Crustless Florentine Tart Recipes

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the almonds, flour and zest in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the almond mixture. Cool the batter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie, spoon 8 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (the cookies will spread). Flatten the batter slightly with your finger.
• Bake the cookies until they are lacy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, lining the baking sheets with clean parchment for each batch. (The cookies can be made up to this point 2 months ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight in the freezer. Defrost before continuing.)
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.

CRUSTLESS FLORENTINE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cook the frozen spinach according to package directions.
• If using fresh spinach, wash it, remove the stems and cook with just as much water as will cling to the leaves.
• Cool and drain the spinach well; squeeze dry to remove excess juice.
• Combine with eggs, grated Parmesan, mace or nutmeg, seasoned salt, and ricotta cheese.
• Rub a 10-inch pie pan with olive oil and spread the spinach mixture evenly around the pan.
• Top with pine nuts.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool on a rack and refrigerate until packing your picnic basket.
• Remove from cooler about one hour before serving, depending on weather conditions.

MINI QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Arrange tart shells in 2 muffin tins; line shell each with a layer of pie weights or dried beans.
• Bake shells in the preheated oven until edges of crusts are lightly browned and about 75% cooked, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels; crumble when cooled.
• Divide 1 cup Swiss cheese, bacon, and green onions evenly into the tart shells.
• Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Ladle egg mixture into each tart shell about 2/3 full. Top each tart with the remaining 1/4 cup Swiss cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until egg is set in the middle of each tart and shells are browned, 25 to 30 minutes.