Recipe: Lidia's Almond and Coffee Cream Mini-Tarts (food processor)

ALMOND AND COFFEE CREAM MINI-TARTS
TARTELLETTE ALLA CREMA DI MANDORLE E CAFFE

"These mini-tarts are delightful as a finger-food dessert, and although here they are coffee almond-flavored, you can change the flavoring according to your liking or what you have. A simple egg custard with some jam at the bottom of these tarts can be a great option."



FOR THE DOUGH:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces (1 1/2 sticks)
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
FOR THE COFFEE CREAM:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
3 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
Pinch kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (to garnish)

TO PREPARE THE DOUGH:
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drop in the butter, and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Beat together the 3 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons ice water, and pour into the processor. Pulse until the dough just comes together, adding a little water if crumbly, or a little flour if it is too wet. On the counter, knead the dough a few times; then flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

TO PREPARE THE TART SHELLS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1⁄8-inch thick. Cut out eight rounds to fit into eight individual (4 1/2-inch) fluted mini-tart pans. Fit the dough into the pans, and trim so the dough is flush with the rims. Chill for 15 minutes.

Place the chilled tart shells on a sheet pan. Dock the dough with a fork, and place parchment circles filled with pie weights or beans in each tart.

Bake until the dough is set but still blond in color, about 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and the weights, and continue baking until the dough is crisp and golden, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and cool on racks.

TO PREPARE THE COFFEE CREAM:
In a saucepan, bring the milk just to a simmer, and whisk in the espresso powder.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 large egg yolks, 6 tablespoons sugar, pinch of salt, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Whisk in the hot milk a little at a time, tempering the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over low heat until it just begins to simmer and thickens.

Strain it into a clean bowl, stir in the almond extract, and chill, covering the surface with plastic wrap to keep it from forming a skin.

TO ASSEMBLE AND SERVE:
When the Coffee Cream is chilled, fold in the whipped cream. Dollop the Coffee Cream into cooled tart shells, and garnish with almonds. Serve


Makes 8 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Adapted from source: Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali