1/3 c (1 1/2 ounces) blanched
Slivered almonds
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 ts Vanilla
1/8 ts Almond extract
1 c Less 2 tablespoons
All-purpose flour
Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
6 1/2 tb Cold unsalted butter
2 1/2 ts Water
Filling and Finish:
1 1/2 c Red current jelly
2 ts Sugar
2/3 c Heavy cream
6 oz Good quality bittersweet or
Semisweet chocolate,
Chopped
2 tb Unsalted butter
2 ct Fresh red raspberries
Bittersweet chocolate
Shavings
Powdered sugar for dusting
Special equipment:
Food Processor
9 Inch fluted tart pan with
Removable bottom
Prepare the crust: In processor bowl, combine almonds, sugar, vanilla
and almond extracts. Proceed until very fine. Add the flour and salt;
pulse unit well mixed. Cut butter into 10 to 12 pieces and distribute
over flour mixture. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Sprinkle in water and pulse until mixture starts to form a dough.
Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and push together into a flat
patty. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.
Roll dough, between two pieces of plastic wrap, into a circle about 11
inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Peel off top sheet of plastic.
Use bottom sheet to lift pastry and invert it into tart pan. Line pan
as much as possible using the plastic still attached to pastry, as an
aid, easing dough into corners without stretching. Peel plastic from
dough. If dough is too soft and plastic won’t peel, place in freezer
of refrigerator for a few minutes before peeling. Pinch dough off at
upper rim of pan. Patch the dough as needed with pinched off bits of
dough. Reinforce sides, strengthen corners and neaten up rim of
crust, making everything as even as possible. Chill at least one hour.
Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400 degrees. Prick
bottom of pastry shell all over with a fork. Bake 15 to 20 minutes
until golden brown Check after 6 to 8 minutes; if bottom has puffed
up, prick again with a fork or skewer to deflate. While still hot,
press the bottom of the pan gently just enough to release the edges
of the crust from the pan. Leave crust in pan. Cool on a rack. Cool
completely before filling.
Make the filling: Simmer jelly with sugar 2 to 3 minutes until
thickened. Brush bottom of cooled pastry shell with just enough hot
jelly to coat thinly, reserving the rest.
In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer. Place chopped chocolate
and butter, cut into small pieces, in a medium sized bowl. Pour hot
cream over chocolate. Let stand one minute. Stir gently without
whisking or beating until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Do not reheat; if chocolate is not completely melted, set the mixture
aside for a few minutes then stir again. Pour mixture into tart
shell. Refrigerate until firm. Arrange berries over chocolate,
starting around the edge and working toward the center, leaving a
tiny bit of space between each berry so that some chocolate is
visible. Reheat the red currant jelly and dab each berry lightly to
give it a little shine–do not overdo–no need to use up all of the
jelly.
Remove tart rim and place tart on serving dish. Decorate the edge or
center of the tart with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate tart until
30-60 minutes before serving. To serve, us a very fine sieve or tea
strainer to dust powdered sugar over berries and shavings, like a
very light snowfall.
To make chocolate shavings: Scrape a sharp knife blade across the
flat side of a bar of bittersweet chocolate. The shavings will be
very fine and very fragile; do not touch them with your fingers or
they will melt! Transfer shavings on the knife blade.
CHEF DU JOUR ALICE MEDRICH SHOW #DJ9153
Crust:
Yields
4 servings