the next step.
Filling
Combine 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until it just begins to bubble around the edges.
Place 1 egg and 2 yolks and the remaining milk, whisking until well combined. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour until completely smooth. Now slowly add 3/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mix, continuously whisking and return it to the saucepan heating for another 5-7 minutes until thickened and bubbles begin to form. Do not boil. Remove from the heat, add the liqueur and mix together. Pour into a bowl and placing some plastic wrap over the top (touching) and refrigerate for about an hour .
Continue on…
Place the rack in your oven to the lowest position. Spray a 9″ springform pan with a no stick spray and set aside.
Roll out the larger portion to a 13 inch circle. CAREFULLY fold in half (like a pie crust) and place it in the springform pan, and unfold it, pressing it up the sides of the pan and bottom. Let any excess hang over the pan. Now spread the chilled filling into the dough. Roll out the smaller portion into an 8″ circle and set over the filling.
Before placing in the oven, mix the last egg yolk with the water and brush the top dough. If you have excess dough handing over the side, simply fold it onto the top. To make it look fancy, score a pattern on the top.
Bake for 45 minutes and then loosely cover with foil and bake for another 15-16 minutes until the top is a lovely golden colour. Cool for 10-15 minutes and remove the sides of the pan. Refrigerate over night and serve at room temperature. Any leftovers (I doubt it) cover and place in the refrigerator.
OMG! This, is awesome.
Blueberry Custard Tarts
I bought some fresh blueberries on Sunday and was pondering what to make. I made fresh blackberry muffins this morning for our workers in the bathroom (changing tub for shower) and they need their energy. So…… of course, tarts.
- Make the pastry of your choice (or store bought if you can’t ).
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- pinch of salt
- 5 1/2 cups blueberries
In a large bowl whip the eggs and add the sugar, flour, milk, vanilla, lime juice and salt, mixing well. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour in the tart crusts.
Topping
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cold butter
- I tsp. grated lime zest
In a small bowl, combine the flour, lime zest and sugar mixing well. Cut in the cold butter until crumble. Sprinkle over each tart and bake for 25-35 minutes in a 350 oven. Cool on a wire rack.
Maple Pots De Creme
Next Saturday we are entertaining a couple in our neighbourhood and, after posting the salted maple sauce yesterday, I thought I would do the Pots de Creme for dessert. (They go together). This recipe has a praline that goes with it, so pour yourself a fresh coffee, and read this through. Then loudly proclaiming “Damn I can do this”, begin….
Praline
- 2 tbsp. sliced almonds
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. corn syrup
- pinch of coarse kosher salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the almonds out and bake for about 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove from heat and, on parchment lined cookie sheet, bunch the almonds up into a square 4-5 inches.
Put the remaining ingredients into a heavy saucepan and with a low heat, cook until the sugar melts. Increase the temperature and simmer until it becomes a dark golden colour. DO NOT STIR. With a wet brush, brush down the sides of the pot so it won’t crystallize. This should take about 5 minutes.
Quickly pour the contents over the almonds until all are coated. Cool completely and let it get cold and hard for an hour. Break into pieces of chop coarsely. In an airtight container, let stand at room temperature up to 4 days.
Now onto the best part….
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup maple sugar
- 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/8 tsp. imitation maple extract
- pinch of coarse kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, and a little extra for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a deep sided baking pan, place 4 ramekin cups.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugars, extract and salt until well blended. Now whisk in the cream and equally divide the custard into the ramekin cups.
Place the pan in the oven and now add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. If you add the water then go to the oven…you could spill it, get water into the custard and spoil the dish completely or burn yourself.
Bake for about 35 minutes just until the center is set. Remove and let stand for 15 minutes. Chill uncovered for at least 2 hours. Now cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
To plate, heat the salted sauce and place a small pool in the center of the plate, invert the chilled custard and place on top of the sauce. Put a small dollop of whipped cream on top and sprinkle a generous amount of praline on top. OMG, you did it again. So, so yummy! Add a plate of Salted Chocolate Chunk cookies to cut some of the sweetness. A perfect match.
Flapper Pie With A Difference
You never want to lose this one, it’s great!
The difference is the meringue
- 2 1/2 cups crumbs graham crumbs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix crumbs, butter and brown sugar and cinnamon until well blended. Press into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake in the oven for about 7 minutes and remove from oven.
In a heavy saucepan, mix the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt and very slowly, while still whisking, add the milk. Continue until the mixture comes to a boil and becomes t hick and smooth. Lower oven to 375 degrees.
Swiss Meringue
7 large egg whites
3/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
To make the meringue, combine the ingredients in a heat proof bowl and set bowl in a pan of simmering water. Beat the mixture until warm and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whip into stiff peaks.
Mound this high over the pie and with a flat edged spatula make peaks in the whites, making sure it touches the crust all around, set in the oven and, watching carefully, bake for approximately 8 minutes or until lightly golden.
I am pretty sure you will never rely on the old meringue we all made before.