April 12, 2013

just a moment – earl grey pomelo tart

fruit, pies/tarts
just a moment – earl grey pomelo tart

It’s been cookies, cookies, and more cookies these last couple of weeks. We’re gearing up for NYC Food Blogger Bake Sale 2013. To pick the perfect cookie that holds up to the weather is not an easy task.

This is the 2nd year Lillian and I are organizing the event. The proceeds benefit No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger. We both considered at the end of last year’s event that we wouldn’t do it again–but after a few days of recuperation and reflection writing a recap, we both decided that the effort was well worth it. Besides raising money, the day also brought together tri-state food bloggers who contributed their baked goods and support.

Again, Brooklyn Flea, Fort Greene location, generously donated the space for our bake sale and we hope to repeat, if not surpass, the success and energy of last year.

So, to take a break from all the cookie contenders I’m considering for the event, I made this Earl Grey Pomelo Tart to savor a moment of calm and relaxation. I’ve been a fan of bergamot for years and have been drinking Earl Grey since I discovered it as a teenager during afternoon tea. This tart combines the soothing scent of Earl Grey and the sweet tartness of the pomelo.

tart_earlgrey_pomelo_quad

Print Recipe

Earl Grey Pomelo Tart

Yield: Seven 4-inch tarts

Ingredients:

Pâte Sucrée

1-3/4 cups (8-3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons (5 ounces) cold unsalted butter, diced

1 large egg

1/3 cup (2 ounces) granulated sugar

Earl Grey Pastry Cream

1 cup whole milk

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 Earl Grey tea bag or 1 teaspoon tea leaves

1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Assembly

1 pomelo, peel, and remove fruit pulp from it’s membrane.

5 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Directions:

Pâte Sucrée

1. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles very coarse bread crumbs.

2. Whisk together the egg and sugar. Pour the egg mixture over the flour-butter mixture and pulse to combine. Squeeze a bit of the mixture between your fingers. If it holds together, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface; if not, add a couple of teaspoons of ice water and test again. Knead gently and form into a ball, divide the pastry in half, and flatten into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

3. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line tart pans. Prick the base of the tart with a fork and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

5. Place the tart shells on a baking sheet. Line the tart with parchment paper or foil and fill it with pie weights. Bake until the pastry is just set, about 20 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and continue to cook until the pastry is golden in color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tart to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Earl Grey Pastry Cream

1. Add milk, sea salt and Earl Grey to a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and let it steep for 20-30 minutes.

2. Dissolve cornstarch, 1/4 cup of milk in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add sugar to remaining milk and bring to a boil, remove from heat.

3. Beat egg and egg yolks into cornstarch mixture, then pour hot milk into egg mixture, whisk constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy,.

4. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Assembly

1. Add about 2 tablespoons of pastry cream into each tart shell, top with pommelo segments.

2. Sprinkle each with about 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar. Serve immediately.

Recipe Note

1. Brûlée (torching of sugar) should be done right before serving. It will still be delicious without it but the contrast of texture will be lost.

2. If you can’t find pomelo, substitute with grapefruit. Keep it mind that that grapefruit will exude more juices than the pomelo.

tart_earlgrey_pomelo_main_2

fruit, pies/tarts
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