This pumpkin pie recipe is smooth and creamy and always a hit on the holidays. Made with simple ingredients and classic techniques for the perfect pie. No burnt crusts, no soggy bottoms, no cracked tops. All you need is pumpkin puree, heavy cream, flour, butter, eggs, and spices.

Want to learn more about the basics of making pie? Watch my pie crust tutorial

Tips for the best pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie is notorious for getting a soggy, undercooked crust. This is because of the high liquid content in pumpkin filling. It seeps into the crust and prevents it from baking. So how do you avoid a soggy bottom? You have to use a crust made for repelling liquids. I use my mealy pie dough recipe which is perfect for making a tasty, crisp crust with no soggy bottom as you can see in the photo above.

Mealy pie dough works well for pies with a liquid filling like pumpkin pie.

1. Make your pumpkin pie filling and let it cool
2. Make your mealy pie dough and let it chill for one hour or overnight
3. Let your dough warm up at room temperature just until you're able to roll it out with your rolling pin
4. Roll out your dough to ⅛" thick and place it into your pie pan
5. Trim off the excess dough but leave about ¼" excess dough all the way around to account for shrinking
6. Pinch the edges to make them decorative or use a fork to make decorations
7. Freeze the pie dough for 20 minutes before filling
8. Brush with egg wash to promote a shiny and brown crust
9. Fill your pie crust with the pie filling and bake until the pie crust pulls away from the edges of the pan

How do you fill a pumpkin pie crust without spilling?

The best way to fill a pumpkin pie crust is to place the chilled pie crust onto a baking sheet. Then fill the pie up halfway with your filling. Transfer the sheet to the preheated oven and finish filling. That way all you have to do is slide the pie into the oven and your chances of spilling are minimal.

Make sure you fill your crust all the way to the top, pie filling does not rise at all.

Do you need to blind-bake pumpkin pie crust?

If you are using mealy pie dough, you do not have to blind bake (pre-bake the crust). Just make sure you bake the pie for long enough that the crust shrinks away from the edge of the pie pan. That's how you know it's done baking. If your crust starts to brown too soon, place the second oven rack at the top of the oven above the pie with some aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

Don't put the aluminum foil on the pie crust or you can damage your pie filling.

If you do want to pre-bake your crust to avoid over-cooking your pumpkin pie filling, only par-bake it (half-bake) so that the crust doesn't over brown with the filling.

1. Roll out your mealy pie dough and place into your pie pan
2. Trim off the excess crust but leave ¼" of dough around the outside to account for shrinking
3. Freeze for 20 minutes
4. Place some parchment paper into the dough and fill with pie weights or dry beans all the way to the top.
5. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the weights carefully. Bake for 5 more minutes.
6. Fill with the cooled pumpkin pie filling and bake. Remember, a par-baked pie crust will bake faster than a raw pie crust.

How do you avoid a soggy bottom on your pumpkin pie?

Step one is using the correct dough (mealy dough). Step two is to make sure you're not under-baking your pie. Bake until the crust pulls away from the sides of the pie pan. This means that the center of the dough has baked through and contracted.

How to keep pumpkin pie from cracking

Pumpkin pie should be baked at a fairly low temperature (375ºF)  to avoid the filling getting too hot, expanding and cracking. Baking at a high temperature or over-baking can also cause the pumpkin pie to get watery and crack.

To avoid cracks, place your pie at the lowest rack possible in a pre-heated oven so the pie crust sets quickly. Bake just until the filling is set at the edges but still a little jiggly in the center and when the crust shrinks away from the edges. You can take the temperature of the pie filling. It is fully cooked at 175ºF.

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Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

How to make a classic pumpkin pie with a creamy center, no cracks, and a crispy crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

resting time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 servings

Calories 1176kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• pie weights
• 9" pie plate

Ingredients

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 12 ounces pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 ounces brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 10 ounces heavy cream

Mealy Pie Dough

• 12 ounces all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces cold butter grated
• 1 large egg cold
• 1 ounce ice water

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375ºF

For the pumpkin filling

• Mix together eggs, heavy creamal and pumpkin puree and whisk until combined
• Add in spices, salt and brown sugar and whisk to combine
• Set aside while you prepare the dough

For the mealy dough

• Combine together the flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Add in your cold butter and mix on low until the mixture resembles a coarse mealy sand
• Add in the egg and water and mix on low until the dough sticks together
• Flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill for 20 minutes or overnight before using it. Let warm for 20 minutes or until pliable but still firm before rolling out.
• Roll out your pie dough to ¼" thick and place into your pie plate. Leave ¼" of extra dough all the way around when you trim off the excess to account for shrinking
• Pinch the edges to make them look decorative
• Freeze the dough for 20 minutes before filling
• Place chilled pie crust onto a sheet pan. Egg wash the edges.
• Fill the pie crust halfway. Place the pan into the preheated oven and fill with the rest of the filling.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes until the crust shrinks from the edges of the pie plate.
• Let cool before serving with whipped cream. Store in the refrigerator.

Egg Wash

• Whisk together one egg and 1 Tablespoon water then brush onto the crust to promote a golden brown and shiny crust

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 0.08g | Calories: 1176kcal | Carbohydrates: 238g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 1713mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 15mg

The post Pumpkin Pie Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I have made a different version of this apple pie recipe for many events over the years and they are only getting more and more popular. Recently a friend asked me for my recipe and I realized I didn't have one. I just adapted my classic apple pie recipe to mini pies but there are a few extra tips in this recipe for baking times and making the mini pie crusts.

Ingredients and Equipment

This recipe includes a homemade pie crust recipe from scratch, but there is nothing wrong with using a store-bought pie crust! Especially if you have to make a bunch of pies, this can be a real time saver. The great thing about pie crust is you can make it ahead and freeze it, you can freeze rolled and cut rounds or press it into a disc shape and wrap it in plastic wrap. 

I also highly recommend a circle cutter for quickly cutting your pie dough but you can get away with using a jar lid or cup that is a similar size. For the size of the muffin tin, I used a 6” round cutter. This allows enough dough to line the tin and fold under to create a nice size lip. 

How to Make Mini Apple Pies

This recipe comes together very quickly, but there is some waiting time involved to let the dough and filling cool before assembling your mini pies. I like to make my filling a day ahead, but if you don’t, you can cool it quickly by spreading the hot filling on a sheet pan and refrigerating it. 

Making Pie Crust for Mini Pies

This is the easiest pie crust you'll ever make. I like to make mine in the food processor or stand mixer because it's faster and keeps the butter cold. In my classic apple pie recipe, I use this mealy pie dough recipe for the bottom of my pies and a flaky pie crust for the top but when you're making mini pies, it's not as important and you can just use one.

1. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
2. Grate your cold butter directly into the flour mixture.
3. Mix on low until the flour and butter resemble a sandy mixture.
4. Add the egg and slowly pour in the cold water while the mixer is on, and mix on low until the dough begins to form a ball. If it's still dry, slowly add in drizzles of cold water until it comes together.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a piece of plastic wrap.
6. Flatten the ball of pie dough to about 1". Wrap the plastic wrap over the dough and place it into the fridge to rest for 20 minutes (you can also do this the day before). 
7. Remove the dough from the fridge 20 minutes before you need to use it so the dough is more pliable and easier to roll out.

Making Homemade Apple Pie Filling

The best apples to use are tart apples that hold their shape during baking. Granny smith apples are a classic choice but I also love the taste and texture of Jonagold, Honeycrisp apples, Braeburn, Mutsu, pink lady, and gala apples.

1. Peel, core, and cube your apples into ¼" pieces. Mini pies need mini pieces of apple so the filling can fall into the small spaces in the crust. 
2. Combine your apples and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until the apples are warmed through.
3. Add in your lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, the smaller measurement of apple juice, extracts, and honey.  
4. Saute the apple mixture on medium heat until the apples are soft but still a little firm in the middle (al dente).
5. Combine the cornstarch with the larger measurement of apple juice in a measuring cup to make a slurry.
6. Add the mixture to the apple filling and continue cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
7. Allow your mixture to cool fully before you fill your pie crusts. 

Assembling the Mini Apple Pies

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF
2. Roll your pie dough to ⅛" thick on a lightly floured surface.
3. Use a 6” cookie cutter to cut out 12 - 6 inch circles, you will use 2 muffin tins, alternating spots so the pies don’t touch each other. Roll your scraps back up, flatten them and place them back in the fridge to use again.
4. Place a round of dough in the muffin tin, gently forming it to the shape of the tin, making sure the dough is pressed snugly against the bottom edge. Smooth out the folds on the sides so it is smooth and has a uniform width of the dough. Gently roll under the top edge of the dough to make the edge crust. 
5. Lightly dock the bottom of the mini pie shells, this will help prevent big bubbles from happening in the dough when it begins to bake. 
6. Place the pans into the freezer for 20 minutes. This step is very important to keep your mini pies from shrinking during baking.
7. Fill your pie pans with the filling to the top of the crust (do not be tempted to over-fill, but if you under-fill they could collapse a bit once the apples cook down.)

Making a Lattice Crust

1. Roll out your leftover dough to ⅛" thick and cut out ¼" strips of dough.
2. Place the strips on top of your filled pie crusts. You can weave them or just crisscross them for the sake of time. They will look cute either way!
3. Press the lattice top dough onto the bottom dough and trim off the excess to create a clean, round top. You can flute them with your fingers or use a fork to seal the edges. This gives those mini apple pies that real pie look.  Pro-tip: If you want to skip the top crust, you can just add some crumbled-up bits of the leftover dough tossed with some brown sugar to the top of the pies or make a little leaf and place it on top of each pie which also looks super cute.

Baking the Mini Apple Pies

1. Brush the crust with your egg wash (one egg whisked together with 1 Tablespoon of water) carefully with a pastry brush. You can sprinkle some coarse sanding sugar on top to make them extra cute.
2. Bake the pies at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until the pie crust is a nice golden brown. Most people under bake their pies so don't be afraid!
3. Place your apple pies in the muffin tin onto a cooling rack and allow them to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. 
4. You can then remove your pies carefully from the muffin tin and serve. If you choose to store the pies for later, store them in an airtight container, or wrap them in plastic wrap in the muffin tin to hold their shape. They can be stored at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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Mini Apple Pies

The best Mini Apple Pies with tender apples, a thick spiced caramel sauce (not watery), and a crunchy buttery crust. All of the warmth and flavor of a full pie but you don’t have to share! Serve warm with stabilized whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 hours hours

Chilling Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 3" pies

Calories 560kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Stand mixer with the paddle attachment optional
• 2 Muffin tins

Ingredients

Mealy Pie Dough

• 24 ounces all-purpose flour (5 ¼ cups)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces unsalted butter grated, and cold (1 ½ cups)
• 2 large eggs cold
• 4 ounces ice water (½ cup)

Apple Pie Filling

• 2 pounds apples about 6 medium-sized, diced in ¼ inch cubes
• 1 ounce unsalted butter (2 Tablespoons)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 ounces brown sugar (½ cup)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces apple juice (¼ cup)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract optional
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 ounce cornstarch (2 Tbsp)
• 12 ounces apple juice (1 ½ cups)

Egg Wash

• 2 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pie Crust for Mini Pies

• I like to make this pie crust in the food processor or stand mixer because it's faster and keeps the butter cold. You can also use a large bowl and a pastry cutter or a whisk.
• Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Grate your cold butter directly into the flour mixture.
• Mix on low until the flour and butter resemble a sandy mixture.
• Add the egg and slowly pour in the cold water while the mixer is on, and mix on low until the dough begins to form a ball. If it's still dry, slowly add in drizzles of cold water until it comes together.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a piece of plastic wrap.
• Flatten the ball of pie dough to about 1". Wrap the plastic wrap over the dough and place it into the fridge to rest for 20 minutes (you can also do this the day before). 
• Remove the dough from the fridge 20 minutes before you need to use it so the dough is more pliable and easier to roll out.

Apple Pie Filling

• Peel, core, and cube your apples into ¼" pieces. Mini pies need mini pieces of apple so the filling can fall into the small spaces in the crust. 
• Combine your apples and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until the apples are warmed through.
• Add in your lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, the smaller measurement of apple juice, extracts, and honey.  
• Sauté the apple mixture on medium heat until the apples are soft but still a little firm in the middle (al dente).
• Combine the cornstarch with the larger measurement of apple juice in a measuring cup to make a slurry.
• Add the mixture to the apple filling and continue cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
• Allow your mixture to cool fully before you fill your pie crusts. 

Assembling the Mini Apple Pies

• Preheat your oven to 400ºF
• Roll your pie dough to ⅛" thick on a lightly floured surface.
• Use a 6” cookie cutter to cut out 12 - 6 inch circles, you will use 2 muffin tins, alternating spots so the pies don’t touch each other. Roll your scraps back up, flatten them and place them back in the fridge to use again.
• Place a round of dough in the muffin tin, gently forming it to the shape of the tin, making sure the dough is pressed snugly against the bottom edge.

