I received a copy of the Chicken and Egg from Chelsea Miller, who blogs at A Duck's Oven. It was part of a giveaway package that she had assembled for her readers and I was the lucky winner. The cookbook was written by Janice Cole, who raised three chickens in an urban environment, and her book is a collection of the recipes they inspired. It's a lot more fun than most of the pinch of this, dash of that tomes that line my bookcases. I've found several recipes that I want to try, but I decided to start with this lovely, flavorful tart. It was a good choice. While the recipe is not trouble free, it is delicious, and those of you who are fond of barely sweet desserts will love this one. The base of the tart is made from a cookie dough that's blind baked and then filled with a nutmeg and orange custard that's made with sour cream. The tart is finished with a topping of blueberries that shimmer under a light glaze of currant jelly. While I encountered some problems, I liked this tart well enough to make it twice and I have no reservations about sharing it with you. I will make it again when local berries are available. Be sure to coat your tart pan with a nonstick spray. The crust is very brittle and you want it to quickly and easily release from the pan. Bitter experience has taught me that it does not take well to manhandling. You should also be aware that the cook-time recommend in the recipe is way off base. Think of it as a suggestion rather than a directive. My oven has just been recalibrated, so I know the problem lies outside its walls. It took 30 minutes for my custard to reach the stage where it was shimmy-set. While the developer believes this will keep for two days I would take that with a grain of salt. It won't go bad in that period of time but it will get soggy and become unappetizing. If you prepare this with frozen berries, make sure they are completely defrosted and dry before topping the tart. I hope you will try this. It really is delicious. Here's the recipe.
Blueberry and Sour Cream Tart
Ingredients:
Cookie Crust
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
Topping
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup red currant jelly, warmed
Directions:
To make tart crust:
... Place flour, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
... Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Add egg yolks and beat until blended.
... Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beating just until a dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, press dough into a flat disk. Spray a rectangular (14 x 4-1/2) or round (9-inch) tart pan removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. If it breaks, simply press it into pan as smoothly as you can. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
... Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
... Whisk reserved egg white until frothy. Brush insides of chilled crust with egg white. Bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden brown and set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
To make filling:
... Beat butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in flour. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and orange zest. Pour into baked crust.
... Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly puffed around edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To make topping:
... Lightly toss blueberries with warm jelly. Pile on top of tart. Refrigerate or serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.
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This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday
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