Not-So-Humble Pies (13 page)

In a large bowl, whisk together the bourbon, egg yolks, and sugar until smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually add ½ cup of hot cream into egg yolks. Immediately add the egg yolk mixture back to the pot and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes.

Serve the tart slightly warm with the crème anglaise drizzled over the top.

In addition to giving the chocolate ganache filling in this recipe a tangy bite that keeps it from being too sweet, the sour cream provides the ganache with a silky soft texture that feels like velvet on the tongue. Fresh fruit or a fruit sauce would be a lovely garnish for this tart. If you like, you can also make this with white chocolate.

In a medium heat-proof bowl over the top of a pan of barely simmering water, add the chocolate. Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the water.

Add the sour cream, cream, and vanilla to the chocolate and, with an electric mixer, beat the mixture until it is smooth. Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Chill for 4 hours.

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Serves slices of the tart with the strawberry mixture spooned over the top.

The flavors of charred oak, caramel, and vanilla make bourbon a natural for sweet desserts. Those flavors help elevate the flavors of this humble peach tart into something really special. If you prefer, you can also use dark rum or brandy, which also have those lush smoky notes, or omit the alcohol altogether and use peach nectar for a little extra peach flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the peaches with the sugar, cornstarch, bourbon, and nutmeg. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Pour the peaches into the prepared crust and place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Cool to room temperature. Serve with Sour Cream Topping.

The unsweetened coconut in this recipe gives this chic crumble topping a little extra crispness without making it too sweet for the fresh apricots underneath, which is what sweetened coconut would do. This tart is perfect with a little fresh whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream on a warm day!

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine the apricots, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Toss gently until all the fruit is evenly coated. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, blend the flour, coconut, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Pour the apricot mixture into the prepared tart shell and top with the coconut crumble. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly in the center and the crumble is golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.

With a sharp taste and a deep red color, these black cherries are perfect for making a decadent dessert that is not too sweet. To balance the heavy cherry flavor of the filling, this tart is topped with a light and toasty meringue. To ensure that your pie looks as upscale as it tastes, use a large star tip to pipe “kisses” of meringue onto the tart.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line the tart with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is just golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, sugar, vanilla, amaretto, and cornstarch. Toss gently until all the fruit is evenly coated. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Pour the cherry mixture into the prepared tart shell and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly in the center.

Spread or pipe the meringue onto the hot cherry filling and return the tart to the oven until the meringue is golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. Allow the tart to come completely to room temperature before serving.

The firm texture and tangy flavor of fresh pineapple simply can’t be beat, and the natural form of this delicious fruit is less sweet than canned versions. In this tart, the pineapple is cooked in a brown sugar and rum syrup until it is very tender, then it is spread into a crisp tart crust and topped with a little salted caramel sauce for a little extra caramel flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line the tart with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

In a large pot over medium heat, combine the pineapple, sugar, corn syrup, dark rum, and vanilla bean with seeds and cook until the pineapple is very tender and the liquid is very thick, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cool slightly.

Spoon the pineapple mixture into the prepared tart shell. Drizzle the tart with Salted Caramel Sauce. Serve at room temperature.

This epicurean apple tart goes above and beyond the traditional apple pie. It’s flavored with delicately floral rose syrup, which is made from distilled rose essence. But while the taste of this tart is unrivaled, this dramatic tart is as beautiful to look at as it is to devour. For an impossible-to-resist presentation, arrange the thinly sliced apples so that they look like a rose with its petals unfurled.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line the tart with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Turn the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Allow to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Drain the mixture, reserving the juices in a separate bowl. Toss the drained apples with the cornstarch and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the reserved apple juices with the butter and rose water. Cook the mixture, stirring often, over medium heat until it is reduced to ¼ cup, about 15–20 minutes. Pour the syrup over the apples and toss to coat.

Arrange the apple slices in overlapping concentric circles in the tart crust, starting at the edge and working toward the inside.

Bake the tart for 25–30 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Cool to room temperature, then brush the apricot jam over the fruit before serving.

Ricotta cheese has a mild flavor and a delicate texture that is perfect for serving alongside fresh fruit. Here, the ricotta adds an almost cheesecake-like layer, that acts as a flavorful backdrop for the honey and fresh lemon zest.

In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla, honey, sugar, egg yolk, and salt. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the chilled pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the ricotta mixture onto the pastry leaving a ½” border. Arrange the berries over the ricotta mixture, then fold the pastry just over the edge of the filling. Top with the Butter Crumble.

Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and both the crumble and pastry are golden brown. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Fresh quince is very, very sour, and for that reason it cannot be eaten raw. Once cooked, however, the quince unveils its true nature. Its flesh takes on a delicate rose hue, and the flavor—which is similar to that of an apple crossed with a pear—becomes beautifully sweet. It is best to use fresh quince, which are available during the fall.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out the pastry until it is ⅛” thick and 12” wide. Cover with plastic and chill until ready to use.

In a 10” oven-proof skillet, add the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally but not stirring, until the sugar becomes golden-amber colored, about 6–7 minutes. Add the butter and swirl until melted.

Carefully place the quince, cheek-side down, into the pan as tightly as you can. Cook for 12–18 minutes, or until the quince have started to soften and the juices are thick. Remove the pan from the heat.

Place the pastry on top of the quince and carefully tuck edges around the quince with a butter knife.

Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack about 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto a serving plate.

Fresh raspberry curd is what makes this dish delectable. Like lemon curd, it is silky, rich, and smooth, but rather than a sharp citrus tang it has the sweet, mild flavor of raspberries. If you find your raspberry curd is not as vibrantly pink as you would like, a drop or two of red food coloring will perk things up a bit.