  Smooth out the folds on the sides so it is smooth and has a uniform width of the dough. Gently roll under the top edge of the dough to make the edge crust. 
• Lightly dock the bottom of the mini pie shells, this will help prevent big bubbles from happening in the dough when it begins to bake. 
• Place the pans into the freezer for 20 minutes. This step is very important to keep your mini pies from shrinking during baking.
• Fill your pie pans with the filling to the top of the crust (do not be tempted to over-fill, but if you under-fill they could collapse a bit once the apples cook down.)

Making a Lattice Crust

• Roll out your leftover dough to ⅛" thick and cut out ¼" strips of dough.
• Place the strips on top of your filled pie crusts. You can weave them or just crisscross them for the sake of time. They will look cute either way!
• Press the lattice top dough onto the bottom dough and trim off the excess to create a clean, round top. You can flute them with your fingers or use a fork to seal the edges. This gives those mini apple pies that real pie look. 

  Pro-tip: If you want to skip the top crust, you can just add some crumbled-up bits of the leftover dough tossed with some brown sugar to the top of the pies or make a little leaf and place it on top of each pie which also looks super cute.

Baking the Mini Apple Pies

• Brush the crust with your egg wash (one egg whisked together with 1 Tablespoon of water) carefully with a pastry brush. You can sprinkle some coarse sanding sugar on top to make them extra cute.
• Bake the pies at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until the pie crust is a nice golden brown. Most people underbake their pies so don't be afraid!
• Place your apple pies in the muffin tin onto a cooling rack and allow them to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. 
• You can then remove your pies carefully from the muffin tin and serve. If you choose to store the pies for later, store them in an airtight container, or wrap them in plastic wrap in the muffin tin to hold their shape. They can be stored at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

• The best apples to use are tart apples that hold their shape during baking. Granny smith apples are a classic choice but I also love the taste and texture of Jonagold, Honeycrisp apples, Braeburn, Mutsu, pink lady, and gala apples.
• This is a great recipe to get some little hands to help you out! Cutting the dough, filling the pies with the filling, and fluting the pie edges can be a lot of fun for kids, and skipping to the fun part makes it less stressful for the parents.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pie | Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Mini Apple Pies appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This apple tart is made with two of Chef Christophe Rull’s favorite fall recipes, a decadent almond cream, and a melt-in-your-mouth pâte sucrèe. The crisp apples layered on top add a sweet flavor and crunchy texture that make for a classic French apple tart.

Apple Tart Ingredients

Gala Apples work best for this recipe because they have a sweeter flavor. You can use any apples you like depending on how sweet or tart you want your apples to be. 

Almond flour retains more moisture and also adds a nuttier flavor to the dough, which is what we want for this recipe. 

European butter is great for making doughs because the fat percentage is higher and water content is lower which makes the tart flakier and gives it a richer flavor. If you can’t find European butter in your local store you can use any butter that you have available. 

Vanilla Beans are great to use because they give the ultimate flavor without adding extra sugar or alcohol content. If you don’t have vanilla beans, vanilla bean paste or extract will work just fine. 

Rum enhances the flavors of this recipe but you can use another type of liqueur or leave it out if you wish.

Making the Apple Tart

The first thing you want to do is make the tart dough because it needs at least 2 hours to chill. You can make this and shape the shells ahead of time, but I'd recommend making the almond cream when you're ready to assemble and bake the tarts so that it stays soft enough to pipe.

Making The Pâte Sucrèe

1. Add the softened butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. I'm using my Bosch universal plus mixer, but you can use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer. I wouldn't recommend using a food processor for this recipe.
2. Add the fresh vanilla bean seeds and continue to mix until incorporated.
3. Next, slowly add the eggs and continue to mix on low until combined, scraping the bowl as needed. 
4. Add the almond flour and mix for a few seconds then add the flour and salt.
5. Once all the ingredients have been added, continue mixing on low for 15 seconds until all ingredients are just combined and a dough starts to form. Be careful to not overmix.
6. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a rectangle. Pro Tip: Forming the dough into a rectangle helps all parts of the dough chill evenly. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until it becomes firm to the touch. 

Making The Tart Shell

1. Once the dough is chilled, take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before rolling it out. Room temperature dough will roll out easier. Remove it from the plastic wrap and cut it in half, setting one half aside.
2. Flour your surface and roll out one-half of your dough using a rolling pin until it is about ⅛ inch thick. 
3. Next, gently place the 6" tart ring on your rolled dough to use it as a guide. This perforated tart shell ring allows the tart to bake more evenly because the heat is well distributed. You can also use any fluted tart shell ring with a removable bottom if you prefer.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut about 2 inches out from your tart ring (about 10 inches), this will give you enough dough to cover the bottom and sides of your ring with a little extra. 
5. Repeat with the other half of your dough.
6. Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the tart pan. Work your fingers around the shell slowly making your way towards the bottom taking care to not press too hard or tear the dough.
7. Use a knife to trim the access dough from the top of your shell. Pro Tip: Hold the knife facing away from the tart shell and glide it flat along the top edge of the ring while using your other hand to turn the tart ring. This makes it easy to cut and leaves a super smooth top edge!
8. Make sure the bottom edge of the tart shell is at a 90-degree angle with the ring, this will shrink as the dough bakes and will leave you with a straighter edge.
9. Place your tart rings on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Refrigerate the tart rings while you make the almond cream.

Making The Almond Cream

1. First, add the sugar and butter into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until smooth. 
2. Add the vanilla bean and mix for 10 seconds, scrape the bowl, and then continue to mix for another 10 seconds. 
3. Next, add your eggs one at a time and mix until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl if needed.
4. Then add the almond flour and mix for a few seconds, add the rum and continue mixing on low speed until the mixture is smooth. 
5. Prepare a piping bag with a metal round tip and fill the bag with the almond cream.

Assembling The Apple Tart

1. Preheat the oven to 360°F (162° C).
2. Pipe the almond cream into your chilled tart shells using a spiral motion filling about ⅓ of the way up, then set it aside. Pro Tip: To form a perfect spiral, start from the center of the tart and slowly move outwards using a spiral formation. 
3. Peel and core the apples, then cut them in half so that they're face down on the cutting board. Slice them into thin slices with a small pairing knife, removing any leftover seeds or core pieces from the slices. Pro Tip: Keep keep your slices uniform in size so that they bake evenly and soak them in lemon juice so that they don't brown.
4. Place the apple slices nicely inside of the tart on top of the almond cream, layering them slightly and fanning them into a circle in the tart shell. 
5. Brush melted butter on top of the tart dough and apples using a pastry brush.
6. Sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar to help give the apples a hint of caramel flavor.
7. Bake the tarts at 360°F (162° C) for about 30 minutes or until the tart crust looks golden brown.
8. Set the tarts aside on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

Decorating The Apple Tart

1. Make a simple syrup out of corn syrup and water by mixing them together and bringing them to a boil, then cool it down. Brush the glaze over the top of the tart for a little extra sweetness and shine. You can also melt some apricot preserves and use that to brush over the top.
2. Drizzle or pipe some caramel (store-bought or homemade) in a circle around the tart.
3. Add some chopped toasted almonds along the caramel design. 
4. Place a medium bowl that's slightly smaller than your tart on top so that everything but the top edge is covered. Sift some powdered sugar around the edge of the tart. Remove the bowl and you will be left with an even line of powdered sugar dusted along the edge of the tart. 
5. These apple tarts are best served immediately and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. They can be stored for up to a week in the fridge and are should be eaten within 1-2 days after being baked.

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Apple Tart Recipe

This apple tart recipe is the perfect alternative to the traditional apple pie. Make the buttery pate sucrèe a day ahead, then fill it with the almond cream and fresh apples when you’re ready to bake and serve. Elevate your fall dessert cookbook with this elegant French-style tart.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 2 6-inch tarts

Calories 2537kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 2 8-inch Tart Rings

Ingredients

Pâte Sucrée ( Sweet Doug)

• 300 grams All Purpose Flour
• 150 grams Powdered Sugar
• 150 grams European Unsalted Butter American butter is okay too
• 75 grams Eggs
• 40 grams Almond Flour
• 3 grams Salt

Almond Cream

• 100 grams Unsalted Butter
• 100 grams Granulated Sugar
• 100 grams Almond Flour
• 100 grams Eggs
• 8 grams Rum optional
• 1 fresh Vanilla Bean or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Decoration

• 2 large Gala Apples (or apples of your choice)
• 30 grams Toasted Almonds Optional (for decoration)
• 10 grams Caramel Sauce Optional (for decoration)
• 10 grams Powdered Sugar Optional (for decoration)
• 30 grams corn syrup Optional (for glazing)
• 30 grams water Optional (for glazing)

Instructions

Making The Pâte Sucrée

• Add the softened butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
• Add the fresh vanilla bean seeds and continue to mix until incorporated.
• Next, slowly add the eggs and continue to mix on low until combined, scraping the bowl as needed. 
• Add the almond flour and mix for a few seconds then add the flour and salt.
• Once all the ingredients have been added, continue mixing on low for 15 seconds until all ingredients are just combined and a dough starts to form. Be careful to not overmix.  
• Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a rectangle. Pro Tip: Forming the dough into a rectangle helps all parts of the dough chill evenly. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until it becomes firm to the touch. 

Making The Tart Shells

• Once the dough is chilled, take it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before rolling it out. Room temperature dough will roll out easier. Remove it from the plastic wrap and cut it in half, setting one half aside.
• Flour your surface and roll out one-half of your dough using a rolling pin until it is about ⅛ inch thick. 
• Next, gently place the 8" tart ring on your rolled dough to use it as a guide. This perforated tart shell ring allows the tart to bake more evenly because the heat is well distributed. You can also use any fluted tart shell ring with a removable bottom if you prefer.
• Using a sharp knife, cut about 2 inches out from your tart ring (about 10 inches), this will give you enough dough to cover the bottom and sides of your ring with a little extra. 
• Repeat with the other half of your dough, or chill it to use another time.
• Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the tart pan. Work your fingers around the shell slowly making your way towards the bottom taking care to not press too hard or tear the dough.
• Use a knife to trim the access dough from the top of your shell. Pro Tip: Hold the knife facing away from the tart shell and glide it flat along the top edge of the ring while using your other hand to turn the tart ring. This makes it easy to cut and leaves a super smooth top edge!
• Make sure the bottom edge of the tart shell is at a 90-degree angle with the ring, this will shrink as the dough bakes and will leave you with a straighter edge.
• Place your tart rings on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Refrigerate the tart rings while you make the almond cream.

Making The Almond Cream

• First, add the sugar and butter into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until smooth. 
• Add the vanilla bean and mix for 10 seconds, scrape the bowl, and then continue to mix for another 10 seconds. 
• Next, add your eggs one at a time and mix until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl if needed. 
• Then add the almond flour and mix for a few seconds, add the rum and continue mixing on low speed until the mixture is smooth. 
• Prepare a piping bag with a metal round tip and fill the bag with the almond cream.

Assembling The Apple Tart

• Preheat the oven to 360°F (162° C).
• Pipe the almond cream into your chilled tart shells using a spiral motion filling about ⅓ of the way up, then set it aside. Pro Tip: To form a perfect spiral, start from the center of the tart and slowly move outwards using a spiral formation. 
• Peel and core the apples, then cut them in half so that they're face down on the cutting board. Slice them into thin slices with a small pairing knife, removing any leftover seeds or core pieces from the slices. Pro Tip: Keep keep your slices uniform in size so that they bake evenly and soak them in lemon juice so that they don't brown.
• Place the apple slices nicely inside of the tart on top of the almond cream, layering them slightly and fanning them into a circle in the tart shell. 
• Brush melted butter on top of the tart dough and apples using a pastry brush. 
• Sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar to help give the apples a hint of caramel flavor.
• Bake the tarts at 360°F (162° C) for about 30 minutes or until the tart crust looks golden brown.
• Set the tarts aside on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

Decorating The Apple Tart

• (optional) Make a simple syrup out of corn syrup and water by mixing them together and bringing them to a boil, then cool it down. Brush the glaze over the top of the tart for a little extra sweetness and shine. You can also melt some apricot preserves and use that to brush over the top.
• Drizzle or pipe some caramel (store-bought or homemade) in a circle around the tart.
• Add some chopped toasted almonds along the caramel design. 
• Place a medium bowl that's slightly smaller than your tart on top so that everything but the top edge is covered. Sift some powdered sugar around the edge of the tart. Remove the bowl and you will be left with an even line of powdered sugar dusted along the edge of the tart. 
• These apple tarts are best served immediately and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. They can be stored for up to a week in the fridge and are should be eaten within 1-2 days after being baked.

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start

1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc). 

2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it’s place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

4. Gala apples work best for an apple tart because they are on the sweeter side but are still firm enough to hold their shape while baking. You can use granny smith apples if you like a more acidic and tart flavor, or a combination of apples if you prefer. Pink lady, honey crisp, or golden delicious apples are also good options.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tart | Calories: 2537kcal | Carbohydrates: 276g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 147g | Saturated Fat: 70g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 594mg | Sodium: 1532mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 145g | Vitamin A: 3650IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 11mg

The post Apple Tart Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Chef Christophe Rull is back to show us how to make this beautiful, easy dessert from scratch. You don't even need a pie pan to make this recipe. Make the pie dough, apple filling, and dulce de leche ahead of time and assemble when you're ready to eat!

