Blackberry Lemon Tart With Champagne Mint Granite Recipes

BLACKBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Purée blackberries, sugar, crème de cassis, if using, lemon juice, salt, and 1 cup water in a blender until smooth. Strain purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a 13x9x2" baking pan, pressing on solids.
• Freeze mixture until edges begin to set, about 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape to break up frozen portions. Freeze, scraping and breaking up mixture every 20-30 minutes, until mixture resembles fluffy shaved ice, 2-4 hours.
• DO AHEAD: Granita can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and keep frozen. Scrape before serving.
• Just before serving, whisk mascarpone, cream, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Serve granita topped with lemon cream, halved blackberries, and more lemon zest.

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.
• Using the finest grater you have, lightly scrape the skin of 1 lemon, removing only the top surface of the peel. Squeeze out the juice and remove the seeds from both lemons.
• Open the Champagne or sparkling wine, and pour it into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch pan. Mix in the simple syrup, lemon juice, and grated zest. Place mixture into the freezer. Check after 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up any ice formed on the sides and stir into the rest of the liquid. Continue to freeze and repeat this procedure every hour for at least 3 hours. Before serving, fluff the granita by "chopping" up any clumps with the spoon or gently whisking the frozen mixture. Spoon into small glasses or cups and serve.

BLACKBERRY-LEMON TART WITH CHAMPAGNE- MINT GRANITE

Steps:

• To make the granite, combine the water, the sugar and the 2 cups of mint in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Strain and let cool completely. Add the lemon juice, Champagne and remaining mint leaves and pour into a shallow, nonreactive dish. Freeze for several hours or overnight, until firm throughout, stirring occasionally.
• To make the tart, pulse the almonds and sugar in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the flour and salt, and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together the egg yolk, water and almond extract. Add to the flour mixture and process just until the mixture starts to come together. Press into a bowl, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place the eggs and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan and whisk until thickened and light in color. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Place over low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes; do not let the mixture come to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Let cool. Refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough and fit into a 10-inch quiche dish. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool.
• Whip the cream until it holds firm peaks and fold it into the lemon mixture. Spoon into the tart shell and refrigerate for several hours. About 1 hour before serving, gently toss the blackberries with the 1/4 cup of sugar. Just before serving, drain the blackberries and arrange them over the filling. Sift a little confectioners' sugar over the top. Place a slice of the tart on each of 8 plates. Scrape the granite into balls with a spoon, place a ball on each plate and serve immediately.

MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring water, mint, and sugar to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and pour through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on solids and discarding them, then cool.
• Freeze mixture in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart shallow nonreactive metal container, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, until evenly frozen, 2 to 3 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps. Spoon into glasses or bowls.

BLACKBERRY-LEMON TART WITH CHAMPAGNE- MINT GRANITE

Steps:

• To make the granite, combine the water, the sugar and the 2 cups of mint in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Strain and let cool completely. Add the lemon juice, Champagne and remaining mint leaves and pour into a shallow, nonreactive dish. Freeze for several hours or overnight, until firm throughout, stirring occasionally.
• To make the tart, pulse the almonds and sugar in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the flour and salt, and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together the egg yolk, water and almond extract. Add to the flour mixture and process just until the mixture starts to come together. Press into a bowl, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place the eggs and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan and whisk until thickened and light in color. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Place over low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes; do not let the mixture come to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Let cool. Refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough and fit into a 10-inch quiche dish. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool.
• Whip the cream until it holds firm peaks and fold it into the lemon mixture. Spoon into the tart shell and refrigerate for several hours. About 1 hour before serving, gently toss the blackberries with the 1/4 cup of sugar. Just before serving, drain the blackberries and arrange them over the filling. Sift a little confectioners' sugar over the top. Place a slice of the tart on each of 8 plates. Scrape the granite into balls with a spoon, place a ball on each plate and serve immediately.