Carrot Torte Recipes

ROASTED CARROT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a gently floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the chilled Pie Dough to a circle about 15 to 16 inches in diameter. Trim it to form an even 14-inch circle. Invert a sheet pan so the flat, bottom side is facing up. Lifting the parchment paper to lift the tart dough, transfer it to the sheet pan. Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• In a small bowl, combine the softened chevre, egg yolk, heavy cream, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and stir until smooth. Set aside.
• Cut the carrots, diagonally, into chunks about 2 to 3 inches in length and no wider than 1 inch, and transfer to a large bowl. Slice each onion half into 1/2-inch wide fans and add to the bowl. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and set aside.
• Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator, and using the back of a spoon or a spatula, spread the cheese mixture onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Use your fingers to gently crimp the edges of the dough, creating a pleated freeform crust. Arrange the vegetables in the middle of the tart, making sure they are in one even layer that covers the cheese mixture beneath.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Brush the tart edges with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are deeply caramelized and the crust is a rich golden color, rotating the pan halfway through.
• Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool slightly. Place the chicory leaves in a medium bowl, drizzle with the lemon juice, and toss gently. Sprinkle the herbs over the tart and arrange the chicory leaves on top, leaving a bit of the tart edges peeking through. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and serve.
• Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse twice more, until the butter is in medium-sized pieces. Steadily pour the ice water into the machine while pulsing it as quickly as you can, until the butter is still visible in large smears and the dough is pushing up the sides of the bowl. It should look like damp bread crumbs. (You may not need to add all the water.)
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough will continue to hydrate, but if it still feels powdery and dry, wet your fingertips and flick a little cold water onto the crumbs.) After 1 hour, gently press the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour more before rolling out.

CARROT TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour 9 or 10" springform pan. Beat yolks until pale and thick. Slowly add sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in carrots, lemon rind, lemon juice, flour and baking powder. Mix well. Beat whites separately until foamy; add salt, beat until stiff and not dry. Gently stir 1/3 of whites into batter and fold in remaining whites. Spread in pan and bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted clean. Run knife around edge and remove rim. Let cool. Sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar (sifted through strainer)

CARROT ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan with parchment, butter and lightly dust the sides with flour.
• Beat yolks, lemon rind and sugar until light and creamy looking. Blend in carrots, almonds and flour. Whip egg whites until glossy and stiff but not cottony looking. Fold them into the batter and transfer to the cake pan. Sprinkle with pine nuts and bake for 45 minutes.
• Cool on a cake rack and remove from pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

PASSOVER CARROT WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Set oven rack at middle of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9 inch springform pan and dust with matzo cake meal.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale, add sugar gradually, beating. Beat until very thick.
• Add carrots, nuts, vanilla and ¾ cup matzo cake meal. Beat until combined well.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir ½ cup of the beaten egg whites into the carrot mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour into pan. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around edge of pan; remove side of pan.

TRADITIONAL SWISS CARROT CAKE (AARGAUER RUEBLI TORTE)

Steps:

• Combine carrots and nuts in a mixing bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs with the spices and baking powder, then blend into the carrot mixture.
• Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemony.
• Gradually beat the granulated sugar into the yolks, along with the lemon rind and the Kirsch (more authentic) or lemon juice (if you don't like to use alcohol in your cooking).
• Beat this mixture until thick, then stir into the carrot mixture.
• Beat egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold them gently into the carrot mixture- do not overmix.
• Line an 8" springform pan with waxed paper or parchment.
• Grease pan (including the paper lining) and dust with a very light sprinkling of fine dry breadcrumbs.
• Shake pan to make sure breadcrumbs coat evenly.
• Pour batter into the pan and bake in a preheated moderate oven at 350 F for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Let cool.
• Mix together glaze ingredients.
• Remove sides from pan and set cake on a wire rack that has been set over wax paper to catch the drips.
• Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake and sides, using a spatula to even out the glaze as you prefer.
• Garnish with some candied fruits, if desired.
• Store in a tightly covered cake box.
• This cake improves with age.