Pate brisee is the French version of pie pastry. I had to
make two tarts because not everybody likes jam and walnuts. You know who you
are! Two, because it is an easy solution when I don’t want to spend the day worshiping
the Cake Goddess. I used the food processor. But the job could have been just as easy on the
cutting board using a scraper. Keep in mind not to touch the dough because your
hands warm it up and the tart could bake up heavy. I was rather busy and failed
to take a photo of the sliced tarts, but it is not hard to imagine. I have to
admit I lean towards the apricot jam with the walnuts. Good apricot jam with
walnuts is a perfect combination. It is not “jam sweet”. It is just right.
PATE BRISEE TARTS
2-1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 Tbsp ice water
Toppings 1:
apricot jam
crushed walnuts
Toppings 2:
Nutella
shredded coconuts or mini marshmallows.
- Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the food processor.
- Add cubed chilled butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- With the machine running, add the ice water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough forms. Dough should not be crumbly. Do not over process.
- Divide the dough into two equal discs and wrap in plastic.
- Chill for 1 hour before using.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Cut parchment paper to fit two baking pans.
- Roll one of the chilled dough disks on the parchment paper and transfer to the baking pan.
- Poke the bottom with fork.
- Spread with a thin layer of apricot jam and sprinkle the top with crushed walnuts.
- Spread the second tart with Nutella and top it with shredded coconuts or with mini marshmallows.
- Bake tarts for 20 minutes or until the edge begins to brown.
- Let is cool down a bit.
- Cut and serve warm.
