Michels Raisin Tart Recipes

MICHEL'S BASIC TART CRUST

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter. Beat in salt and sugar. Stir in half-and-half and 1/4 cup flour. Add the remaining flour, mixing with your fingertips or a fork until the ingredients are combined. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a flat disk. Wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (This can be prepared a day ahead.)
• Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll the dough out between two large sheets of plastic wrap into an 11-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of plastic. Invert dough into the prepared pan, and remove the remaining plastic. Trim and finish the edges. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the tart with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until the crust is firm and set, about 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper. Prick the bottom of the crust so it does not puff. Continue baking until well browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

RAISIN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the egg with the sugar using a fork until well blended. Stir in the melted butter, lemon juice, nutmeg, and raisins. Fill tart shells half full.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow tarts to stand for a few minutes in the pans before removing to racks to cool.

RAISIN TARTS

Steps:

• Prepare Crisco pie crust as directed on back of Crisco can or use ready made pie dough. Cut dough out and line tartlet pans.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Put and then mix all ingredients except raisins, together then blend well (I used my food processor).
• Add raisins and mix. (If using your food processor, process for 4 seconds).
• Place spoonfuls of mixture into pastry tins lined with the rich pie crust dough. DO NOT OVERFILL.
• Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes.
• Reduce to 350°F until slightly browned, approximately 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely in rubbermaid type tart pans before removing. If using regular tart pans, let cool for about 10 mins before carefully removing.
• MAKES 24 tarts.

MICHEL'S HOT BUTTERED RUM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir brown sugar and heavy cream until sugar is melted. Pour in rum, and simmer, stirring until the sauce is smooth, thickened, and reduced. Stir in butter until melted.

RAISIN BUTTER TART SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place raisins in a cup; pour in hot water to cover, and set aside to soak, about 5 minutes.
• Place 1 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl; cut in 1/2 cup butter until crumbly. Stir 1/4 cup brown sugar into flour mixture; press mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9x9-inch pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, leaving oven on.
• Beat 1 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup butter together until smooth; stir in egg, vanilla extract, and cream. Strain raisins; stir raisins and 1 tablespoon flour into butter mixture. Pour raisin mixture over crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into squares, about 30 minutes.

BEST RAISIN CURRANT BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl; cut in the shortening with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until the flour mixture is moistened. When you squeeze a handful of the moistened pastry mixture, it should form a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray 36 muffin cups with cooking spray.
• Roll pastry out 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4-inch rounds; press rounds into the bottom and up sides of muffin cups to make tart shells.
• Beat brown sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract just until combined. Stir raisins and currants into butter mixture; fill tart shells with mixture 2/3-full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes; leaving oven closed, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and bake until filling is bubbly and pastry is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

RAISIN TART

Steps:

• Combine golden and dark raisins in a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak 15 minutes. Drain, and return raisins to bowl. Add sugar, flour, and lemon zest and juice; stir to combine, and set aside to thicken for about 10 minutes.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 pate brisee disk to an 1/8-inch thickness. Carefully drape over a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Working quickly, roll out remaining pate brisee disk to an 1/8-inch thickness. Use a ruler to measure a 9-inch circle in center, and mark lightly without cutting through dough. With a 1/2-inch round cutter, cut holes within the marked circle about 1 inch apart.
• Fill prepared tart pan with raisin mixture. Using a pastry brush, gently brush edge of dough in tart pan with water, and top with perforated dough, making sure to center it. Using kitchen shears, trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press doughs together to seal. Using a rolling pin, roll over top of tart, flush with rim, and remove dough scraps. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees with rack placed in lower third of oven. Whisk together egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Brush sparingly onto tart and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake 20 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, and bake until dark golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes more. (If tart browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.) Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

MICHEL'S RAISIN TART

Steps:

• Soak raisins in the rum in a small bowl at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
• Place half-and-half, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla beans into the mixture, add the beans, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, and let the vanilla beans steep for at least 1 hour or until the mixture cools to room temperature.
• Beat egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar using an electric mixer until thick and pale-lemon in color. Mix in flour.
• Reheat the half-and-half mixture, and discard the vanilla beans. Gradually beat the mixture into the yolks. Stir in the rum-soaked raisins.
• Return the mixture to the saucepan. Whisk over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil and becomes very lumpy. Reduce heat to medium low, and whisk mixture until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill the prebaked tart with the custard, and smooth the top with a spatula. Brush with egg. Transfer to oven, and bake until the custard is well browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the tart pan on a rack for 3 to 4 hours.
• To serve, remove the outer ring of the tart pan. Cut 6 to 8 wedges, and transfer them to dessert plates. Reheat the rum sauce, stirring over medium-high heat. Ladle over tart slices. Serve immediately.