Shortbread Blood Orange Tartlets with Bourbon Butterscotch Ice Cream

“This ice cream kicks the pants off of that new hipster ice cream place that just opened up in my neighborhood!” My sisters came to visit this weekend and I wanted to make them something special...something really special. One of them lives in West Philly and she was mentioning this new “hipster” ice cream place that just opened up in her neighborhood - it’s supposed to be all the rage with unique and off-the-wall flavors combinations. That got me thinking about making ice cream again. I have made many many ice creams and tried many many recipes, and all of them seem to fall short: too icy, too dense, bland, etc. Each of these bad recipes has taught me something about making ice cream in general and finally, with this Bourbon Butterscotch ice cream, I think I have finally developed a winning recipe.

The next issue was the blood orange tartlets. I poured over the internet, searching for inspiration. All citrus-filled tart/pie recipes I found used the citrus in a curd and were served cold. Nobody likes a cold tart with ice cream. Ice cream should be served over something warm so it melts and melds with the treat it is sitting atop. Then I began looking through my stack of old family recipes. I found this recipe given to me by my mother-in-law for maple syrup pie and that got me to thinking…

I think I’ve adapted that favorite family pie recipe into something special, but I’ll let her be the judge of that next time she comes for a visit...

What You’ll Need:

For the Ice Cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 ¼ cups heavy cream (divided in ¾ cup and 1 ½ cups)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 cup whole milk

4 large egg yolks

For the Shortbread Tart Crust                                    

1 cup flour

⅓ cup confectioners sugar

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cold, unsalted butter

1 tablespoon whole milk

For the Blood Orange Filling

2 cups fresh squeezed blood orange juice (about 8 blood oranges)

½ cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. First, let’s make the butterscotch for the ice cream. In a large saucepot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar and salt. Stir with a spatula until the sugar is completely coated with the butter. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes until the sugar is melted. Make sure you get the corners of the pan as you stir. When the sugar is completely melted, add the cream, vanilla and bourbon. The mixture bubble and fizz violently so be careful not to get it on your skin. Whisk the mixture for 10 minutes and bring it to a boil. While gently whisking, let the mixture boil for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand while we prepare the custard for the ice cream.
2. Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat the egg yolks on medium speed until thickened and light yellow, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Next, heat the cream and milk in a medium saucepot over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear at the edges and the milk starts to steam (this is called scalding). Whisking the egg yolks constantly, pour ¼ of the cream mixture over the whisked eggs yolks. Continue to whisk until the egg yolks are completely incorporated. Return the egg yolk and cream mixture back to the saucepot. Cook and whisk over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture can coat the back of a spoon. You should be able to draw a line with your finger through the custard and the line should stay sharp and not ooze back in on itself. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butterscotch. Pour the custard into a tightly sealed tupperware (like pyrex) and refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the custard into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.
3. Now let’s get down to business - the tartlets. First, let’s make the shortbread crust. Combine the flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor or large bowl. Pulse or whisk a few times to combine the ingredients. Next, scatter the cold butter pieces over the flour. Pulse the mixture or use a pastry cutter to combine until the mixture is very fine and resembles cornmeal. Pour the cold whole milk over the top and stir with a fork until the mixture comes together in one mass. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Using for fingers, push the dough into the bottom and sides of 4 tartlet pans. Once the dough is firmly pressed into each pan, place the crusts in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the crusts have been chilled, cover them with tin foil and use pie weights or rice to weight down the foil. Place them in the oven for 15 minutes. Take the crusts out and let them cool. Remove the foil.
4. While the crusts cool, let’s make the filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the blood orange juice and sugar in a medium saucepot. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over medium high heat until it has reduced by ¼, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Once the cornstarch is thoroughly dissolved into the water, add the mixture to the blood orange juice and stir until incorporated. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the butter and stir until the butter is completely melted. Pour the filling into the tart crusts and place the tarts into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. When you remove the tartlets, the filling will be VERY hot. It is best to bake them on a cookie sheet so you can remove them easily. Let the tartlets cool for 30 minutes at room temperature and serve with a dollop of the butterscotch ice cream.