Ingredients

Apple Galette Dough Ingredients

Apple Filling Ingredients

Condensed milk: This ingredient is optional but totally worth it to make homemade dulce de leche.

Apples: I like using Gala apples for my galette because they're crisp and mellow in flavor, and their natural sweetness requires less sugar to be added to recipes.

Butter: Any butter will work for this recipe, but I like to use European butter, or "Plugra" because it's extra creamy and has a higher fat content of 82%. Using a higher quality butter will lead to even better pie dough. Just make sure you have COLD butter.

White vinegar: Vinegar will keep the dough from oxidizing and turning gray. This often happens when you over-mix the dough and develop too much gluten. The acid breaks down the gluten in the flour, making the dough easier to roll out as well. Some pastry chefs like to use lemon juice instead of vinegar, but I find that white vinegar adds the least amount of flavor.

Vanilla: Fresh vanilla beans have the best flavor, and I love seeing the little black sparkles in my baked goods. You can also use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, I recommend using Nielsen Massey vanilla.

Heavy cream: I like using cream instead of an egg wash for a little more shine on the flaky crust. You can also use an egg yolk mixed with 1 Tablespoon of water or half-and-half.

Is An Apple Galette A Pie?

Technically, no. Since a galette is not baked in a pie tin, it's not a pie but the ingredients can be very similar to a pie. They can also be very different. A galette (pronounced Guh-let) can be any type of pastry with a filling baked flat. They can be savory or sweet making the flavor possibilities for galettes endless!

Tips For Baking From Scratch

*This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click on them I might get a few pennies.

I suggest purchasing a kitchen scale if you don't already have one to make the best scratch recipes. One cup of flour can vary from scoop to scoop depending on how packed the flour is, humidity, and the type of flour, which can ruin your recipe.

Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place) which means you measure everything before you start mixing so you don't accidentally forget something or add any ingredients out of order. I use a set of medium and small pyrex glass bowls I got from goodwill for this and it makes things SO much easier.

Making an Apple Galette

Making the Galette Dough

1. Add your cold water, salt, white vinegar, and flour to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix to combine. You can also do this with a whisk and a large bowl or a food processor.
2. Slowly add your eggs to the flour mixture little by little while mixing on low.
3. Add in your cold butter and mix on low for about 1 minute or until it creates a sandy texture. Pro-tip: leaving chunks of butter in your dough will create a crunchier texture.
4. Transfer your dough to a surface and knead by hand until the dough is fully combined. Push and pull the dough with your hand, but be careful to not overmix and melt the butter.
5. Flatten the dough and then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours until hard. You want the butter to chill and get really firm again. Pro-tip: Make this dough up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.

Making the Apple Filling

1. Peel and cut your apples into small cubes. You could also use apple slices if you want to make a design.
2. Add the honey, sugar, and vanilla to a large saucepan.
3. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until it reaches a light blonde color. If you want an extra rich flavor, you can substitute some of the honey and sugar for brown sugar.
4. Add in your butter and apples and stir the mixture together.
5. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the apples are slightly soft and translucent. Don't overcook the apples here, you want to avoid them getting too mushy when they bake later.
6. Combine the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pro-Tip: Use equal parts of Clear Jel instead of cornstarch for a more translucent and shiny apple filling.
7. Add the cornstarch mixture to the apples and mix.
8. Cook the mixture for about 1 more minute, then remove from the heat. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
9. Pour the apple filling into a medium bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so it’s touching the surface of the filling. This is to prevent a film from forming over the surface of the filling.
10. Refrigerate the apple filling for about an hour or until it's cooled down to at least room temperature. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for a month.

Making the Dulce de Leche

1. Remove the paper label from the can of sweetened condensed milk.
2. Place the can into a large pot and cover it with water. Make sure the can is completely submerged with about 1 inch of water over the top.
3. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for about 2 ½ hours. If some of the water has evaporated after about an hour, add more water to cover the can as needed. If you want lighter dulce de leche, boil for 2 hours, for richer and darker dulce de leche, boil for 3 hours.
4. Remove from the heat, and let the can cool in the water.
5. Open the can and use your dulce de leche! This can last refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Assembling the Galette

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Take your cooled dough out of the refrigerator and divide it in half. Wrap and refrigerate one half while you roll out the other half.
3. Form the dough into a circle with your hands.
4. Lightly flour your work surface, and roll your dough out with a rolling pin to ⅛" thick, about 7" wide. Pro-Tip: Keep moving your dough while rolling it out to avoid it sticking to the table. Start in the center and work your way out towards the edges.
5. Dust a 6" circular ring with flour and cut your dough by pressing the ring firmly into the dough, then remove the excess. You can reuse this extra dough to make another galette.
6. Fold the edges of the dough to make a crust. Press the edge of the dough with your index finger, fold the dough over the top, and pinch.
7. Press together the remainder of the dough, and repeat steps 3-6 with the other half of your dough to make a total of 6 galettes. You can also make smaller or larger galettes, just adjust your baking time.
8. Carefully transfer the dough onto your prepared baking sheet and fill the center of the dough with the apple filling.
9. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the crust with a little bit of heavy whipping cream to promote browning. Then sprinkle the edges with a little bit of sanding sugar (optional).
10. Bake the galette for 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are soft.
11. Drizzle the top with some dulce de leche or caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serve the galette warm, each should serve about 2 people (really 1 hehe).

FAQ

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Apple Galette

Apple Galette is the easy version of an apple pie, but still just as satisfying and delicious. Its rustic look with an open top full of fresh apples and buttery golden-brown crust makes for a very impressive summer or fall treat. Make small galettes to serve individually, or a larger one for a crowd.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Chilling time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 galettes

Calories 456kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Sheet pan
• 1 medium saucepan

Ingredients

Galette Dough

• 150 grams all-purpose flour
• 75 grams cold unsalted butter cubed, I like using "Plugra" or European butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 20 grams eggs
• 20 grams cold water
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream for brushing the edge
• 1 Tablespoon sanding sugar optional

Apple Filling

• 400 grams fresh apples (about 4 medium apples) cubed, I like using gala apples
• 80 grams granulated sugar
• 80 grams honey
• 40 grams unsalted butter
• 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon of extract

Dulce de Leche

• 1 can condensed milk 14 oz

Instructions

Galette Dough

• Add your cold water, salt, white vinegar, and flour to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix to combine. You can also do this with a whisk and a large bowl or a food processor.
• Add the eggs to the flour mixture little by little while mixing on low until combined.
• Add in your cold butter and mix on low for about 1 minute or until it creates a sandy texture. Pro-tip: leaving chunks of butter in your dough will create a crunchier texture.
• Transfer your dough to a surface and push it together with your hands until it sticks together but don't over-mix it or the heat from your hands will melt the butter.
• Flatten the dough and then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours until hard. You want the butter to chill and get really firm again. Pro-tip: Make this dough up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.

Apple Filling

• Peel and cut your apples into small cubes. You could also use apple slices if you want to make a design.
• Add the honey, sugar, and vanilla to a large saucepan.
• Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until it reaches a light blonde color. If you want an extra rich flavor, you can substitute some of the honey and sugar for brown sugar.
• Add in your butter and apples and stir the mixture together.
• Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the apples are slightly soft and translucent. Don’t overcook the apples here, you want to avoid getting them too mushy when they bake later.
• Combine the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl until it's smooth. Pro-Tip: Use equal parts of Clear Jel instead of cornstarch for a more translucent and shiny apple filling.
• Add the cornstarch mixture to the apples and mix.
• Cook the mixture for about one more minute, then remove it from the heat. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Pour the apple filling into a medium bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so it’s touching the surface of the filling. This is to prevent a film from forming over the surface of the filling.
• Refrigerate the apple filling for about an hour or until it’s cooled down to at least room temperature. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for a month.

Dulce de Leche

• Remove the paper label from the can of sweetened condensed milk.
• Place the can into a large pot and cover it with water. Make sure the can is completely submerged with about 1 inch of water over the top.
• Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for about 2 ½ hours. If some of the water has evaporated after about an hour, add more water to cover the can as needed. If you want lighter dulce de leche, boil for 2 hours, for richer and darker dulce de leche, boil for 3 hours.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and let the can cool in the water.
• Open the can and use your dulce de leche! This can last refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Assembling the Galette

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Take your cooled dough out of the refrigerator and divide it in half. Wrap and refrigerate one half while you roll out the other half.
• Form the dough into a circle with your hands.
• Lightly flour your work surface, and roll your dough out with a rolling pin to ⅛″ thick, about 7″ wide. Pro-Tip: Keep moving your dough while rolling it out to avoid it sticking to the table. Start in the center and work your way out towards the edges.
• Dust a 6″ circular ring with flour and cut your dough, then remove the excess. You can reuse this extra dough to make another galette. You can also make one big galette if you want using the same technique.
• Fold the edges of the dough to make a crust. Press the edge of the dough with your index finger, fold the dough over the top, and pinch.
• Press together the remainder of the dough, and repeat steps 3-6 with the other half of your dough to make a total of 6 galettes. You can also make smaller or larger galettes, just adjust your baking time.
• Carefully transfer the dough onto your prepared baking sheet and fill the center of the dough with the apple filling.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the crust with a little bit of heavy whipping cream to promote browning. Then sprinkle the edges with a little bit of sanding sugar (optional).
• Bake the galette for 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are soft.
• Drizzle the top with some dulce de leche or caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serve the galette warm, each should serve about 2 people (really 1 hehe).

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start:

• Weigh your ingredients to avoid failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time.
• Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Nutrition

Serving: 2people | Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Apple Galette appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I love this tart because not only is the curd thicky and creamy, the pâte sucrée shell stays nice and crisp even after being refrigerated for days thanks to my cocoa butter trick. This delectable lemon tart recipe from Chef Christophe Rull is a mini version of the tarte au citron which uses crème fraîche. But if you prefer, you can top your lemon tart with meringue, whipped cream, or even just a dusting of powdered sugar.

Lemon Tart Ingredients

Cocoa Butter: You may not have any cocoa butter on hand unless you’ve been watching our chocolate series with Chef Christophe Rull. If you do not have cocoa butter on hand that is totally fine! 

Instead of using cocoa butter, you can use melted white chocolate (something like a high-quality white chocolate bar like the Lindt White Chocolate Classic bars) and it will still be delicious! The cocoa butter is used to create a moisture barrier between the lemon curd and the crust so it doesn’t get soggy.

Crème Fraîche:  You can purchase crème fraîche or you can easily make it yourself with some heavy whipping cream and some buttermilk. It does take about 12-24 hours to thicken up though so make sure you plan ahead.

Creme fraiche is whipped cream with a little buttermilk added. The buttermilk has bacteria in it that thickens the cream (like making yogurt) and it also adds a wonderful tangy flavor.

Homemade Crème Fraîche Instructions

1. If you are making your own crème fraîche, then you will want to make this the day before you are preparing your lemon tarts.
2. Combine the buttermilk and heavy cream in a glass bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap.
3. Rest at room temperature (do not refrigerate) for 2-12 hours. The longer it sits, the thicker the crème fraîche will be. The bacterial cultures in buttermilk thicken and acidify the cream, while also preventing bad bacteria from taking over so it’s safe to be at room temperature.
4. After your crème fraîche has thickened, it can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks

Making the Pâte Sucrée Tart Shells

1. First, in the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the room temperature butter and powdered sugar with the paddle attachment. Mix until it is smooth.
2. Then, add in the almond flour and continue to mix it until it is combined.
3. Next, add in the eggs, vanilla bean seeds, and the all-purpose flour. Mix the batter until all of the ingredients are smooth and thoroughly combined.
4. Wrap the dough neatly in plastic wrap, and then place it in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
5. After the dough has chilled in the refrigerator, divide the dough into four pieces.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the tart dough out until it is about ⅛” thick.
7. Use a large circle cutter (about 5") to cut the dough.
8. Next, gently place the dough inside the tart ring by pressing the bottom down to the corners of the ring and while pressing gently onto the sides of the ring.
9. Then, use a paring knife to trim the excess off the top edge of the ring.
10. Check the bottom of the ring to see that the bottom edge has been pressed flush. If the dough is getting too warm and sticky to handle, place it back in the fridge to firm it up.
11. Run your finger around the edge of the tart shell to get a nice even seal on the shell.
12. After that, use a fork to gently dock the bottom of the tart shells to avoid large bubbles forming when baking.
13. Once you have finished all the shells, place them in the freezer for an hour.
14. Finally, bake the tart shells at 360ºF (182ºC) until they are dark golden brown.

How to Make the Lemon Filling

For a less tart lemon filling, replace 25% of the lemon juice with orange juice.

1. In a separate bowl, add in your egg yolks and mix them so that they are smooth.
2. Then, in a pot over medium heat, add in your sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Mix everything completely and heat it over medium heat until it is just simmering.
3. Next, add about ⅓ of the lemon mixture to the separate bowl of egg yolks while whisking together to temper the eggs.
4. After that, add the lemon/egg mixture back into the pan with the rest of the lemon juice while whisking contiously over medium heat. While whisking you can move the pot on and off the heat so it doesn't get too hot. Then, once it reaches a boil, let it continue to boil (while whisking) for about 30 seconds.
5. Finally, remove the pan from heat and add in the butter. Use an immersion blender to incorporate the butter and make the curd very smooth.
6. Cool the lemon curd to 28ºC (82ºF)

Assembling the Lemon Tart

1. Once you have baked your tart shells and let them fully cool, use a pastry brush to coat a thin layer of cocoa butter (or white chocolate) to the insides of the shells. This is the secret to keeping your lemon tart sheels nice and crisp!
2. Then, after the cocoa butter has set inside the shells, you are ready to pour the lemon curd into the tart shells.
3. Fill each shell with lemon curd almost all of the way to the top.
4. Allow the tart to cool in the fridge for 2 hours before you decorate.
5. Add fresh fruit, creme fraiche, and any garnish you like to complete your elevated lemon tart. Continue reading to learn how to make some fun edible garnish! *Pro Tip: You can brush the tops of your lemon tarts with simple syrup to keep them looking nice and shiny.

How To Make Elevated Lemon Tart Garnishes

We used a lot of different types of garnish for this simple lemon tart to show you that you can really let your creativity shine with the decor. Below you will find all the instructions for the garnishes we used but you can use just one or none at all.

More Garnish Ideas

• Gold Leaf - Apply small pieces with tweezers or a brush
• Fresh Berries - Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, let your imagination and taste buds run wild!
• Edible Flowers - There are many flowers that are edible and look gorgeous as decor such as violas, lavender, thyme, dill, cilantro, day lily, squash blossom, Nasturtiums, chives, roses, basil and more!). 
• Meringue Kisses or Meringue Flowers - so cute and easy to customize to your design

How To Make A Quenelle

1. Prepare a glass of hot water and place a dry towel next to it. It's crucial that the water is hot to make the best quenelles. Take an oval-shaped spoon and place it in the glass of water.
2. Pull your spoon out of the water, dry it on the towel.
3. With the spoon angled, carve the spoon directly up towards the edge of the bowl or container then rotate ¼ turn to form the quenelle.
4. Gently place the quenelle onto your lemon tart. Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect, this takes practice to perfect and no matter how it looks it will taste good!

How To Make Candied Lemon Slice Garnish

1. First, in a stovetop pan, mix 8 ounces of water and 7 ounces of sugar together and bring it to a boil.
2. While the sugar water is warming up, cut up a lemon to create thin slices. Remove the seeds.
3. Once the sugar water reaches a boil, add the thin lemon slices into the pan in a single layer.
4. Then, simmer the slices for about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer lemon slices to a wire rack or parchment paper and let cool. Let them dry overnight for use the next day.

How To Make A White Chocolate Swoosh Garnish

1. Using tempered chocolate place a penny size drop onto some parchment paper.
2. Use a spoon to spread it out in a swoosh.
3. Let the chocolate set and then peel off the parchment to use on your lemon tart. 

How To Make A Chocolate Curl Garnish

I'm using the same technique Chef Christophe taught us in his easy chocolate decor episode. I used white chocolate for the lemon tarts but the photos are of when we used dark chocolate. You can use either one.

1. Using tempered chocolate, spread a thin layer onto some acetate.
2. Using a cake comb, make some lines in the chocolate.
3. Once the chocolate has gone matte but is not fully set, curl the acetate and clip it until the chocolate fully sets.
4. Unroll the acetate and use the chocolate curls as a garnish for the lemon tarts.

How To Make Isomalt Coral Garnish

1. Place some raw isomalt in a small pile on top of a silicone mat on a sheet pan.
2. Use a toothpick to add a couple small specs of food color.
3. Place a second silicone mat on top.
4. Bake the isomalt in the oven at 350ºF until the isomalt melts (about 5 minutes).
5. Remove the pan from the oven and let the isomalt cool complately.
6. Carefully remove the isomalt from silicone and put it on your lemon tart.

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Print

Elegant Lemon Tarts

Thick, creamy, and tangy lemon curd poured inside of crisp, buttery pastry shells made from sweet dough and topped with homemade creme fraiche! Plus tons of tips on how to make elegant garnishes from chocolate, isomalt, and more!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12 mini tarts

Calories 4497kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand Mixer
• Tart ring
• pan and bowl for double boiler
• Immersion blender
• pastry brush
• acetate sheets
• microplane

Ingredients

Pâte Sucrée

• 70 grams butter
• 50 grams powdered sugar
• 20 grams almond flour
• 25 grams egg
• 150 grams AP flour
• 1 vanilla bean (scraped)

Lemon Curd

• 200 grams Eggs
• 270 grams sugar
• 190 grams lemon juice
• 2 Whole lemons (zested)
• 240 grams butter (European)

Homemade Crème Fraîche

• 227 grams heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Pâte Sucrée Tart Shells

• First, in the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the room temperature butter and powdered sugar with the paddle attachment. Mix until it is smooth.
• Then, add in the almond flour and continue to mix it until it is combined.
• Next, add in the eggs, vanilla bean seeds, and the all-purpose flour. Mix the batter until all of the ingredients are smooth and thoroughly combined.
• Wrap the dough neatly in plastic wrap, and then place it in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
• After the dough has chilled in the refrigerator, on a lightly floured surface, roll the tart dough out until it is about ⅛” thick.
• Use a 5" circle cutter to cut out your tart shells.
• Next, gently place the dough inside the tart ring by pressing the bottom down to the corners of the ring and while pressing gently onto the sides of the ring. Then, use a paring knife to trim the excess off the top edge of the ring.
• Check the bottom of the ring to see that the bottom edge has been pressed flush. If the dough is getting too warm and sticky to handle, place it back in the fridge to firm it up.
• Run your finger around the edge of the tart shell to get a nice even seal on the shell.
• After that, use a fork to gently dock the bottom of the tart shells to avoid large bubbles forming when baking.
• Once you have filled all of the rings, place them in the freezer for an hour.
• Finally, bake the tart shells at 360ºF (182ºC) until they are dark golden brown.

How to Make the Lemon Filling

• In a separate bowl, add in your egg yolks and mix them so that they are smooth.
• Then, in a pot over medium heat, add in your sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Mix everything completely and heat it until it is just simmering.
• Next, add about ⅓ of the lemon mixture to the separate bowl of egg yolks while whisking together to temper the eggs.
• After that, add the lemon/egg mixture back into the pan with the rest of the lemon juice while whisking and bringing it back up to heat to a boil. Whisk continuously so that it heats evenly and doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Then, once it reaches a boil, let it continue to boil for about 30 seconds.
• Finally, remove the pan from heat and add in the butter. Use an immersion blender to incorporate the butter and make the curd very smooth.

Assembling the Lemon Tart

• Once you have baked your tart shells and let them fully cool, use a pastry brush to coat a thin layer of cocoa butter (or white chocolate) to the insides of the shells.
• Then, after the cocoa butter has dried inside the shells, you are ready to pour the lemon curd into the tart shells.
• Fill each shell with lemon curd almost all of the way to the top.
• Add fresh fruit, creme fraiche, and any garnish you like to complete your elevated lemon tart.

Homemade Crème Fraîche Instructions

• If you are making your own crème fraîche, then you will want to make this the day before you are preparing your lemon tarts.
• Combine the buttermilk and heavy cream in a glass bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap.
• Rest at room temperature (do not refrigerate) for 2-12 hours. The longer it sits, the thicker the creme fraiche will be. The bacterial cultures in buttermilk thicken and acidify the cream, while also preventing bad bacteria from taking over so it’s safe to be at room temperature.
• After your creme fraiche has thickened, it can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Candied Lemon Slice Garnish

• First, in a stovetop pan, mix 8 ounces of water and 7 ounces of sugar together and bring it to a boil.
• While the sugar water is warming up, cut up a lemon to create thin slices.
• Once the sugar water reaches a boil, add the thin lemon slices into the pan in a single layer.
• Then, simmer the slices for about 15 minutes.
• Transfer lemon slices to a wire rack or parchment paper and let cool. Let them dry overnight for use the next day.

White Chocolate Curl Garnish

• Using tempered chocolate and a spatula, spread the white chocolate on acetate in any shape you desire and let it cool. PRO TIP: You can roll the acetate while the chocolate is still warm and this will create a chocolate curl.
• Once it has cooled, gently peel it away from the acetate and place it onto your lemon tart.
• For these lemon tarts, we used a variety of garnishes on our tarts including, lemon slices, basic chocolate decorations, creme fraiche quenelle, edible gold leaf, berries, and abstract isomalt shapes. But you can totally get creative and make it your own! 

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start

1. If you are making your own crème fraîche, do this the day before you plan on making your lemon tart! 
2. Bring your butter to room temperature.
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time. Then, have them ready before you start. This will reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
4. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch, etc). Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and ultimately help ensure the success of your recipe. 
5. Chef Christophe Rull recommends checking on your tart shell’s baking progress every 10 minutes while baking. Depending on the oven you are using, the back of the oven may distribute more heat than the front. For instance, if you notice that the shells on the back of the oven are darker in color than the tarts on the front, rotate the baking sheet to distribute more heat to the underbaked shells.
6. For these lemon tarts, we used a variety of garnishes on our tarts including, lemon slices, basic chocolate decorations, creme fraiche quenelle, edible gold leaf, berries, and abstract isomalt shapes. But you can totally get creative and make it your own! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 4497kcal | Carbohydrates: 455g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 285g | Saturated Fat: 167g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 74g | Trans Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 1504mg | Sodium: 2542mg | Potassium: 750mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 325g | Vitamin A: 8974IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 12mg

The post Elegant Lemon Tarts appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This apple pie recipe is the best! I'm not just saying that. Why is it the best? Because it has all the things an amazing apple pie should have. Tons of tender (never mushy) apples, a thick and creamy caramel sauce (not watery) and the flakiest all-butter crust you've ever tasted. No soggy bottoms, no cracked crusts. Keep reading to find out how!

Want to learn more about the basics of making pie? Watch my pie crust tutorial

Should you pre-cook apples for apple pie?

For this apple pie recipe, we are going to pre-cook our apple filling. This ensures our apples are perfectly cooked, the filling is nice and thick and our crust doesn't get soggy. If you don't pre-cook your apples, they shrink inside the pie and then you get that gap between the filling and the top crust. Also, all the water releases from the apples as they cook, resulting in that soggy bottom.

What kind of apples are best for apple pie?

You can use any apple that you want but try to choose apples that are good for baking and will hold their shape. Here are a few of my favorites.

• Jonagold – Slightly tart, crisp and holds it’s shape well after baking.
• Honeycrisp – Crisp, sweet, holds it’s shape well after baking.
• Braeburn – Crisp, sweet and very juicy. Holds its shape well for baking.
• Mutsu – Sweet, firm and great for baking
• Pink Lady – Sweet, crisp and firm. Great for baking.

I like to core my apples first, peel off the skin and then slice them into thin wedges. I'm using cornstarch to thicken my filling but you can also use clear jel if you want a clearer filling. You can also do cubes if you prefer. It's best to make your filling the same day as your crust and let both chill overnight.

How do you make the apple pie filling?

Making apple pie filling is really easy to do and will ensure your apple pie isn't a watery mess.

1. Peel your apples. Apple's skin doesn't taste good in apple pie.
2. Core your apples using an apple corer or knife.
3. Slice into ½" wedges.
4. Combine your apples in a large saucepan with the butter and saute until the apples are warm. For extra flavor, you can brown your butter first then add in the apples.
5. Add in the first quantity of cider, sugar, honey, lemon juice and spices and saute until the apples are al dente
6. Combine your cornstarch with the cider to make a slurry. Add it to the mixture and continue cooking until thickened (2-3 more minutes).

What pie crust is best for apple pie?

For the pie crust, you want to use two different types of pie crusts. Mealy dough, which is perfect for resisting liquids and baking up nice and crisp in the oven and flakey pie dough which is more tender, puffs up more and looks beautiful for the top crust.

You can use mealy dough for the top crust if you want to but it will not flake as much or look as pretty but it will still taste delicious.

Make both of your doughs the day before you need them or at least one hour. They need time to rest and allow the gluten to relax and the water to absorb into the flour before you roll it out.

How to make a lattice crust

How to assemble your apple pie

Let your chilled mealy pie dough warm at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before you try to roll it out. It should be firm enough that the butter isn't sticky and melted but soft enough that it can be rolled out with a rolling pin.

1. Place the dough into the pie tin and cut off the excess. Leave about ¼" around the outside edge to account for shrinkage.
2. Fill the pie crust with your cooled apple filling.
3. Roll out your flakey pie dough and cut into 1" strips
4. Brush your egg wash to the outer edge of the pie crust
5. Assemble your lattice weave and trim off the excess edges to match the bottom crust
6. Pinch the edges and flute if desired
7. Brush the surface with more egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar for texture and flavor
8. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge before baking.

How do you know when an apple pie is done baking?

Move the oven rack to the lowest setting. Place your apple pie into the oven at 425ºF. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 375ºF and bake for another 30-45 minutes until the crust shrinks away from the sides of the pie plate. If you take the pie out before it shrinks from the sides then you can be sure that the very center of the dough of the bottom crust is still going to be raw.

If your crust is browning too much, cover it with tinfoil to protect it from browning although a deep golden brown is preferred for taste and texture. Only cover if you see something turning black.

How do you store apple pie?

It's best to let your apple pie cool for about an hour before serving so the crust has time to set and the filling has time to solidify but what's better than warm pie and ice cream? You can also store the pie in the fridge for the next day and then warm it before serving if you want. Store the leftovers in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to two days.

Want more apple? Check out these other recipes

Fresh apple cake
Applesauce spice cake
Stabilized whipped cream recipe 
Caramel Sauce Recipe
Shiny Candy Apple Recipe
Apple Cake Recipe

Recipe

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Best Apple Pie Recipe

The best pie crust recipe has tender (never mushy) apples, a thick and creamy caramel sauce (not watery) and the flakiest all-butter crust you've ever tasted. No soggy bottoms, no cracked crusts. Serve warm with stabilized whipped cream or ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 servings

Calories 483kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• pie weights

Ingredients

Flakey Pie Dough

• 10 ounces all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces very cold butter grated or cut into small cubes
• 3 ounces ice water

Mealy Pie Dough

• 12 ounces all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces cold butter grated
• 1 large egg cold
• 1 ounce ice water

Apple Pie Filling

• 2 lbs apples about 6 medium-sized apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ounce unsalted butter
• 4 ounces brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces apple cider (juice not vinegar)
• 1 ounce cornstarch
• 2 ounces apple cider (juice not vinegar)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the flakey dough

• Place flour and salt into a medium bowl
• Add grated cold butter and toss lightly with your hands to coat the butter with the flour
• Sprinkle half the water onto the mixture and make your hand into a "claw" stir the flour together to get the mixture to start sticking. Do NOT knead
• Keep adding in little drizzles of water until your flour and butter mixture is mostly stuck together. Press everything together and wrap in plastic wrap to chill for one hour. Flatten, do not store in a ball. 
• Chill for at least one hour or overnight. Let warm for 20 minutes on the counter or until dough is pliable but still firm before rolling out.

For the mealy dough

• Combine together the flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Add in your cold butter and mix on low until the mixture resembles a coarse mealy sand
• Add in the egg and water and mix on low until the dough sticks together
• Flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill for 20 minutes or overnight before using it. Let warm for 20 minutes or until pliable but still firm before rolling out.

For the apple filling

• Peel, core and slice apples into ½" wedges
• Place apples in a large pan over medium heat with butter. Saute until apples are warm. About one minute.
• Add the first quantity of apple cider juice, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar, honey, salt, and lemon juice and stir to combine.
• Stirring occasionally, cook until the apples have softened. They should still have a little bit of firmness, but not be mushy.
• Whisk second quantity of apple cider juice and cornstarch together in a separate cup to make a slurry, then add the slurry to the apples while gently stirring over medium-high heat.
• Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture begins to bubble to make sure the cornstarch is fully cooked.
• Add in orange extract, vanilla, salt, lemon juice, and honey. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Pie Assembly

• Preheat your oven to 425ºF
• Let mealy pie dough and flakey pie dough warm up at room temperature until you can roll it out easily but butter is still firm and not sticky
• Fill the pie crust with your cooled apple filling
• Roll out to ⅛" thick and place into your pie dish. Trim off the excess, leaving ¼" of space around the pie dish to account for shrinking.
• Roll out your flakey pie dough and cut into 1" strips.
• Brush the edges of the pie crust with your egg wash (one egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water)
• Weave the pie dough on top of the apple filling to form the lattice design.
• Pinch the lattice and the bottom crust together and flute the edges if desired
• Brush the entire pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired
• Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF then reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Bake for another 35-45 minutes or until the crust shrinks away from the sides of the pie plate.
• Let cool one hour before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to two days.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Perfect Apple Pie Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Everything you ever needed to know about making pie crust. Which dough to use (mealy or flaky), for single crust, double crust, and no-bake pies 

So often when I read about the "perfect pie crust recipe" the recipe only includes one type of pie crust. This confused me because when I was learning how to make pies in pastry school, we learned to make two types of pie crust. The mealy dough which was very similar to a shortbread crust for pies that were very liquidy and flaky pie dough for cream pies or double-crust pies. Each crust plays an important part and it's important to know which one to use and why to avoid pie fails like shrinking, cracking and soggy bottom crusts. 

So if you're having any of these problems, keep reading and learn how to make the perfect pie every time. For real!

What is mealy dough?

Mealy dough is made from flour, salt, butter egg and water. The dry ingredients are blended together with the butter to form a mealy texture before adding in the water to bind it all together. The butter pieces are very small which creates a dough that is very good at repelling moisture from liquid fillings like pumpkin or un-cooked fruit fillings.

The mealy dough is most often used for the base of double-crust pies or for custard-based pies. 

What is flaky pie dough?

Flaky pie dough is made with flour, salt, butter, and water. The butter is left in larger chunks so that when the crust is baked, you get more flaky layers than you would from baking mealy pie dough. Flaky pie dough is incredibly tender and melts in your mouth when you bite into it but is not very good at repelling water because the butter pieces are so large. The liquid can easily seep through the dough, causing soggy, undercooked bottoms. 

Flaky pie dough is best used for the top crust of double-crust pies or for no-bake cream pies. For no-bake cream pies, you will have to blind-bake the crust first, let it cool then fill it. 

How do you make pie dough?

Whether you are making mealy dough or flaky dough, it's important to keep the butter cold. I grate my cold butter right into the flour so the butter stays cold. Remember, don't over-mix the pie dough. Over-mixing will cause the gluten to get really tough and your dough will not be as tender. It's better to have a few cracks when you are rolling out then to over-work your dough for the sake of it looking pretty. 

Once you have the butter incorporated, add the water in small amounts and gently mix with your hand to distribute the water. Once it's barely sticking together, stop. Press the mixture together, wrap in plastic wrap and let the dough chill for at least one hour or overnight. This gives the flour time to absorb the water without activating more gluten. 

Resting also allows the gluten that has activated to relax so that your dough is easier to roll out and it won't spring back. 

Tip: Flatten your dough into a disk instead of leaving it in a ball so that it is easier to roll out later. 

Once your dough has rested, let it warm up a bit at room temperature. It should be warm enough that when you press down on it with the rolling pin you can make an impressing but firm enough that the butter isn't melted and soft. 

Work quickly to roll out your dough. If your dough is sticking, add more flour to your rolling pin or roll between parchment paper. Dough should be rolled out to ⅛"-¼" thick. 

How do you prevent pie dough from shrinking?

After you have the dough rolled out, transfer it to your pie plate. You can use glass, ceramic or metal. I like metal pie plates because they really brown the bottom of the crust well but glass plates are also really great so you can see if the bottom crust is done baking.

Whatever plate you use, a little shrinking is normal. In fact, that's how you know when your pie is done baking. When the crust shrinks away from the sides. If it hasn't pulled away from the sides, no matter how brown and beautiful it is on top, the bottom is still under-cooked and will be soggy.

How do you prevent the crust from shrinking too much? 

1. Leave ¼" of extra dough around the entire pie plate when you trim off the excess to account for shrinking.
2. Do not over-work the dough. Over-working causes the gluten to activate and contract when baking which causes shrinking. 
3. Freeze your pie dough for 20 minutes before filling or blind-baking.

How do you blind bake pie dough? 

Blind baking is when you bake your pie dough before you fill it. The reason for blind-baking is for when you're making a pie that doesn't require the interior to be baked like when you're making cream pies (like chocolate or coconut), pre-cooked custard pies (like banana cream or haupia) or frozen pies. 

The biggest challenge when blind baking pie dough is keeping the sides from collapsing down the sides. These are the steps to blind baking a pie successfully. 

1. Leave a little extra dough around the perimeter of the pie plate when you trim to account for shrinking.
2. Poke the bottom of your pie crust with a fork (also called docking) to prevent the steam from making your crust bubble up. 
3. Freeze your pie dough for at least 20 minutes to prevent sliding. 
4. Line your pie plate with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans. 
5. Place the pie plate on the bottom rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 375ºF
6. Remove the foil and parchment, brush with egg wash then continue baking uncovered for 15 minutes or until golden brown and the sides of the crust shrink away from the pie plate. 

How do you make a double-crust pie?

To make a double-crust pie, fill your pie pan with mealy pie dough as usual and then chill while you prepare your flaky pie dough. Roll out your flaky pie dough and cut into 1" strips if desired for a lattice crust. Brush the mealy dough with egg wash (1 egg or egg white mixed with 1 Tablespoon of water and whisked). 

Arrange your lattice or place your second layer of dough on top of the mealy dough and trim off the excess dough. Press the two doughs together and flute the sides or press with a fork. If using a single sheet of pie dough, make sure you cut in some vents to allow air to escape. 

Brush the surface with more egg wash and some sanding sugar if desired for texture, color, and flavor before baking. 

How do you prevent the pie crust from getting too brown?

If your pie crust has not shrunk from the sides of the plate and is getting too brown, you can cover the top of the crust with some aluminum foil or you can move one of your oven racks to the top of the oven and put a sheet pan or piece of aluminum foil on the rack to prevent browning. I prefer to do it this way so that I don't accidentally damage my pie. 

You can also purchase pie crust protectors that sit on top of the pie crust as it bakes to prevent browning. 

So hopefully this has answered a lot of your questions on how to make the perfect pie crust. Get my recipe for mealy dough and flaky pie dough below. 

For more pie recipes, check these out!

Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Haupia Pie Recipe
Apple Pie Recipe

The post Pie Crust 101: How To Make Perfect Pie Crust appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Haupia pie is a no-bake cream pie made with coconut milk. Half of the custard is layered into a flakey pie crust that has been baked and cooled. The remaining custard is mixed with chocolate and poured on top. The pie is chilled and then topped with stabilized whipped cream.

Want to learn more about the basics of making pie? Watch my pie crust tutorial

The first time I had haupia pie was on our recent trip to Oahu to visit my aunt and cousins I've never met before. My mom passed away when I was 19 so I didn't get a chance to ask her about her family history. It was really awesome to meet my Mother's sister and all her kids and their kids. My uncle served up some delicious burgers, POG and sweet rolls topped with a sticky sweet frosting.

I was also 3 months pregnant with my son so I wanted to EAT ALL THE FOOD.  I asked my followers what places I should visit while I was there and overwhelmingly, Ted's Bakery was high up on the list.

I had never had haupia pie but I had heard of it. I wasn't sure what to expect. I'll never forget sitting on the beach with my husband Dan as we took our first bite and I had a look of shock on my face. Omg it was so good! Creamy, slightly coconut-y and the crust was melt0-in-your mouth delicious.

Before I took my next bite, I knew I wanted to try and re-create it.

Since then, I have re-created this pie for Avalon's Moana themed 5th birthday party and for Thanksgiving. What can I say? I'm hooked on haupia pie!

What is haupia?

Haupia (how-pee-uh) is made from coconut milk, sugar, water and salt and traditionally thickened with arrowroot but modern recipes typically use cornstarch.

Haupia is often served at special events like luaus. It is usually chilled and then cut into cubes before serving. Technically it is a pudding but its texture is more like a gelatin dessert but gelatin is not traditionally used. If you do use gelatin, the dessert is not considered to be a true haupia dessert.

haupia has a creamy texture that is pure heaven for coconut lovers like me. Haupia can be very rubbery if too much cornstarch is added so care is needed to make sure the perfect amount of cornstarch is added for the perfect balance of firm and soft.

How to blind-bake the crust

Haupia pie is so super simple to make. It all starts with blind-baking a flakey pie crust. Pre-baking (blind-baking) the pie crust is necessary since haupia pie filling is not baked.

1. Let the chilled dough come to room temperature for 20 minutes
2. Roll out the dough ⅛" thick and place into your 9" pie plate
3. Trim off the excess dough but leave ¼" of dough all the way around to account for shrinking
4. Poke some holes in the bottom of the crust with your fork and flute the edges of the dough with your fingers if desired.
5. Brush the surface of the dough with egg wash (one egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water) to promote browning and a shiny crust.
6. Freeze for 20 minutes.
7. Place some aluminum foil or parchment paper in the bottom of the pie and fill with pie weights.
8. Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 15 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven, carefully lift out the aluminum foil and weights.
10. Return the crust to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until a golden brown.
11. Let cool fully before filling

How to make the haupia pie

1. Prepare your coconut filling
2. Divide in half
3. Combine one half with the chocolate and stir until smooth
4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cooled pie shell. Chill until firm
5. Pour the rest of the coconut mixture on top of the chocolate and smooth
6. Chill for one hour or overnight before topping with whipped cream and serving

Recipe

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Haupia Pie

Haupia pie is a traditional Hawiian dessert made from thickened coconut milk and chocolate and layered into a pre-baked pie crust and topped with whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

resting time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 678kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• pie weights

Ingredients

Flakey Pie Dough

• 10 ounces all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces cold butter grated
• 2 ounces ice water

Haupia Pie Filling

• 14 ounces coconut milk one can
• 8 ounces water or milk
• 2 teaspoons coconut extract
• 7 ounces granulated sugar
• 8 ounces water
• 2 ounces cornstarch
• 6 ounces chocolate good quality
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream topping (optional)

• 12 ounces heavy cream
• 2 ounces powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 3 Tablespoons cold water
• 1 teaspoon heavy cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF

For the flakey dough

• Place the flour and salt into a medium-sized bowl
• Grate your cold butter directly into the flour mixture
• Toss the mixture until the butter is coated with flour
• Add in the water in small amounts and mix with your other hand until the flour is almost all absorbed.
• Flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill for 30 minutes or overnight before using it. Let warm for 20 minutes or until pliable but still firm before rolling out.
• Roll out dough ⅛" thick and place it into a 9" pie plate. Cut off the excess, leave ¼" of dough all the way around to account for shrinking.
• Brush the surface of the pie with egg wash (one egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water) to promote even browning and a shiny crust
• Poke some holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork.
• Freeze the pie for 20 minutes
• Place some foil or parchment paper in the pie pan then fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the foil carefully. Put the pie back in the oven for 15 minutes or until it's golden brown and has pulled away from the sides of the pie plate.
• Set aside to cool

For the haupia pie filling

• in a medium saucepan combine together the coconut milk, first quantity of water, coconut extract and sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer.
• Combine together the second quantity of water and the cornstarch and whisk to make a slurry
• Once the mixture is simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the cornstarch mixture. Whisk constantly until thickened. About 3 minutes. Add in your vanilla and stir to combine.
• Divide the mixture into two bowls.
• Add the chocolate to one of the bowls and whisk until the chocolate is fully melted.
• Pour the chocolate mixture into the cooled pie crust *note I accidentally did this backwards on my pie, don't do as I do, do as I say haha
• Chill the crust with the chocolate filling for 15 minutes or until set
• Pour the remaining coconut mixture on top of the cooled chocolate and put it back in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Stabilized whipped cream

• Sprinkle your gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes. 
• Melt gelatin for 5 seconds in the microwave. If not fully melted do another 3 seconds. You can tell gelatin is melted when there are no granules of unmelted gelatin visible.

  After dissolving your gelatin, add in 1 teaspoon of heavy cream and mix. If your gelatin is too cold, heat again until it's melted (5 seconds).
• In a cold mixing bowl, whip your heavy cream to soft peaks
• Add in your powdered sugar and vanilla
• Turn your mixer down to low and drizzle in your gelatin and mix until whipped cream forms stiff peaks. Pipe onto your pie as desired.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 673IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Traditional Chocolate Haupia Pie appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

A hand pie is basically a miniature pie that fits in your hand. It can be sweet or savory and is made by placing a small amount of filling onto a circular (or rectangular) piece of pie dough, folding the dough over and sealing it shut before baking. You'll be shocked how much easier they are to make than an actual pie. 

Hand pies make great desserts for parties and weddings because there's no need to cut a pie and serve it. Simply set them out and the guests can serve themselves! 

Does anybody else remember these hand pies? The grocery store was always a magical place for me when I was a child. The bakery would always give me a "free sample" and if I was really good, my dad would buy me one of those $1 hand pies.

I used to LOVE these! We very rarely got any kind of treats or sweets growing up so this was a major big deal if you ever got one of these.

I decided to show Avalon what she was missing so I picked her up one while I was out (and one for myself of course). 

Sadly the hand pie was not as I remembered. The crust was stale and bland and the filling was very goopy and not very flavorful. 

Why are childhood treats never as good as we remember them? 

So of course, I had to try and remake them for myself but this time, extra delicious and with multiple fillings! 

HAND PIE INGREDIENTS

There are endless options for making hand pies as far as flavors go, depending on the season. Most of the ingredients you will need are pretty standard like flour, salt, sugar, eggs, water, and butter. 

For the filling, the ingredients will vary. One ingredient you might need to purchase ahead of time is ClearGel (similar to cornstarch but stays really shiny) or you can use cornstarch if that's all you have.

PÁTE BRISÉE (MEALY PIE DOUGH) STEP-BY-STEP

Pâte Brisée is a French version of classic pie dough. It's great for hand pies because it repels liquid while baking, making sure your hand pies don't get soggy.

Step 1 – Place flour, salt, and cold butter pieces into the bowl of your stand mixer and blend on low until mixture resembles coarse sand.

Step 2 – Add in your egg and just enough cold water to bring the mixture together.

Step 3 – Press into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for one hour minimum. Don't skip the chilling, or your pie crust will melt in the oven. 

HOMEMADE HAND PIES STEP-BY-STEP

Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper. The parchment paper will save you from a messy clean-up if one of your hand-pies bursts during baking which can happen!

Step 2 – Take out the chilled pie dough and place it on a flat surface dusted with flour. Let your dough warm up for a bit (around 20-40 minutes) until you can roll it out without it cracking. You don't want it TOO warm though or it will stick to your rolling pin. Take out your filling(s) and let it come to room temperature.

Step 3 –Roll out your cold pie dough to ⅛" thick and cut into 6" circles. I also made some with a 5" cutter so the pies were a little smaller and better if you don't want such huge servings.

Pro Tip: When rolling out cold pie dough, start in the center and work your way out, making tiny little rolls and rotating frequently until it becomes easier to roll. Go slow and be patient!

Step 4 – Add 3 Tablespoon of filling (don't overfill or they will burst while baking) 5" circles only need 1 Tablespoon of filling. If you're using curd, you can add a tiny bit more.

Step 5 – Brush the edges with egg wash, fold and crimp edges firmly to seal shut with a fork.

Step 6 – With a small sharp knife, cut 3 slits into the top, center of the pie. Be careful to not cut all the way through to the bottom, but really make sure the slits are open. Air will release through these vents while baking and keep your filling from blowing out. 

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO BAKE HAND PIES?

Baking, air-frying, or deep-frying? Which way is the best way to bake those tasty hand pies? I wanted to find out so I tested out each way of baking.

First up, baked hand-pies! 

Step 1 –Place pies on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

Step 2 – Bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be golden brown on the tops and bottoms and the filling will just be starting to bubble.

Step 3 –Let your hand pies cool for 10 minutes. While your hand pies are cooling, make your glaze. Just whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth.

 

WHAT KIND OF CRUST IS BEST FOR HAND PIES?

A hand pie is a tiny version of a full-sized pie so we want to use a similar pie crust. I'm using Pâte Brisée which is a very simple, not-too-sweet but delicious crust.

It's very similar to pie dough but the texture is finer and stronger than traditional pie dough. Perfect for making hand pies. Pâte Brisée is also perfect for savory hand pies since it doesn't contain any sugar. 

HOW DO I STOP MY PIES FROM LEAKING?

There are three reasons why your hand-pie might be leaking. Follow these steps to make sure your hand-pies don't burst. 

1. Don't Overfill - You might think you want to fill that hand pie to the max but filling expands while baking so if your hand pie is too full, the filling will expand and then leak out of your crust. 
2. Seal The Edges - Make sure you really seal those edges. Dampen the crust with a little egg wash and then press together with a fork. Make sure there isn't any filling on the edge of the dough or it will break the seal and cause the hand pie to leak. 
3. Vent - Don't forget to give your pies some vents for steam to escape during baking, otherwise, the pressure can build up and cause your hand pie to leak everywhere. 
4. Cracking - Cracks can also cause your pies to burst while baking. Smooth them out to prevent your filling from seeping out. 

WHAT KIND OF FILLING IS GOOD FOR HAND PIES?

Apple and blueberry are the most popular fillings for hand pies but you can use pretty much any type of filling you like including cherry filling, lemon curd, chocolate pastry cream, strawberry filling or peach filling.

If you don't want to make a bunch of homemade fillings, you can buy pre-made pie filling at the grocery store and I won't judge you one bit. 

For savory hand pies, you can try chicken pot pie filling, creamy mushrooms, and beef, or even ham and cheese for a breakfast hand pie. 

I'm not convinced there's any meal that could not be transformed into a hand pie. 

Peach Filling
Blueberry Filling
Cherry Filling
Lemon Curd
Strawberry Reduction
Berry Filling

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Hand Pies Recipe

The best hand pies with endless flavor options. Bake, deep-fry or air fry! Sweet or savory. This one recipe is all you need. Apple, blueberry, lemon, peach, or cherry. The filling options are endless. Follow my tips for troubleshooting common problems and avoiding leaks and cracks.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

chilling 1 hour hour

Servings 8 servings

Calories 274kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment

Ingredients

For the hand pie dough

• 12 ounces all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces cold unsalted butter cut into cubes or grated
• 1 large egg
• 1 ounce ice cold water

Fruit filling

• 16 ounces fresh or frozen fruit (apples, peaches, blueberries, strawberries etc)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice you can use more or less to your taste
• 6 ounces water or juice that complements the flavor of the fruit
• 1 ounce unsalted butter
• 2 ounces sugar white or brown
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ounce ClearGel or ½ ounce cornstarch
• 1 ounce water

Glaze

• 4 ounces powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the hand pie dough

• Place flour, salt, and cold butter pieces into the bowl of your stand mixer and blend on low until mixture resembles coarse sand.
• Add in your egg and just enough water to bring the mixture together
• Press into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for one hour.

For the fruit filling

• Prepare your fresh fruit by chopping into small cubes (if needed) or use frozen fruit. No need to defrost.
• Place your fruit and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and bubbling.
• Add in your water (or juice), sugar, lemon juice, and salt and mix until combined. Bring to a simmer.
• Combine your ClearGel with your water and whisk to make a slurry. Pour into your simmering mixture and mix for 1-2 minutes to cook the gel. If you're using cornstarch, you only need to cook until it's clear.
• Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

How to make hand pies

• Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper
• Let your dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to let it soften a bit
• Dust your surface with flour. Begin by pressing your dough with your rolling pin to start flattening it.
• Roll your dough out to ⅛ thick or about the thickness of a cake board. Thinner than you think. Thinner dough results in a crisper, crunchier crust for your hand pies.
• Cut your dough into 6" circles. I used a 6" cake board as a template or you can use a 5" circle cutter if you want smaller hand pies.
• Fill your 6" hand pie with 3 tablespoons of fruit filling (5" circles take 1 heaping Tablespoon). Do not overfill.
• Brush the outside edge with egg wash (one egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of cold water)
• Fold the hand pie over and crimp with a fork to seal well
• Use a knife or fork to make some vents on top
• Brush the hand pies with more egg wash and place them onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Chill for 20 minutes.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be golden brown and the filling will just be starting to bubble.
• Let your hand pies cool for 10 minutes.
• While your hand pies are cooling, make your glaze. Just whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth.
• Use a pastry brush to brush the thin glaze over the hand pies and enjoy!
• These hand pies taste best the day they are baked but will last for three days in an airtight container in the fridge or frozen for up to 2 months.

Video

Notes

For fruit filling, feel free to adjust spices and flavorings to suit your tastes. For apple I like to add a little cinnamon. 

Air Fryer Instructions

1. Prepare your hand pies as usual and chill 20 minutes
2. Brush the surface with egg wash and sprinkle on some sanding sugar for color and flavor (optional). 
3. Set your temperature to 400ºF on your air fryer
4. Place your hand pies inside the air fryer basket and fry for 13-15 minutes until golden brown and filling just begins to bubble

Deep fried hand pies instructions

1. Prepare your hand pies as usual but do not cut large slits for vents, use a fork for small vents so the filling doesn't leak out. Then place them in the fridge to chill for at least one hour. 
2. Heat up 4 inches of neutral oil (like vegetable shortening or canola oil) in a deep pot (like a dutch oven) to 375ºF. Use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temp. Make sure you place the pot at the back of the stove, especially if you have kids. Hot oil is very dangerous and so are splashes. 
3. Place 2-3 hand pies in the hot oil and fry 3-4 minutes until golden brown. 
4. Drain on a paper towel and then dust in powdered sugar or cover in sugar glaze before serving. They are best when eaten the same day. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Hand Pies appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This dough is similar to making shortbread. The butter coats the flour and just melts in your mouth when you bite into it. Make a big batch ahead of time, portion and freeze for when you need it! Don't buy frozen pie crusts every again.  

Mealy Dough VS Flaky Dough?

Mealy pie dough is best for using for pies that have a liquid or custard filling like pumpkin, or apple pie filling because it won't get soggy. The pieces of fat in the flour are very small, making the fat distribution denser which repels liquids.

The pie crust bakes up very crisp so you don't get that soggy layer under your filling. Nothing worse than biting into some pumpkin pie and the bottom is all gummy. Yuck. 

Mealy pie dough is also the perfect pie dough for hand pies because it's very sturdy and easy to work with but still very tender and crisp when you eat it. 

You can use flaky pie dough for a bottom crust but flaky is suited for pies that have cooked fillings like mousse, no-bake cream pies, or pies with pre-cooked fillings to avoid that soggy bottom crust. 

How To Make Mealy Pie Dough Step By Step

Pro-tip - The best way to make mealy pie dough is to use a stand mixer or food processor. This works the cold butter into the flour and makes the mixture mealy without needing to use your hands. If you use your hands, the butter can melt pretty fast and your crust will get tough. 

Step 1 - Combine the flour, salt, and butter together in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (a mealy texture).

Step 2 - Add in your egg and cold water and mix until the flour is moistened. That's it! 

Step 3 - Remove your dough from the bowl and press it into a flattened disk. This will make it easier to roll out later. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it into the fridge to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes but overnight is best. This resting allows the flour time to absorb the water and for gluten to develop which makes the crust easier to roll out. 

How To Use Mealy Pie Dough

Once your mealy pie dough has rested it's time to roll it out! Take your dough out of the fridge and let it warm up a bit. It might take 20 minutes or more. You want the pie dough to be pliable enough to roll out but still firm. 

You can test the dough to see if it's ready by bending it. If it bends without cracking then it's ready to roll out. 

To roll the dough, begin by pressing down a few times with your rolling pin to thin the dough out. Then, working from the center, begin rolling the dough out into a large circle. 

To transfer the dough to your pie plate you can simply lift the dough up with your hands and transfer it to the pie plate. Or you can dust the surface with flour and roll it up onto your rolling pin and unroll it into your pie plate. 

Trim off the excess dough, flute the edges.

Depending on the type of pie you are making, you can bake the crust, par-bake it or fill it with pie filling and apply a flaky pie crust for the top of the pie. 

Remember to always freeze your pie dough for 15-20 minutes before baking to prevent shrinking! 

You can freeze any leftover dough to use for another pie!

How To Bake A Single Crust Pie With A Liquid Filling

Mealy pie dough is perfect for baking pies with a very liquid filling like pumpkin pie or other custard pies. This is how you prep your mealy pie dough for a single-crust pie with a liquid filling. 

1. Make your filling and let it cool (this is a good thing to do the day before you make your pie).
2. Make your mealy pie dough and let it chill for one hour or overnight (you can make it the same time as your filling).
3. When you're ready to bake, let your dough warm up at room temperature just until it's pliable and able to be rolled out without cracking.
4. Roll out your dough to ⅛″ thick and place it into your pie pan. Press it gently into the bottom of the pan.
5. Trim off the excess dough but leave about ¼″ excess dough all the way around to account for shrinking.
6. Pinch the edges to make them decorative or use a fork to make decorations.
7. Freeze the pie dough for 20 minutes (or more). 
8. Brush the pie dough with egg wash to promote a shiny and brown crust (optional). 
9. Fill your pie crust with the pie filling and bake until the pie crust pulls away from the edges of the pan and is golden brown. Trust me, do not take the pie out of the oven until it shrinks or the center of your crust will be doughy. 

Double-Crust Pie With Mealy Dough And Flaky Dough

If you're making a double-crust pie like apple pie or cherry pie then you'll want to make a batch of flaky pie in addition to the mealy pie dough. Make both pie doughs the day before as well as your filling to allow both to rest and for the filling to cool.

1. Prep your mealy pie dough as instructed above and trim off the extra crust (leaving that ¼" of extra dough all the way around.
2. Fill your pie crust with your cooled filling. Do not over-fill or it will spill out of your pie. 
3. Brush the outside edges of your mealy pie dough with egg wash. This is the glue that holds the two pie crusts together. 
4. Depending on the pie you are making, you can now create a lattice top like I make with my apple pie or you can create a single crust. If making a single crust, don't forget to cut a few vents in the top to allow for air to escape. 
5. Press the two crusts together and then cut off the excess dough. Don't forget to leave that ¼" of dough all the way around to allow for shrinking during baking. 
6. Flute the edge or press it together with a fork. 
7. Brush the entire surface of your pie crust with egg wash to make it nice and shiny. If you skip this step, your crust will have a hard time browning and will look very dull. 
8. FREEZE your pie for 30 minutes to set the dough. While your pie is freezing, you can preheat your oven. Move your oven rack to the lowest place in the oven. 
9. Bake your pie until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pie pan indicating the center of your crust has baked. If the pie edges start to brown before your pie has baked, you can cover them with foil or a pie crust protector. 

How To Prep Pie Crusts And Freeze Them

Do you want to prep a lot of pie crusts to use for the future? Mealy pie dough is perfect for freezing.

After your pie dough has rested, you can roll it out and put it into your pie plate. Trim off the excess and flute the edges. Don't forget to leave about ¼" of extra dough all the way around the edge of the pie plate to avoid it shrinking too much. 

Then you can freeze the whole thing to use later (instead of buying a pre-made frozen crust) or you can freeze it for 20 minutes and then bake it up. Freezing the dough also helps keep it from shrinking. 

You can stack multiple pies by place a square of parchment or plastic wrap in between each pie. Use disposable pie tins for easy baking. 

Need more pie? Check out these other recipes

Flaky pie crust recipe

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Apple Pie Recipe

Chocolate Coconut Haupia Pie

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Mealy Pie Dough Recipe (Pate Brise)

The right pie crust for the job. Mealy pie dough is the perfect pie dough for pies with a liquid filling. This dense, buttery crust repels water and stays nice and crispy! Say no to soggy bottom pies!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

resting time 2 hours hours

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2 crusts

Calories 655kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• pie weights

Ingredients

Mealy Pie Dough

• 12 ounces all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces cold butter grated
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg cold
• 1 ounce ice water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Combine together the flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Add in your cold butter and mix on low until the mixture resembles a coarse mealy sand
• Add in the egg and water and mix on low until the dough sticks together
• Flatten the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or overnight before using it. Let the dough warm up at room temperature for 20 minutes or until its pliable but still firm before rolling it out.

Notes

The best way to make mealy pie dough is to use a stand mixer or food processor. This works the cold butter into the flour and makes the mixture mealy without needing to use your hands. If you use your hands, the butter can melt pretty fast and your crust will get tough. 

Always chill your pie dough for at least 20 minutes or better, overnight. This allows the flour time to absorb the water and develop gluten which makes your pie crust stronger and prevents cracking. 

Let your pie dough warm-up for 20 minutes or more before rolling it out. If you can bend the pie dough without it cracking then it's ready to roll out. 

Always leave ¼" of pie dough all the way around the pie plate when you trim off the excess to account for shrinking during baking. 

Always FREEZE your pie before baking it to prevent the dough from shrinking and sliding down the pie plate. 

Always bake your pie until the crust pulls away from the pie plate, indicating that the center of the pie crust has baked and contracted. If you do not bake until the pie shrinks, your crust will always be soggy and doughy in the middle. 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 2crusts | Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 130g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 8mg

The post Mealy Pie Dough (Pâte Brisée) appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Fruit Tart Ingredients

There are a lot of ingredients in this photo because we're making tart dough, pastry cream, and topping it with fresh berries and glaze. Don't be intimidated though, all these ingredients are very common in most household kitchens. Make sure your butter is room temperature. Soft enough to leave an indent with your finger but not melted. Your eggs should also be warm. I place mine (while still in the shell) into a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.

Note: This recipe makes enough dough for 2 tarts (maybe even three depending on the size of your pan). Theoretically, you could cut this recipe in half by whisking the whole egg and cutting it in half but it's really easy to just freeze the extra dough to use for later!

How to Make a Fresh Fruit Tart

Making The Tart Dough Step-By-Step

Step 1 – Add the softened butter into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds until it's smooth.

Step 2 – Add in your sifted powdered sugar, salt, and mix until smooth.

Step 3 – Add in the vanilla and the egg and mix until combined.

Step 5 – Gradually add your flour and mix until everything starts to come together and a dough forms.

Step 6 – Divide the dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into disks. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour before using your dough. If you skip this step, your crust will melt in the oven.

Pastry Cream Step-By-Step

This pastry cream recipe is a baking staple. It’s basically vanilla pudding (if you’re in the USA) or a custard. It's super versatile and can even be made dairy-free by replacing milk with coconut milk and butter with vegan butter!

Pro Tip: Use real vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste to take your cream up a notch. Vanilla extract will work fine, but I love seeing all the little black specks in my dessert. Plus the star flavor is vanilla, so why not?! 1 vanilla bean pod = 1 tablespoon vanilla.

Step 1 – Bring milk and first quantity of sugar (5 oz) to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisking constantly to avoid burning.

Step 2 – In a separate, large heatproof bowl, combine the eggs, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and the second quantity of sugar (4 oz), whisk to combine.

Step 3 – Once the milk is simmering, turn off the heat and add ¼ of your hot milk mixture to the egg mixture VERY slowly while whisking constantly. This is going to temper (slowly heat) your egg yolk mixture and avoid curdled scrambled eggs. Whisk until smooth.

Step 4 – Turn the heat back on (medium) and slowly add the mixture to the rest of the milk in your saucepan, whisking constantly. Bring it to a simmer.

Step 5 – Once your mixture starts bubbling, continue whisking for 1 minute to ensure the mixture is cooked and properly thickened.

Step 6 – Pour your mixture into a heatproof container. Divide your softened butter into cubes and place them on top of the pastry cream, allowing them to melt. Do not cover.

Step 7 – Allow your pastry cream to cool at room temperature until just warm to the touch. This will take a few hours. You will know it's ready to stir when the bowl feels barely warm and the edges of the butter are starting to turn solid in color.

Step 8 – Stir in your butter with a whisk. Don't be worried if it looks curdled at first, this is normal. Just keep whisking until smooth.

Pro Tip - Use an immersion blender to make your pastry cream super smooth and creamy

Step 9 – Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap so that it's touching the surface of the pastry cream to avoid a skin forming. Let it cool fully before using it in a tart shell.

Fruit Tart Assembly Step-By-Step

Step 1 – Take your tart dough out of the refrigerator about 30-60 minutes before rolling it out. It should be slightly flexible but still firm.

Step 2 – Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin and roll it out to ⅛ inch thick. Don't make it too thick! Use a ruler to check the thickness. Rotate frequently and pinch together any cracks when rolling.

Step 3 – Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and lay it into the tart shell. I prefer a tart pan with a removable bottom. That way you can see the beautiful edges of the tart after baking. The removable bottom also makes it easy to take the crust out of the tin. You can make a tart in a regular pie pan, you just won't be able to remove it from the pan.

Step 4 – Carefully lift the dough up on the sides and press it into the pan. Use your fingers to press the dough into the ridges on the side. Don't press too hard that you press through the dough. Make sure you get into the bottom corners!

Step 5 – Roll your rolling pin flush across the top of the tart shell to remove the excess dough. Squish together the leftovers and save them to make another tart!

Step 6 – Freeze the tart shell for 20 minutes. Do NOT skip this step!

Step 7 – Press a layer of tin foil into the tart shell, all the way into the corners and fill with pie weights. Also, do this if you're using a regular pie pan instead of a tart shell.

Step 8 – Place on top of a baking sheet and blind bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Rotate after 15 minutes to promote even browning. After 30 minutes, lift out the weights and bake for another 10 minutes. The edges will be golden brown and will start to pull away from the edges of the pan.

Step 9 – Place the whole tart and pan into the fridge to cool down.

Fresh Fruit Tart Assembly  Step-By-Step

Step 1 – Wash all of your fruit and dry fully. Check out my berry wash recipe to learn how to make your fruit last up to 3 weeks in the fridge!

Step 2 – Prepare your strawberries and kiwi fruit and cut in ⅛ inch thick slices. You do not need to cut berries because they will get mangled looking.

Pro Tip: You want to use the sharpest knife possible when cutting fruits and vegetables. The sharper the knife, the easier it is to cut and the less likely you'll be to push too hard or slip and injure yourself. 

Step 3 – Gently lift your cooled tart out of the tart pan. Transfer to a plate or keep it on the bottom pan.

Pro Tip -  Dab a bit of melted chocolate on the plate to glue the tart shell to the plate and keep it from sliding around

Step 4 – Optional: Melt down some chocolate and brush a thin layer onto the inside of the tart shell. This is a trick I learned while working at a Safeway bakery and will keep the crust from getting soggy. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to set the chocolate.

Step 5 – Add in the pastry cream and use a spatula to smooth it out. Fill the tart with pastry cream.

Step 6 – Decorate the tart with your fruit! I like to go from the outside-in and have contrasting colors when I layer my fruit.

Step 7 – Mix the apricot preserves and water and then microwave until melted (about 10 seconds). Glaze the cut strawberries and kiwi with the mixture. This will keep your fruit from drying out and looking very shiny! You can also thin piping gel or corn syrup with water and use it as a glaze.

Step 8 – Refrigerate until serving. I left mine in the fridge overnight and ate this the next day for my husband, Dan's birthday!

The pastry cream sets up overnight so that you can cut through it but is still soft and creamy. The chocolate keeps the crust super crisp and actually tastes amazing with the fresh fruit.

