Dear friends,
As you know I love to cook and bake, I would say, I am more enjoy the eating actually!
Food always accompany with lots of memories. I remember that morning played with my brother, and my Grandmom's pork stew were in the air; Mom always made me chicken soup every time when I returned from collage; I had Saturday night out, watch movies with my Dad, then had a bowl of eel noodle soup, watch the chef cook with high flame as a vendor on the side of street; My loving friend hand out in the restaurant and drink a glass of ice tea with floating rich vanilla ice cream, goofy around with nonsense. It 's all about the good times. I am so blessed to have these people around with me!
Now, I cook for my family, I love to share my little story and some techniques that I learn in the past with you. I hope it will help you a bit while you are in the kitchen, or sometimes just give you the ideas to cook. Most of all, I hope you will enjoy these recipes and have fun at cooing, comfort your belly, give you strength to accomplish more tasks that you want to do, closer better then ever with the person that you love. Keep open mind, taste them all, sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Life does pretty good!
Happy new year!!!!
* Special thanks for my friend Wendy who is a nutritionist that gives me the idea to write this blog, and help me to correct the words to make it better!
Love,
Lucy
Monday, December 31, 2012
Almond Pear Tart
Custard on the tart shell are very popular in Hong- Kong and Taiwan. Some of finish with sugar crust on top. It just like having a creme brul'ee and tart all at once. I keep this idea in mind, add the tender poach pear in the custard, blend in ground almond in the tart shell. Cake flours make it light and delicate. I love it dearly, I would have it for breakfast, afternoon tea time or late night snacks, or any time you feel it!
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes for tart shell, at least 2 hours or overnight to chill the dough.
Baking time: 1 hour.
Serve: 6-8 peoples.
Ingredient:
Almond tart shell for 91/2 inch tart pan :
1. 1/2 cup sliver almond.
2. 11/2 cup cake flours.
3. 1 egg yolk.
4. 1 tablespoon almond extract.
5. 6 tablespoons cold butter, diced.
Add almond with 1/2 cup cake flours in the food processor, grind it fine, then add in the rest of 1 cup flour, egg yolk, almond extract, blend again, finish with cold butter by pulse couple times. Dough will start coming together as wet sand. Dump it to the tart pan, press it down and make the wall around the edge with measuring cup, work fast to avoid the heat from the hand will melt the butter from the dough.* Dough has to be chilled at least 2 hours or overnight before bake to keep in shape and won't be burned before you finish the baking process.
Filling:
1. 2 eggs and 1 yolk.
2. 1 teaspoon corn starch.
3. 1/4 cup sugar.
4. 1/2 cup heavy cream.
5. 1 cup 2 % milk.
6. 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1teaspoon vanilla extract.
7. 1/8 teaspoon salt.
8. 1 tablespoon apricot jam and 1 tablespoon water.
9. 1 can halved poach pear, drained.
Preheat oven 325F degree.
Adjust rack to the low part of oven. Place the tart shell on a tray, to avoid the filling spill and easy transfer. Back for 15 minutes.
While the tart shell is baking, prepare two large size bowls. First one place in sugar and heavy cream, microwave for 1 minutes, stir to melt the sugar, then add in milk, almond, vanilla extract, and salt. set aside.
Another bowl, add in the yolk and corn starch mix well with egg beater, then go in with eggs, mix again. ( Keep the egg beater attach the bottom of bowl or just break the yolk by back and forth, stay low during the whole mixing process will avoid beating in extract air. We need custard silky and smooth. Air bubbles will create holes and rough surface which is not we are looking for.)
Now, add the cream mixture to the eggs slowly. bring them together as one.
Arrange the pear on the baking tart shell, then add in the custard mixture go through a DRAINER. Bake another 40- 45 minutes until it set. Remove from oven, let it cool down.
Mix with 1 tablespoon apricot jam with 1 tablespoon water, heat up in the microwave about 10 seconds, mix well, use spoon drizzle on top of custard and the back of spoon to smooth it out.
Wait for the tart totally cool down. Insert the knife under the tart carefully, and go around make sure it release from the pan. It should be easy to slide to the serving plate. ( Sometime the filling spill over the tart wall, it create the brown color and stickiness to the tart pen. you can use sharp point of knife or tooth pick between the curb around the wall. it will help to release the tart easier.)
Serve room temperature or heat it up to warm!
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes for tart shell, at least 2 hours or overnight to chill the dough.
Baking time: 1 hour.
Serve: 6-8 peoples.
Ingredient:
Almond tart shell for 91/2 inch tart pan :
1. 1/2 cup sliver almond.
2. 11/2 cup cake flours.
3. 1 egg yolk.
4. 1 tablespoon almond extract.
5. 6 tablespoons cold butter, diced.
Add almond with 1/2 cup cake flours in the food processor, grind it fine, then add in the rest of 1 cup flour, egg yolk, almond extract, blend again, finish with cold butter by pulse couple times. Dough will start coming together as wet sand. Dump it to the tart pan, press it down and make the wall around the edge with measuring cup, work fast to avoid the heat from the hand will melt the butter from the dough.* Dough has to be chilled at least 2 hours or overnight before bake to keep in shape and won't be burned before you finish the baking process.
Filling:
1. 2 eggs and 1 yolk.
2. 1 teaspoon corn starch.
3. 1/4 cup sugar.
4. 1/2 cup heavy cream.
5. 1 cup 2 % milk.
6. 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1teaspoon vanilla extract.
7. 1/8 teaspoon salt.
8. 1 tablespoon apricot jam and 1 tablespoon water.
9. 1 can halved poach pear, drained.
Preheat oven 325F degree.
Adjust rack to the low part of oven. Place the tart shell on a tray, to avoid the filling spill and easy transfer. Back for 15 minutes.
While the tart shell is baking, prepare two large size bowls. First one place in sugar and heavy cream, microwave for 1 minutes, stir to melt the sugar, then add in milk, almond, vanilla extract, and salt. set aside.
Another bowl, add in the yolk and corn starch mix well with egg beater, then go in with eggs, mix again. ( Keep the egg beater attach the bottom of bowl or just break the yolk by back and forth, stay low during the whole mixing process will avoid beating in extract air. We need custard silky and smooth. Air bubbles will create holes and rough surface which is not we are looking for.)
Now, add the cream mixture to the eggs slowly. bring them together as one.
Arrange the pear on the baking tart shell, then add in the custard mixture go through a DRAINER. Bake another 40- 45 minutes until it set. Remove from oven, let it cool down.
Mix with 1 tablespoon apricot jam with 1 tablespoon water, heat up in the microwave about 10 seconds, mix well, use spoon drizzle on top of custard and the back of spoon to smooth it out.
Wait for the tart totally cool down. Insert the knife under the tart carefully, and go around make sure it release from the pan. It should be easy to slide to the serving plate. ( Sometime the filling spill over the tart wall, it create the brown color and stickiness to the tart pen. you can use sharp point of knife or tooth pick between the curb around the wall. it will help to release the tart easier.)
Serve room temperature or heat it up to warm!
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