Yield: 4 cups ice cream and 4 - 4 ¼” tartlets

Sweet Potato Danishes with Strained Yogurt Cream

I must say, I've outdone myself. It's not often that I praise the things I make - I always seem to find something that can improve, but these are simply marvelous.

These danishes are deliciously sweet and hearty. The sweet potato is perfect with a hint of spice and brown sugar and the cream is delicately tangy and light. These are the ultimate in rustic breakfast pastry. They do take a little time to prepare, but it is well worth it. Serve them on a snowy Sunday morning with a hot cup of coffee and eggs. For an explanation about Strained Yogurt, check out my previous recipe, Strained Yogurt and Almond Tart.

The dough recipe is courtesy of Williams Sonoma Baking Cookbook.

What You'll Need
For the Pastry:
1 package active dry yeast
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 whole egg plus 1 yolk
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 cups all purpose flour

For the Butter Package:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/8 cup all purpose flour

For the Filling:
2 medium or 3 small sweet potatoes
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup heavy cream

For the Topping:
1/4 cup strained yogurt or cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

To make the dough, in a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and a punch of the sugar in warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the remaining sugar, salt, melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined. Add the yeast mixture and then add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix just until the dough clings together in a rough mass. If it is still very soft, add an extra 1/4 cup at a time until it is no longer sticky.

Turn the dough onto a floured cookie sheet and pat into a rectangle, about 1" thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, make the butter package. Use a rolling pin or the heel of your hand to knead the butter on a work surface. Flatten it and warm it so it is pliable but not mushy, adding the flour as you work to keep it from sticking to your hands. Shape the butter into an 8" by 7" rectangle. If the butter becomes too soft as you work, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator.

Time to laminate the dough. A laminated dough is simply a dough that is created by pressing together alternating layers of pastry and butter. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a rectangle, roughly 10" by 16". With the short side facing you, place the butter package on the lower half, leaving a 1" margin. Fold the upper half over the butter and press the sides together. Next, roll the dough out into a 12" by 20" rectangle. With the short side facing you, fold the bottom third up and the top third down, as you would a letter. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Repeat this rolling and folding process 3 more times. After the 4th turn, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight before shaping.

While the dough is chilling, let's make the filling. Bring a large pot of boiling water to boil over high heat. Peel and half the sweet potatoes and place them in the boiling water. Cook until very soft, about 30 minutes. When a fork is inserted in each potato it should go all the way through with ease. Strain the potatoes and place them in a medium sized bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla and allspice and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

As the potato mixture chills, in a small bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Remove the potato mixture from the refrigerator and add a forth of the cream and mix it in to lighten the potatoes. Once fully incorporated, add the remaining cream and gently fold it into the potato mixture until fully incorporated.

Time to form the danishes. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 16 equal pieces. Form each piece into a disk and roll it out until it is about 1/4" thick. Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each disk, leaving about a 2" margin on all sides. Using your fingers, twist the margin of dough along the edges to bring it up to the filling. This is not a science, you can really do whatever you think looks best. Repeat this until all the danishes are formed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the danishes with a warm kitchen or tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 45 minutes. Place in the oven until the pastry becomes golden, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool slightly.

As the danishes cool, prepare the topping. In a medium bowl, combine the strained yogurt or cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and continue to beat until the mixture is very airy. Scoop the mixture into a plastic bag and snip the tip.

Pipe the filling over the danishes - you can do swirls or stripes. Top with a few sliced almonds and powdered sugar.

Whew!

Yield: 16 danishes

Rustic Pear Tart

Let me start by saying Happy New Year! This year is sure to bring new flavors, tasty dishes and fun DIY projects, so let's dive in.

