Blueberry & Kumquat Cream Cheese Tarts with Graham Cracker Crust ~ 藍莓﹑金桔奶油乳酪卡士達塔

I have heard so many praises from my fellow food bloggers about a book titled - The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern that I decided to purchase a copy for me. However, it turned out that the book has been out of print for sometime. I have searched numerous used book stores but no sight of it then I found copies available at Amazon but I wasn’t ready to pay hundreds dollar for it. Nevertheless, I finally made the purchase and I’m glad I did. This beautiful book by Claudia Fleming is a gem. Her minimalist approach and use of local, seasonal ingredients in her desserts are so inspiring. Her recipes seem simple to make but they all have a little twist (cracked-pepper ice cream anyone?) to them making them special and unique.

Who is Claudia Fleming? She was the award winning pastry chef at the famed Gramercy Tavern in NYC but in 2006, she and her husband (also a renowned chef) moved from New York City to Long Island, New York, to open The North Fork Table & Inn, which features a seat-in restaurant and guest rooms. Btw, I just found out she re-printed her book and you can order it off her site here.

The first recipe I tried from this book was this dainty blueberry cream cheese tarts with graham cracker crust. I’m not a tart person as the others I had before seem too sweet for my taste. So why pick this recipe? I was convinced by the picture in the book! Also, I thought the graham cracker shells were supposed to be made from the store brought cracker like the way we made cheesecake crust but I was wrong. It is actually graham cracker crust, redolent of honey and cinnamon and has a crispy texture. The cream cheese custard is soft, airy and melts at the tip of your tongue and pair so well with the sweet-tangy blueberry & kumquat compote – perfect for spring~



Blueberry & Kumquat Cream Cheese Tarts with Graham Cracker Crust

Graham Cracker Tart Shells
makes about 10 (1 ½x4in) flute shell & 12 (2x4in) financier tart shell

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup Demerara sugar
¼ cup honey
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Place the butter and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth over medium speed until the mixture is smooth, fluffy and light in color. Add the honey and beat until combined; set aside.

Combine the flours, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl then add to the butter mixture in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix until the dough is well combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and form into a disk. Chill until firm, at least an hour and up to two days.

Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Use a rectangular cutter or knife to cut out the dough to fit the tart pans, press the dough gently into the tins, trimming away any excess dough. Prick dough all over with a fork and let chill for 20 minutes or until the dough is firm enough. Chill longer if necessary.

Bake tart shells until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. They can be made a day in advance. Also, they can be kept up to 3 months in the freezer when stored in an airtight container.

Cream Cheese Pastry Cream
makes about 4 cups

1 cup milk
5 tbsp sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 ½ tbsp corn starch
6 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Combine ¾ cup of the milk and 3 tablespoon of the sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk the remaining ¼ cup milk into the yolk mixture. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add a little of the hot milk to the yolk mixture to warm it, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from cooking. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly as you pour.

Return the custard to the stove and bring it to a boil, whisking constantly. Let the custard cook for 1-2 minutes until it thickens. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Using a fine sieve; strain the mixture into a clean bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

Beat the heavy cream over medium speed until soft peaks form. Whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fold in the whipped cream until combined.




Blueberry Compote - 2 1/2 cups

2 ½ cups blueberries
1 tbsp sugar

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of the blueberries with the sugar. Cook over low heat until all the berries have popped and the juices come out.

Strain the mixture into a bowl and discard the solids. Add the rest of the blueberries into the syrup and toss to combine.

Kumquat Compote
Make 48 halved kumquats

400g (about 24) kumquats
2 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cup water

Wash and pat dry kumquats. Remove calyces, cut them in half horizontally then pit with a fork. Bring sugar and water to boil, add the kumquats. Cover with a paper towel (directly on kumquats) and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.

Remove from heat and let sit overnight at room temperature. Trash the paper towel and remove the kumquats and transfer to a bowl. Reheat the poaching syrup to a boil then remove from heat. Add the kumquats back into the syrup and let sit overnight at room temperature. Place the compote (discard the syrup) in an airtight container and keep refrigerated; good up to a week.

To assemble:
Spoon the pastry cream into each tart shell and top with the blueberries or candied kumquats, sprinkled with finely chopped pistachios. Serve soon after assembling.



有頗多bloggers推薦一本名為The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern的書。他們跟著食譜做出來的甜點很是吸引人。我好奇它是不是像大家說的那麼棒﹐所以決定也買一本來看看。去過幾家大型的連鎖書店也找不到﹐問店員才知道這書絕版了。去信出版社﹐得到的答案是他們不會再印這本書了。沒辦法﹐只好往賣舊書的書店碰運氣。可是去過很多店﹐都是失望而回。終於在Amazon看到有人出讓﹐可是要$100 USD多﹐而且還是圖書館的書﹗半個月前﹐終於找到非圖書館版本又價錢比較合理的。收到書的那天真的好激動 ;p

好在書沒讓我失望。食譜的名字很有詩意﹐看似簡單但處處看到驚喜之處例如胡椒口味﹑羅勒口味的冰淇淋。可惜照片很少﹐要不然就完美了。而這本書的著者是紐約星級Gramercy Tavern餐廳的前甜點總廚Claudia Fleming。她以採用當季的食材製作甜點和節約風格而著名。現在想吃到她的甜點就需前往她和丈夫經營位於紐約州Long Island的小旅館囉。這是我下一次到紐約必去的地方。如果你有興趣買她的書可前往她的旅館網站訂購(按這裡)。我剛剛才得知她自己出資重新出版這本書。嗚嗚嗚。。。我買貴了。。。

