Pate Brisee For Pear Frangipane Tart Recipes

PATE BRISEE (PIE DOUGH)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and fold over to make a double-thick edge. Roll rolling pin over edge of tart pan to trim dough, and pierce bottom of dough all over with a fork. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, ground almonds, rum, almond extract, and flour; beat until smooth. Spread the thick mixture evenly in chilled tart shell and refrigerate while preparing pears.
• Remove cooled poached pears from poaching liquid and cut in half lengthwise, removing the core and stem. Reserve poaching liquid. Place each half, cut side down, on a cutting board, and cut crosswise into thin slices. Arrange sliced pear halves on frangipane filling around edge of tart, leaving space between each half, and place one half in center of tart. When arranging pears, try to "pull" slices toward center of tart, which will elongate pears a bit and fill the shell better than if the pears were just placed flat. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees, and bake until tart shell is golden brown and frangipane has puffed and browned, 25 to 35 minutes more.
• While tart is baking, bring reserved poaching liquid to a boil and reduce by half. Brush this glaze lightly over pears immediately after removing tart from oven. Serve at room temperature.

PATE BRISEE FOR PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Pulse flour and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some larger pieces remaining. Evenly drizzle 1/4 cup ice water over mixture. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. If dough is too dry, add up to 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse to combine.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide dough in half, then shape each half into a disk. Wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or up to 1 day. (Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.)

PATE BRISEE FOR PIES AND TARTS

Steps:

• Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor (or whisk together by hand in a bowl). Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some larger pieces remaining. Drizzle 1/4 cup water over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together (or quickly cut in with a pastry blender or your fingertips). If dough is too dry, add 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse (or mix with a fork).
• Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap. Gather into two balls, wrap loosely in plastic, and press each into a disk using a rolling pin. Refrigerate until firm, well wrapped in plastic, 1 hour or up to 1 day. (Dough can be frozen up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator before using.)

PATE BRISEE FOR PEAR AND TART-CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Make sure all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled before you begin. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.
• With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture by pressing down quickly, using as few strokes as possible. You may leave a few pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons water. Gather the dough and gently press into a ball. It should come together loosely; if not, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half; place each on plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap tightly; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
• Remove disks from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, press rolling pin gently all over dough to flatten it slightly. Working from the center to the edge in all directions, roll out dough into a round about 3 inches larger than the pie plate.
• Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; lift and center it over the pie plate. Gently unroll the dough over the plate, leaving an even amount of overhang around the perimeter. Baking time depends on individual recipes.