I was lucky enough to spend this past holiday with my husbands family in Montana. When I returned home, I couldn't get over how the food we ate during the trip was s so inspired by the beautifully stark landscape and harsh climate. We ate elk sausage and kale for breakfast most mornings, dried fruits for snacks and bison and potatoes for dinner. I loved the rustic simplicity of each dish we tasted especially in this rustic pear tart my mother-in-law made. When you sit down to eat this deliciously sweet and flaky tart, think of wild roaming bison, towering white mountains and wide open plains pouring into the slate blue sky.

What You'll Need
For the Crust
2 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup ice water

For the Filling
8 sweet, ripe pears*
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup apple cider
1/4 cup brown sugar

Raw sugar for sprinkling

*Even though Bosc is the standard baking pear, I prefer Bartlett for this recipe.


To prepare the crust, whisk together the flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl (You can sift it together, but whisking works just as well and takes a fraction of the time). Scatter the butter pieces throughout the flour and toss to coat them. Using 2 knives or a pastry cutter, "cut" the butter into the flour. This can also be done in a food processor to speed up the process - just pulse the ingredients together a few times. Once the mixture is coarse and resembles corn meal, sprinkle the water over the dough and either pulse a few more times in the food processor or bring the dough together with a fork until the dough forms a ball. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

To prepare the filling, peal each pear. Using a paring knife, cut strips of the pear as thinly as possible. They do not all have to be uniform - this is a rustic tart, after all.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the pears cinnamon. Cook the pears, stirring occasionally until just soft, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, cider and brown sugar. bring the mixture to a boil and cook until liquid is mostly evaporated, stirring constantly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a circle until it is about 1/8" thick. It is okay if the ends are rough and if the circle is not symmetrical. Transfer the rolled out dough to the baking sheet on top of the parchment paper.

Carefully spoon the pears into the center of the dough. Fold the edges up over the pears. If your dough cracks, just tear a piece off from the edge and patch it.Sprinkle the raw sugar over top.

Place the tart in the oven until the crust is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with warm ice cream. To reheat the tart, place in a 200 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Caramelized Onion and Parsnip Tart

This is one of my favorite afternoon snacks in the late fall, early wintertime. The spice of the parsnips pairs wonderfully with the delicate sweetness of the caramelized onion and buttery crust. Serve it warm with just wilted arugula and a balsamic reduction drizzled over top.

If you have left over pastry dough, roll it out as thin as you can, cut into small squares and skewer with a fork.  Salt and pepper and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes and you'll have delicious little crackers!

What You'll Need:
For the Crust

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus extra

For the Filling

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 red onion, sliced into thin half circles
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 medium sized parsnips
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• Salt and pepper

To prepare the crust, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over top and toss to coat them. Using 2 knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse and resembles corn meal (this can also be done in a food processor to speed up the process - just pulse it a couple times). In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and cream with a fork until smooth. Make a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Using the fork, start to beat the egg mixture into the flour until the dough starts to come together. If the dough is still too dry, add a little extra cream. Form the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disk with the heal of your hand, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

When the crust is thoroughly chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and place the disc in the center of a tart pan. Using the heal of your palm, press the dough into the pan, filling up the bottom and sides, until the dough is about 1/8" thick. Cut off any excess. Place the crust in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the crust is chilled, line it with tin foil and fill the foil with rice, beans or pie weights. Place the crust in the oven for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes are up, check to see if the crust is dry by gently lifting up one corner of the foil. If the foil sticks, it is not ready - return the crust to the oven and check every 2 minutes. Once the foil stops sticking, remove the foil and weights and return the crust to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature down to 375.

To prepare the filling, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is just golden brown, add the onions. When the onions begin to soften, add the brown sugar. Cook the onions until they are dark in color and fragrant, about 5 - 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Remove the onions from the heat.

Chop the peeled parsnips in half and again lengthwise into longish strands, about 4" long and 1/4" wide. Arrange the parsnips in the bottom of the crust so they cover the bottom. Try to arrange them in an attractive pattern. Set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, cream, eggs, yolk, salt, pepper and thyme until the mixture is smooth. Pour the milk mixture over the parsnips into the crust. Arrange the onions on top.

Place the tart in the oven until the center has set when you give it a little shake, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm.