Saturday Blog Showcase, Double Chocolate Pecan Tarts

I knew when I saw this tart on Thilbeault's Table blog that I was in trouble...big trouble! I didn't want to wait for an occasion to try it, but couldn't justify making such a decadent tart just because I wanted it now! So I made small tarts in 4 inch tart pans that I bought at E. Dehillerin's in Paris. I did need to break them in...didn't I?? So now I am only in a little trouble ;-) And, I can give the others away. So for this Saturday's Blog Showcase I am making Double Chocolate Pecan Tarts. This recipe has traveled like a chocolate chain letter, with each person adding their own signature. I made Ann's dough using all butter in the food processor. Ann at Thibeault's Table substituted the corn syrup with maple syrup in the tart. I substituted it with organic raw Blue Agave Nectar.....now it's healthy, right?!

Don't break the chain...add your signature and pass it on! I'm showcasing three blogs this week, Thibeault's Table, Rollin in the Dough, and Annie's Eats.

Thanks Ann at Thibeault's Table, and Lori at All That Splatters for hosting this showcase.

Double Chocolate Pecan Tarts

For the filling:

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
½ cup corn syrup, maple syrup or Agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup pecans halves
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Butter Pastry
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2/3 cup butter, cubed
5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water

Add the flour, sugar and butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse. The mixture should be the size of peas. Pour the ice water into the feed tube of the processor, so that it drips down while the machine is running. Process until the mixture forms into a ball and stop. Any overworking will make the dough tough. For the tarts, cut into 8 pieces, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.

On a lightly-floured work surface, roll each of the 8 balls of the pie dough out into a round. Transfer the rounds to 4-inch tart pans. Trim the edges as necessary. Freeze the dough-lined tart pans until firm and very cold, about 30 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to lower middle position and heat the oven to 375° F. Remove the dough-lined pans from the freezer, press a sheet of foil inside the pie shell and fill with ceramic baking beads. Bake about 30 minutes, until the dough looks dry and light in color. Carefully remove the foil and weights. Continue baking the crust 5-6 minutes more, until light golden brown.

While the pie crust is baking, make the filling. Melt the butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Remove the bowl from the double boiler but maintain the simmering water. Stir in the sugar and salt with a wooden spoon until the butter is absorbed. Beat in the eggs, corn syrup (or substitution) and vanilla. Return the bowl to the double boiler and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is shiny and hot to the touch, about 130° F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans. As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, lower the oven temperature to 275° F. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Scatter the chopped chocolate pieces over the filling and press into the filling with the back of a spoon. Arrange pecan halves in a circular pattern around the tarts.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven about 50-60 minutes, until the pie looks set but slightly soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed with the back of a spoon. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 4 hours.

Makes 8-4 inch tarts or 1 large tart. The recipe may also be cut in half.
Double Chocolate pecan Tarts recipe click here.

A Fresh Sweet Start

Each new year brings another opportunity for a fresh start. A time to bid adieu to the past and start with a clean slate. This year we have a new decade before us as well. When I reflect on the past 10 years, I am amazed at the profound changes that have taken place in my life and in the lives of those close to me. There have been many "up" times, as my family hit milestones and worked hard for personal success, and everyday joys. There were some very dark "down" times, such as the passing of friends and family members. And who could have predicted that at the beginning of the last decade the worst terrorist attack in our history would've began at my city and my airline? So many changes came at once, and yes, I adapted. We all adapt and begin fresh chapters every year and some years are bigger than others. When I started this blog a little over a year ago with my friend Pam, the other "stew", we didn't know where it would lead. She has since begun her own blog, The Gypsy Chef, as we both develop our individual styles and ways of expressing them. While we wade through the chiaroscuro of life, it seems the fresh starts are the lightest. My new year began with snow that just hasn't stopped for days now.The snow seems to be saying, on this new year, this new decade, that it is giving a clean white covering to begin anew. So I took the que and hunkered down and made crisp, sweet white meringues, that resemble snow drops. Recalling a recipe from a cookbook that my neighbor, Kate introduced me to, I made a winter citrus treat with meringues and crème fraîche. The cookbook entitled, "Stir", is written by Barbara Lynch, a brilliant Boston chef. I changed a few of the ingredients to suit my taste (noted at the end of the recipe) and was pleased by it's sweet freshness, combination of flavors and visual allure. I was so inspired by the white purity of the crisp meringues that I have included them in my new look on this blog. I am beginning this new year with a clean and pure look, just like the blanket of snow around me. I also want to thank each and everyone of you who have commented, made suggestions or just sat with a cup of coffee or glass of wine and read my blog. I wish you a fresh and sweet start to this new year and decade.

Winter Citrus with Cumin Meringue and Whipped Crème Fraîche
(Adapted from "Stir", by Barbara Lynch)

For the citrus:
1/2 cup sugar
2 whole star anise or 2 teaspoons pieces
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons whole cardamom pods (green or white)
6 assorted citrus fruit*, peeled, and segmented** (squeeze juice left in pulp and reserve that, too, for about 1 1/2 cups juice)
*Suggested citrus fruits are, Cara Cara orange, satsuma, a tangerine, a Meyer lemon, a ruby red grapefruit, and a blood orange.
**For video showing how to segment an orange, click here.

For the meringues:
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin* (see note at bottom of recipe)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar

For serving:
3/4 cup crème fraîche

To make the citrus:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, star anise, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the spices have infused their flavor, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved citrus juice and return to a simmer over medium low heat until mixture has reduced by about half and is syrupy, about 1/2 hour. Strain and reserve the liquid. (Discard the spices.) If not using right away, refrigerate the fruit and liquid, covered.

To make the meringues:
Heat oven to 200 degrees F and line a baking sheet with Silpat or with parchment paper. In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar, cumin,and salt. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.Using a large spoon, put dollops of the egg whites, about the size of a lime, on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of room around each; you will make about 20 meringues.Bake the meringues until completely dry and crisp, about 4 hours. Ideally the crisps should not color or should color only slightly. (To test for doneness, take one out, let it cool briefly and bite into it.) Cool the meringues completely on a rack before storing in an airtight container. (If they seem even slightly warm when stored, they can get soft and sticky.)

To serve, beat the crème fraîche to medium peaks. Put a dollop on each of four rimmed plates or shallow bowls. Divide the citrus among the plates, being sure to include a few slices of each kind. Spoon the reduced citrus liquid over and around the fruit.
Garnish with a couple of meringues (you will have extra).You may make the meringues up to 3 days ahead. The fruit and reduced sauce can be refrigerated covered, 2 days before serving.

Serves 4.
2 Stews notes:
*For the meringues, I substituted the cumin for a combination of ground cardamom, ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper, that equaled 1/8 teaspoon when combined. I also omitted the star anise with the citrus, but that is my own personal taste. I made the meringues about half of the recommended size and preferred that size more. I added a few blackberries and pomegranate seeds for color and flavor.

Winter Citrus with Cumin Meringue and Whipped Crème Fraîche recipe, click here.