FAQ

Can I Use Granulated Sugar Instead Of Powdered Sugar

Granulated sugar tends to aerate the butter and make the dough fluffy which is not what we want. The air pockets expand and cause the dough to shrivel and shrink during baking

CAN I DO THIS WITHOUT A STAND MIXER?

You can definitely make tart dough without a stand mixer. You can use a hand-held mixer or you can even just mix with a fork by hand.

RELATED RECIPES:

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Hand Pies

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Fresh Fruit Tart Recipe

Luscious, seasonal berries and other fruits piled high on top of silky smooth pastry cream and a delightfully buttery and crispy sweet tart crust. Sealing the crust with a layer of chocolate and the cut fruit with a glaze keeps this tart fresh for days. The perfect garden party or summer BBQ show stopper!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Cooling 4 hours hours

Total Time 5 hours hours

Servings 12 servings

Calories 537kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Rolling Pin
• Stand mixer with the paddle attachment
• 9 ½" Tart pan with a removable bottom. (You can also use a pie pan.)
• Pie weights for blind baking (Or dried beans, rice, etc.)
• pastry brush
• Knife

Ingredients

Pâte sucrée (tart dough recipe)

• 4 ounces powdered sugar
• 8 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 ounces all purpose flour
• 1 large egg room temperature

Pastry Cream

• 32 ounces whole milk substitute: almond, soy, coconut milk etc.
• 5 ounces sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract use vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean pod if desired
• 3 ounces cornstarch
• 4 ounces sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened

Fresh Fruit Tart

• ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate optional for keeping the crust from getting soggy.
• 2 cups mixed berries of your choice
• 2 Tablespoons apricot preserves for glazing any kind of jam will work.
• 1 Tablespoon water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pâte sucrée (tart dough recipe)

• Add the butter into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
• Place a colander over the bowl of your stand mixer and sift in your powdered sugar. This is not required, but if your powdered sugar has lumps in it, it will show up in your crust.
• Add in the salt. Mix on low until everything is combined.
• Add in the vanilla and the egg and mix until combined.
• Then gradually add your flour and mix until everything starts to come together and a dough forms.
• Divide the dough into 2 pieces. (This is enough for 2 tarts.) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and flatten into 2 disks. Refrigerate for minimum of 1 hour before using. If you skip this step, your crust will melt in the oven.

Pastry Cream

• Bring milk and first quantity of sugar (5 oz) to a simmer over medium high heat. Whisking constantly to avoid burning.
• In a separate, large heat proof bowl, combine the eggs, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and the second quantity of sugar (4 oz), whisk to combine.
• Once the milk is simmering, turn off the heat and add ¼ of your hot milk mixture to the egg mixture VERY slowly while whisking constantly. This is going to temper your egg yolk mixture and avoid curdled scrambled eggs. Whisk until smooth.
• Turn the heat back on (medium) and slowly add the mixture to the rest of the milk in your saucepan, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer.
• Once your mixture starts bubbling, continue whisking for 1 minute to ensure the mixture is cooked and properly thickened.
• Pour your mixture into a heatproof container. Divide your softened butter into cubes and place them on top of the pastry cream, allowing them to melt. Do not cover.
• Allow your pastry cream to cool at room temperature until just warm to the touch. This will take a few hours.
• Stir in your butter with a whisk. Don't be worried if it looks curdled at first, this is normal. Just keep whisking until smooth.
• Optional: Blend pastry cream with an emersion blender to make it extra smooth.
• Cover with plastic wrap so that it's touching the surface of the pastry cream to avoid a skin forming. Chill before using. Can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

The Tart Shell

• Take your tart dough out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before rolling it out. It should be slightly flexible but still firm.
• Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin and roll it out to ⅛ inch thick. Don't make it too thick! Use a ruler to check the thickness. Rotate frequently and pinch together any cracks when rolling.
• Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and lay it into the tart shell.
• Carefully lift the dough up on the sides and press it into the pan. Use your fingers to press the dough into the ridges on the side. Don't press too hard that you press through the dough. Make sure you get into the bottom corners!
• Roll your rolling pin flush across the top of the tart shell to remove the excess dough. (Squish together the leftovers and save them to make another tart!)
• Freeze the tart shell for 20 minutes. Do NOT skip this step!
• Preheat your oven to 350ºF
• Press a layer of tin foil into the tart shell, all the way into the corners and fill with pie weights. (Also do this if you're using a regular pie pan instead of a tart shell.)
• Place on top of a baking sheet and blind bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Rotate after 15 minutes to promote even browning. After 30 minutes, lift out the weights and bake for another 10 minutes. The edges will be golden brown and will start to pull away from the edges of the pan.
• Place the whole tart and pan into the fridge to cool down.

Assembling The Fruit Tart

• Wash all your fruit and dry fully.
• Cut off the tops of your strawberries and slice ⅛ inch thick.
• Cut the ends of the kiwi off and use a sharp paring knife to cut off the skin. Slice ⅛ inch thick.
• Gently lift your cooled tart out of the tart pan. Transfer to a plate or keep it on the bottom pan. (Tip: dab a bit of chocolate to the plate to keep the tart from sliding around.)
• Optional: Melt down the chocolate and brush a thin layer onto inside of the tart shell. (This will keep the crust from getting soggy.)
• Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to set the chocolate.
• Add in the pastry cream and use a spatula to smooth it out. Fill the tart ¾ full with cream.
• Add the fruit to decorate however you like! See my pictures above for ideas.
• Mix the apricot preserves and water, microwave until melted. Glaze the cut fruit (strawberries and kiwi) with the mixture.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight. Lasts 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Video

Notes

Chocolate- melt low and slow. In a glass bowl, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, 15 seconds, stir, and continue until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Do not burn!

You CANNOT half or quarter the tart dough or pastry cream recipes because they each have 1 whole egg as a required ingredient. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 881IU | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Fresh Fruit Tart Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

PÂTE SUCRÉE (TART DOUGH) INGREDIENTS

Pro Tip - Make sure your butter is room temperature. Room temperature butter is when it's soft enough to leave an indent with your finger but it still holds its shape and is not melted all over the plate. I make my butter room temperature by microwaving it for 10-second increments until its the right consistency.  

PÂTE SUCRÉE STEP-BY-STEP

Step 1 – Add the room temperature butter into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds until its smooth.

Step 2 – Add in the vanilla and the egg to the butter and mix until combined. 

Pro Tip - Cold eggs must be room temperature to combine with the butter properly. Place cold eggs (while still in the shell) into warm water for 5 minutes to bring them to room temperature. 

Step 3 - Add your powdered sugar to the butter mixture (I sift mine to remove lumps) and add the salt. 

Step 4 – While mixing on low, gradually add your flour and mix until everything starts to come together and a dough forms.

Step 5 – Divide the dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into disks. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour before using your dough. If you skip this step, your crust will melt in the oven. 

MAKING A TART SHELL

Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Take your tart dough out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before rolling it out. It should be slightly flexible but still firm. 

Step 2 – Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin and roll the dough out to ⅛ inch thick. The type of rolling pin you use does not matter as long as it's flat. Begin by evenly rolling out your dough and moving it on the floured surface frequently to prevent sticking. Rotate frequently, add flour to keep from sticking and press any cracks together. Don't worry about too many cracks!

Pro-Tip: If your dough keeps cracking, it could be too cold. Let it rest for 10 minutes and try rolling again.

Step 3 – Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and lay it into the pan. I prefer a 91/2" tart pan with a removable bottom. That way you can see the beautiful edges of the tart after baking. The removable bottom also makes it easy to take the crust out of the tin. 

Step 4 – Carefully lift the dough up on the sides and press it into the pan. Use your fingers to press the dough into the ridges on the side. Don't press too hard that you press through the dough. Make sure you get into the bottom corners!

Step 5 – Roll your rolling pin flush across the top of the tart shell to remove the excess dough. Or you can use a paring knife to cut off the excess evenly. Squish together the leftovers and save them to make another tart.

Step 6 – Freeze the tart shell for 20 minutes. Do NOT skip this step!

Step 7 – Press a layer of tin foil into the tart shell, all the way into the corners and fill (to the top) with pie weights, These are the pie weights I use but you can use dry beans or rice instead.  These weights will stop the dough from puffing up while baking. 

Step 8 – Place on top of a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Rotate to promote even browning and bake another 15 minutes.

ProTip: When you make a fresh fruit tart that is not baked, you have to bake your tart shell on its own first and let it cool before filling it. This is called blind baking or pre-baking.

Step 8 – After 30 minutes of baking, check to see if the foil is releasing from the dough by pulling back gently. If it's sticking then the tart needs to be baked for longer. Check every 2 minutes until the foil is able to release from the side of the tart without sticking. Take the tart out of the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Step 9 – Gently lift the foil to remove the pie weights. Then return the tart shell back to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown and the sides of the shell start to pull away from the edges of the pan.

Step 10 – Place the whole tart and pan into the fridge to cool down until its totally cool.

Step 11 – Once the tart is cool, you can remove the outer ring by gently lifting up from the bottom of the tin. You can serve your tart on the base or you can gently remove it from the base by separating it with a paring knife. There is a risk of breakage when you do this though so I tend to not risk it and just serve it on the base.  

Pro Tip - Brush the surface of the tart shell with some melted chocolate (optional) to keep the fillings from making the crust soggy (you can skip this step if you don't like chocolate but then you should fill your tart no more than 4 hours before serving). 

Step 12 -  Add in your favorite fillings like pastry cream, lemon curd or frangipane and decorate with fruit like strawberries, kiwi fruit, or get fancy with some red wine poached pears.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE GRANULATED SUGAR?

Granulated sugar tends to aerate the butter and make the dough fluffy which is not what we want. The air pockets expand and cause the dough to shrivel and shrink during baking. 

CAN I DO THIS WITHOUT A STAND MIXER?

You can definitely make tart dough without a stand mixer. You can use a hand-held mixer or you can even just mix with a fork by hand.  

HOW TO STORE PÂTE SUCRÉE

Leftover dough can be kept in the fridge for a week or frozen for up to 6 months. If you have the freezer space, it's actually really great to make your tart shell ahead of time (inside the pan), wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in the freezer until you need to bake it. A great time-saving tip for those last-minute desserts. 

CAN I MAKE MINI TARTS WITH THIS?

Yes definitely! To blind bake mini tarts using mini tart pans, poke a few holes in the bottom of the tart dough with a fork and then freeze the dough for 20 minutes. Bake the mini tarts for 10-15 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden, then let them cool fully before filling. No need to use foil or pie weights.

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Recipe

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Pâte sucrée (tart dough recipe)

Pâte sucrée is a sweet shortcrust that is often used to make fruit tarts. It is buttery, flaky and oh-so-easy to make. This recipe makes enough dough for TWO 8" round tarts. Freeze leftover dough. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

chill 1 hour hour

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2 9 ½" tarts

Calories 443kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment
• Tart pan with removable bottom (or a regular pie pan)
• Tin foil
• Pie weights (or dry beans/rice)
• Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Pâte sucrée ingredients

• 8 oz room temperature butter
• 4 oz powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 12 oz all purpose flour

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

How to make Pâte sucrée

• Add the butter into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.
• Add in your sifted powdered sugar and salt and mix until combined and smooth.
• Add in the vanilla and the egg and mix until combined.
• Gradually add your flour while mixing on low until everything starts to come together and a dough forms.
• Divide the dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into disks. Refrigerate for minimum of 1 hour before using your dough. If you skip this step, your crust will melt in the oven. 
• Leftover tart dough can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for 6 months.
• To bake your tart, bring the dough out of the fridge or freezer for 30-60 minutes or until it's flexible enough to bend without cracking
• Preheat your oven to 350ºF
• Roll your tart dough out to ⅛" thick using a rolling pin and a flour dusted surface
• Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and unroll it into your tart pan
• Carefully push the dough against the sides and corners of the tart pan
• Then use your rolling pin to roll across the top of the dough to trim off the excess
• Freeze your tart for 30 minutes
• Place some tinfoil into the tart pan and fill it with some pie weights (or you can use dried beans or rice instead). Place the tart pan on a larger cookie sheet to easily lift and move it in the oven.
• Bake your tart for 30 minutes, rotate the pan halfway through baking to promote even browning
• Remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes to evenly brown the tart
• Let the tart cool completely before filling it with things like pastry cream, lemon curd or ganache!

Video

Notes

• Make sure your butter is room temperature. Room temperature butter is when it's soft enough to leave an indent with your finger but it still holds its shape and is not melted all over the plate. I make my butter room temperature by microwaving it for 10-second increments until its the right consistency.  
• Cold eggs must be room temperature to combine with the butter properly. Place cold eggs (while still in the shell) into warm water for 5 minutes to bring them to room temperature. 
• If your dough keeps cracking, it could be too cold. Let it rest for 10 minutes and try rolling again.
• When you make a fresh fruit tart that is not baked, you have to bake your tart shell on its own first and let it cool before filling it. This is called blind baking or pre-baking.
• Brush the surface of the tart shell with some melted chocolate (optional) to keep the fillings from making the crust soggy (you can skip this step if you don't like chocolate but then you should fill your tart no more than 4 hours before serving). 

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 4.2mg

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