My paternal grandmother is from Périgord, fruits there are abundant. Growing up I enjoyed going over for "le goûter" as often we, children, could expert thin apple tarts, apple sauce and many other sweet treats. One thing, my grandmother always had was a bowl with fresh fruits. She always commented this was a necessity. My mother studied arts in Italy and requested that we, children, learn Italian over Spanish as a third language. We travelled to visit family friends in Venice. As a child, I remember the banana tea and their amazing sweets found at their local "pasticeria". My husband and I visited Pompei about 2 years ago, I enjoyed visiting and tasting many of the local sweets including their artisanal "gelati" (ice creams) during our trip. My husband being from the country side does not care as much as me for delicate complicated desserts commonly found at bakeries in Paris. He is also used to having more rustic desserts. Italian desserts depending on the region appear to be more simple as more rustic though in my opinion this traditional italian cake is a staple recipe. If you like pears and don't care for overly sweet desserts, you most likely will enjoy this simple though flavorful cake.
Torta di pere
Ingredients:
3-4 ripped pears (I use Anjou and Bartlett pears)
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter + a bit more to butter the pan
optional almond extract or amaretto liquor
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree fahrenheit. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the eggs and sugar until creamy in consistency. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt. Add gradually and sift the dry ingredients to the eggs and sugar mixture. When well incorporated, add the lightly melted soft butter and mix well, the batter should seem smooth. Pour the batter into your buttered pan. Prep the pears, peeled and cut them into chunks. Add them to your pan, press them gently into the batter. Then bake for about 30-35 minutes or until sides seem golden and tooth pick comes out clean. Let the cake cool before enjoying it.
Optional: if you like the taste of almond like I, feel free to add into your batter a tsp of pure almond extract or even some amaretto liquor. I find almond flavor enhances and compliments well the flavor of the pears in this cake.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Pear frangipane tart
Growing up in France, I remember when my family would go to our country home in Normandy to escape the chaos of Paris. One of my favorite thing there was beside going to the beach and fish for shrimps, mussels and even dover sole (flat fish), the backyard. First, I must say my french grandparents spoiled us. The house in Normandy had a backyard though it was more like a verger, we had apple trees, hazelnut trees and a cherry tree. I have found memories of climbing the ladder and helping my grandfather collect the fresh hazelnuts from the branches. I speculate my love for nuts and fresh fruits was instilled by my grandmother. She was from Périgord, a region known for walnuts, foie gras de canard, black truffle... Each year, our family ate fresh walnuts from Périgord, then in the summer and fall, we would enjoy fresh hazelnuts. Then through winter, we would keep busy making homemade apple compote from all the apples collected at the end of summer and throughout the fall.
Though besides walnuts and hazelnuts, I learned at a young age to love almonds though mostly in the form of "frangipane" a sweet filling to many traditional french treats: pear and frangipane tart, galette des rois, and almond at its finest in decadent macarons.
My spouse who also grew up in France though in Auvergne, finds almonds to be his sweet sin. He enjoys anything with almonds. Hence, his insisting request that I bake often italian almond tarts, pear and frangipane tarts and galette des rois.
This recipe requires a basic tart dough known in France as "pâte sablée"
Basic Tart Dough (for one 24 cm (9 1/2") tart)
Ingredients:
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp ice water (more if needed)
1/3 cup sugar (90g)
1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour (200g)
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (125g) (cut into small pieces
In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk, ice cold water and vanilla (set aside). In a larger bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, then add the butter cut into pieces. Using your hands, mix the dry ingredients with the butter until the texture resembles coarse meals (like small peas). Then add the wet ingredients mixture. Using your hands, mix the dough together and add more water if needed until dough pulls together.
Tips: you can use dough right away or chill dough for easier rolling.
Note: I don't care for much sugar, so I scale back on the sugar and only use 1/4 cup.
Blind bake the tart shell at 375 fahrenheit degrees for about 20 minutes.
Filling
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour (raw unblanched almond finely ground)
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp dark rum
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Anjou or Bartlett pears riped, peeled, halved and cored.
1/3 cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Melt the butter then let it cool. In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, sugar, then add the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, rum and melted butter. Stir together. Spread the frangipane in the partially baked tart. Then slice your pears, keeping the pear slices together. Using a knife, lift the sliced pear halves and transfer to the tart shell. Arrange the halves (core side down, stem end toward the center of the pan) (see pictures). Using your hand, press slightly the slices into the filling. Bake the tart (375 fahrenheit degrees) until the filling is slightly golden and seems firm to the touch (about 40-45 minutes).
Following is optional (I don't find it necessary). Let the tart cool. In a saucepan over low heat, heat the jam until it liquefies. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the tart with the jam (thin coating), it will make it shine.
Notes: I actually cut back on the sugar and the egg. I tend to use large brown eggs so I don't need 2 and as I often make my tart dough same day I make this tart, I use the white left over from it and add it with 1 egg. I also use 1/4-1/3 cup sugar instead of 2/3 cup. Last, instead of rum, I use Amaretto (italian almond flavored liquor).
Though besides walnuts and hazelnuts, I learned at a young age to love almonds though mostly in the form of "frangipane" a sweet filling to many traditional french treats: pear and frangipane tart, galette des rois, and almond at its finest in decadent macarons.
My spouse who also grew up in France though in Auvergne, finds almonds to be his sweet sin. He enjoys anything with almonds. Hence, his insisting request that I bake often italian almond tarts, pear and frangipane tarts and galette des rois.
This recipe requires a basic tart dough known in France as "pâte sablée"
Basic Tart Dough (for one 24 cm (9 1/2") tart)
Ingredients:
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp ice water (more if needed)
1/3 cup sugar (90g)
1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour (200g)
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (125g) (cut into small pieces
In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk, ice cold water and vanilla (set aside). In a larger bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, then add the butter cut into pieces. Using your hands, mix the dry ingredients with the butter until the texture resembles coarse meals (like small peas). Then add the wet ingredients mixture. Using your hands, mix the dough together and add more water if needed until dough pulls together.
Tips: you can use dough right away or chill dough for easier rolling.
Note: I don't care for much sugar, so I scale back on the sugar and only use 1/4 cup.
Blind bake the tart shell at 375 fahrenheit degrees for about 20 minutes.
Filling
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour (raw unblanched almond finely ground)
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp dark rum
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Anjou or Bartlett pears riped, peeled, halved and cored.
1/3 cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Melt the butter then let it cool. In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, sugar, then add the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, rum and melted butter. Stir together. Spread the frangipane in the partially baked tart. Then slice your pears, keeping the pear slices together. Using a knife, lift the sliced pear halves and transfer to the tart shell. Arrange the halves (core side down, stem end toward the center of the pan) (see pictures). Using your hand, press slightly the slices into the filling. Bake the tart (375 fahrenheit degrees) until the filling is slightly golden and seems firm to the touch (about 40-45 minutes).
Following is optional (I don't find it necessary). Let the tart cool. In a saucepan over low heat, heat the jam until it liquefies. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the tart with the jam (thin coating), it will make it shine.
Notes: I actually cut back on the sugar and the egg. I tend to use large brown eggs so I don't need 2 and as I often make my tart dough same day I make this tart, I use the white left over from it and add it with 1 egg. I also use 1/4-1/3 cup sugar instead of 2/3 cup. Last, instead of rum, I use Amaretto (italian almond flavored liquor).
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Savory French popovers
My husband is from the region of Auvergne. We both love cheese, in particular "Blue cheese". I have to say we both have our favorite blue cheeses. I enjoy milder creamier blue cheeses, while my husband loves strong more bitter blue cheeses. I love "Bleu d'Auvergne", "Fourme d'Ambert" and for a coarse blue cheese, "Société Roquefort". My husband particularly enjoys "Gabriel Coulet Roquefort", Société Roquefort". About two years ago, as we were traveling to visit our families in France, we visited the Roquefort caves, what a savory treat.
I thought I would make a special savory treat in honor of our love of blue cheese: Roquefort popovers.
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
pepper to your taste (I like coarse black and red pepper, while others may prefer white pepper)
1 1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
Roquefort crumbles
Mix the pepper and flour. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and milk, then melted butter. Add to dry ingredients. Pour liquid like batter into your popover pan then add your Roquefort crumbles. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Bon appétit!
I thought I would make a special savory treat in honor of our love of blue cheese: Roquefort popovers.
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
pepper to your taste (I like coarse black and red pepper, while others may prefer white pepper)
1 1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
Roquefort crumbles
Mix the pepper and flour. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and milk, then melted butter. Add to dry ingredients. Pour liquid like batter into your popover pan then add your Roquefort crumbles. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Bon appétit!
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