... Sweet Tarts ...

Sweet Tarts ...

Serves 6 to 8 persons Very easy, classical. Quick to prepare.

TARTE AU CHOCOLAT Chocolate tart - Pastry to use : sugar crust or shortcrust pastry. Instruction to make the pastry on "improvision page". Tarte au choclolat Filling : 200 gr [7 oz] plain dark chocolate / 1 big egg / 20 cl [7 fl oz]double cream / 8 cl [2.5 fl oz] milk

- Preheat oven at 180°C / 350°F ; line the pastry in the tart tin and cover it with non-stick paper. Cover the paper with dried beans or rice so that the weight will keep the pastry from rising. Bake the pastry for 10 minutes and take it out from the oven. - Pour the milk and the cream in a casserole ; bring them to the boil. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate broken in small cubes 30 seconds in the microwave. Add the melted chocolate to the cream and milk and whisk to incorporate it instantly. Let the mixture cool down. - When it has cooled down, add the egg and beat vigourously with a fork to incorporate it completely. Fill the pastry with the chocolate mixture and bake for 15 minutes. - The filling should stay a bit "shiny"... Serve warm or at room temperature. You can decorate this tart with a few orange zests... * * * * *

TARTE AUX FRAISES Strawberry tart - Pastry to use : sugar crust pastry (replace with puff pastry if you wish). Instruction to make the pastry on "improvision page". This uses a pastry cream !!! Tarte aux Fraises Filling : 250 gr [1/2 lb] strawberries / 25 cl [9 fl oz] milk / 3 egg yolks / 40 gr [1.5 oz] sugar / 20 gr [0.7 oz] corn starch / a knob of butter. - Preheat oven at 180°C / 350°F ; line the pastry in the tart tin and cover it with non-stick paper. Cover the paper with dried beans or rice so that the weight will keep the pastry from rising. Bake the pastry for 20 minutes and take it out from the oven.

Serves 4 persons. Very refined dessert.

- Meanwhile, wash and core the starwberries ; cut them in 2 parts lengthwise. - Bring the milk to the boil and whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture gets clearer and a bit frothy ; add the starch and mix to obtain an homogeneous mixture. Pour the hot milk little by little, turning with the whisk. When finished, pour the mixture back in the milk saucepan ; put on a low/medium flame and whisk until the mixture gets thicker (reckon 3 minutes). Take off from flame, add the butter and turn until melted and incorporated. Let it cool down for a few minutes. - When the pastry is cooked, get it out from oven and pour the cream ; spread it evenly on the tart and let it cool down. - Display the strawberry halves in circles on the cream and refrigerate for a little while. * * * * *

Serves 4 persons. Very classical dessert.

TARTE AU CITRON MERINGUEE Lemon Meringue tart - Pastry to use : sugar crust pastry (eventually shortcrust or puff pastry). Instruction to make the pastry on "improvision page". Tarte au citron Filling : 3 big lemons (unspayed) / 3 eggs / 3 Tbspoons sour cream / 100 gr [3.5 oz] sugar / 70 gr [2 oz] soft unsalted butter / 1 Tbspoon cornstarch. Meringue Topping (optional) : 3 egg whites / 80 gr [3 oz] sugar.

- Prepare the pastry and line the pastry in the tart tin. - Preheat oven at 180°C / 350°F ; wash the lemons. - Take the zests from 2 lemons ; then press the 3 for juice. - In a salad bowl, mix together the butter, the eggs and the sugar. Mix well, then add the lemon juice and zests, then the sour cream. Mix well to obtain an homogeneous mixture. - Pour the lemon preparation on the pastry and bake in oven for 1 hour. - Stiff the egg whites until thick and frothy ; incorporate very gently the sugar. - 15 minutes before the end of baking, take the tart out from the oven, and cover the lemon preparation with the egg whites. Put it back in oven and finish baking. - When finished, leave the tart in the oven with the door slightly open for 10 minutes. - Let it cool down, and eventually refrigerate.