Pie and Pastry Bible (83 page)

If not using the 8-inch cake pan, use your fingers to press the dough into the pan instead of rolling it.

Roll the remaining dough between sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap to a little larger than 9 inches in diameter and about
inch thick. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife to trim it to a circle just a hair under 9 inches across (measure the exact diameter of the pan). Chill it, still between the plastic wrap, for at least 30 minutes, or freeze it for at least 20 minutes, so that it is very firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level.

Remove the plastic wrap from the pastry-lined pan. Whisk the rum into the pastry cream and spread it into the pastry. Press down the sides of the dough so that it is about
inch higher than the filling. Lightly brush the edge with water.

Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the top pastry and use the remaining piece to invert it onto the filling. Remove the plastic. (If the dough is very firm, you can remove both pieces of plastic wrap and use your hands to lift and place it.) Use a fork, preferably a three-tined one, to press the edges firmly together, making a design in the pastry that looks like the rays of the sun. If desired, paint the surface with the egg glaze. Then prick the top all over, making a design of little holes.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden. Place the tart on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before unmolding. (After 2 hours, it will still be slightly warm.)

To unmold, if using a loose-bottom pan, see page 251. Or remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature, garnished with the cherry preserves, if desired. Use a serrated knife to cut it into wedges. (It slices beautifully and can be sliced very thin, if desired.)

STORE

Room temperature, up to 1 day.

UNDERSTANDING

This tart is similar in concept to the Gâteau Engadine (page 291). The Engadine is made with a firmer and thicker sweet cookie tart crust and contains caramelized walnuts instead of pastry cream.

Compared to the Sweet Cookie Tart Crust (page 56), this crust has about one and a third times the sugar, about two thirds the butter, and no cream (2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons less liquid). The increase in sugar and decrease in liquid are what make it so much more tender; the decrease in butter and the addition of baking powder make it lighter in texture.

BROWNIE PUDDLE

(with Caramel Variation)

T
his brownie, baked in a tart pan, gets its moistness from cream cheese and its fudginess from the best-quality cocoa and chocolate. Little puddles of ganache are poured into holes made in the brownie, after it has baked, with the handle of a wooden spoon. Chocolate doesn’t get better than this.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 325°F. • BAKING TIME: 30 TO 35 MINUTES SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
pecan pieces or coarsely chopped pecans	1 cup	4 ounces	113 grams
unsalted butter	14 tablespoons	7 ounces	200 grams
bittersweet chocolate, preferably Lindt Excellence or Valrhona Caracque, broken into squares	one 3-ounce bar	3 ounces	85 grams
unsweetened cocoa, preferably fine-quality Dutch-processed (see page 626)	½ cup + 2 teaspoons (lightly spooned)	1.75 ounces	50 grams
sugar	1 cup + 3 tablespoons	8.3 ounces	238 grains
3 large eggs	4.5 fluid ounces	5.25 ounces 150 grams (weighed without the shells)
pure vanilla extract	2 teaspoons	•	8 grams
cream cheese, cut into pieces	one 3-ounce package	3 ounces	85 grams
all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached	½ cup (dip and sweep method)	2.5 ounces	71 grams
salt	a pinch	•	•
Ganache Puddle bittersweet chocolate (see above), coarsely chopped	of a 3-ounce bar	2 ounces	56 grams
heavy cream, at room temperature	liquid cup	2.7 ounces	77 grams

EQUIPMENT

A 9½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, bottom greased, lined with parchment,
^*
and then lightly sprayed with Baker’s Joy or nonstick vegetable spray

Preheat the oven to 325°F at least 15 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack in the middle of the oven before preheating.

Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or just until the color deepens slightly. Cool completely.

In a double boiler over hot water or in microwave-proof bowl, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring two or three times. If using a double boiler, transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Beat the cocoa, then the sugar, into the chocolate mixture, beating until incorporated. (If you are doing this by hand, use a whisk.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla. When incorporated, beat in the cream cheese until only small bits remain. Add the flour and salt and mix only until the flour is fully moistened. Stir in the nuts.

Place the prepared tart pan on a cookie sheet to catch any possible leaks. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. It will fill the pan almost to the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the batter has set. A toothpick inserted 1 inch from the side should come out clean. The mixture will puff and rise a little above the sides but sinks on cooling.

MAKE THE GANACHE PUDDLE

While the brownie is baking, prepare the puddle. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot but not simmering water, stirring occasionally, or in a microwave, using 15-second bursts on high power and stirring several times. Add the cream and stir gently until the mixture is smooth and dark. If necessary (if the cream was too cold and the mixture is not entirely smooth), return it to the heat and stir until totally fluid and uniform in color.

As soon as the brownie is removed from the oven, grease the end of a wooden spoon (½-inch diameter) and insert it into the brownie at 1-inch intervals, all the way to the bottom, twisting slightly as you insert and withdraw it, to create 23 to 28 little holes. Using a small spoon or a reclosable freezer bag with a small piece cut off one corner, fill the holes with the ganache until slightly rounded on top (you will need at least ½ teaspoon for each). Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. The chocolate puddles will sink in as the brownie cools and more ganache can be added to fill in any depressions as long as the brownie is still warm enough to melt it. (If necessary, you can set the tart under a lamp to heat the ganache puddles and make them smooth.)

Unmold the tart (see page 251). To remove the parchment, refrigerate the tart or allow it to sit at room temperature until the puddles are firm to the touch. Cover a flat plate with plastic wrap, spray it lightly with nonstick vegetable spray, and set it on top of the tart. Invert the tart, peel off the parchment, and reinvert it onto a serving plate.

To serve, use a thin sharp knife to cut wedges.

VARIATIONS

CARAMEL VARIATION
Caramel blends perfectly with the chocolate and pecans and is wonderful both at room temperature and refrigerated, when it becomes more sticky and chewy. Make a half recipe of the Caramel Sauce (page 597) and use it in place of the chocolate puddle glaze. It is easiest to pipe it into the holes. The caramel will pipe well when warm or at room temperature.

MOCHA VARIATION
Two tablespoons of Medaglia d’Oro instant espresso powder can be added with the cocoa to give the brownie a slightly bitter coffee edge.

STORE

Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container, room temperature, up to 1 week; refrigerated, up to 1 month; frozen, several months. Try it frozen or chilled if you like a chewy brownie, at room temperature for a softer creamier texture.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

Make the holes in the brownie for the puddles as soon as it is removed from the oven to prevent the crust from cracking. Fill them as soon as possible so the ganache melts and settles smoothly into the openings.