其實我不是很喜歡塔派類的甜點﹐因為印象中這些都很甜膩。那麼為什麼我還選擇這個藍莓奶油乳酪卡士達塔呢? 很簡單﹐因為照片很漂亮﹗而且這個肉桂甜塔皮聽起來很好吃的樣子。果不其然塔皮在烘烤時﹐廚房是滿滿的肉桂香﹐真的好香好香。奶油乳酪做成的卡士達醬輕盈細緻輕易的在舌尖上化開﹐和我以前嘗過的甜膩口感完全不一樣﹐好驚喜哦﹗最愛的是糖煮藍莓﹐本來吃起來很酸﹐可是將跟糖煮過的莓汁混合後就變的剛好﹐我留起了一半佐原味優格吃。看冰箱還留著早前做好的糖漬金桔﹐就拿了一些做餡料﹐也很配。甜酸適中﹐很開胃﹐很適合春﹑夏季節吃的一道點心。就連不愛吃甜的媽媽都一口氣吃了3個塔﹐還帶了一些給她的朋友。希望你也會喜歡~



藍莓﹑金桔奶油乳酪卡士達塔 – 約22個

肉桂甜塔皮– 10個直徑1 ½ x 4寸船形塔皮跟12個直徑2 x 4寸長方形塔皮

1杯 無鹽奶油 - 室溫放軟﹐切成小方塊
¼杯 黃糖
¼杯 甘蔗糖或黑糖
¼杯 蜜糖
2杯 麵粉
½杯 低筋全麥麵粉
1茶匙 鹽巴
½茶匙 肉桂粉

將麵粉﹑低筋全麥麵粉﹑鹽巴﹑和肉桂粉混合備用。將切成小方塊的奶油﹑砂糖用電動攪拌器以中速攪打至奶油變淡黃色呈蓬鬆狀後加入蜜糖﹐攪拌勻﹐然後加入混合好的粉類快速拌勻成糰塊。將麵糰放在撒上麵粉的工作台上﹐揉至軟滑成球狀。輕壓成扁圓片﹐蓋上保鮮膜﹐放進冰箱靜置最少60分鐘(最久兩天)醒麵。

烤箱預熱至325°F/165°C。取出麵糰﹐放在撒上麵粉的工作台上﹐將麵糰桿成約厚3mm或1/8寸的薄片後用長方形的餅乾模具吸出或用刀子切割出薄片。鋪進塔派模裡﹐壓實塔皮底及塔皮壁﹐用刀子將多出來的麵皮切掉﹐再用叉子戳刺氣孔。蓋上保鮮膜﹐放進冰箱冷藏約20分鐘定型。

取出﹐放入烤箱烤20分鐘或至塔皮呈金黃色。取去擺放在網架上放涼。



奶油乳酪卡士達醬 – 約4杯

1杯 全脂奶
5湯匙 砂糖
4個 大的蛋黃
2 ½湯匙 玉米粉
6oz 奶油乳酪
1茶匙 香草荳精
½杯 鮮奶油

將3/4 杯牛奶跟3湯匙砂糖混合裝進小鍋裡，以中火煮至砂糖融化沸騰即離火備用。另一個拌盤裡加進蛋黃﹑玉米粉﹑剩下的2湯匙砂糖﹐拌勻後拌入剩下的1/4 杯牛奶﹐攪拌均勻。將熱奶漿慢慢地注入蛋糊中﹐這時要用打蛋器不斷攪打﹐拌勻後﹐倒回小鍋中以低火加熱。用打蛋器持續不斷的攪拌至變稠﹐約2分鐘﹐然後拌進奶油乳酪及香草精﹐不停攪拌至順滑﹐離火。將蛋黃醬過濾後﹐倒進碗中﹐在蛋黃醬表面蓋上保鮮膜(黏著蛋黃醬)﹐放進冰箱冷藏約60分鐘。

將鮮奶油打發至出現軟角的程度﹐拌入放涼的蛋黃醬中﹐用橡皮刀源邊往下刮翻切拌勻即可。倒進密閉的容器裡﹐放冰箱可存放3天。

糖煮藍莓 – 2 ½ 杯
2 ½杯 藍莓
1湯匙 砂糖

將1杯藍莓和砂糖倒進平鍋裡﹐以低火煮至砂糖融化﹐藍莓變軟成漿為止﹐約3分鐘。將藍莓漿過濾取汁。將剩下的藍莓拌進莓漿中﹐拌勻即可。

糖漬金桔
24粒 金桔　
2杯 砂糖
1½杯 水

作法：
把金桔洗乾淨﹐抹乾﹐去蒂﹐橫的切成兩半﹐再用叉子去籽。將水和砂糖裝進小鍋裡﹐開中火煮沸﹐把金桔加進去﹐用一片*紙巾覆蓋在金桔上﹐繼續煮兩分鐘﹐離火﹐在常溫中放涼置一晚。

丟掉紙巾﹐把金桔撈出來﹐僅加熱糖漿﹐煮沸後熄火。此時才將金桔放回糖漿中﹐在常溫中放置一晚。把糖漿倒掉﹐倒進密閉容器中﹐可冷藏存放一個星期。

*紙蓋的作用是要使金桔沉入鍋內﹐完全浸泡在糖漿裡。

組合:
將奶油乳酪卡士達醬舀進塔皮至8分滿﹐舀些糖煮藍莓﹐再以薄荷葉裝飾一部分的塔。剩下的隨意的擺放金桔﹐再撒些切碎的開心果仁裝飾。