Ingredients for Tart Crust
- All-purpose flour( 2 ½ cups)
- Sugar (3 Tb.)
- Salt (1 tsp)
- Unsalted butter, cut into pieces (1 cup/2 sticks)
- Egg yolks (2 Large)
- Ice water (1/4 cup)
- Apple cider vinegar (1 tsp)
Ingredients Spicy Chocolate Ganache
- Bittersweet or Semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (3 oz)
- Heavy Cream (1/4 Cup and 2 Tb.)
- Room temperature unsalted butter, cut up (2 Tb)
- OPTIONAL: Cayenne Pepper (1/8 – ¼ tsp)
Ingredients for Pomegranate Curd
- Pomegranate juice (3/4 cup)
- Juiced lemon (1)
- Superfine sugar (1/2 cup)
- Egg yolks (6)
- Salt (pinch)
- Unsalted butter (1 stick)
- Powdered gelatin (1/2 tsp)
- Pomegranate juice (1 cup)
- Grenadine (1-2 tablespoons)
- Pomegranate seeds (1/2 cup, optional)
Ingredients for Swiss Meringue Piping
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- I tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions for Tart Crust
1) Place flour and sugar in bowl of a food processor, pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add butter to flour mixture, process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 20 seconds. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks and ice water until combined. Pour egg mixture through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, with the machine running. Process just until dough holds together, no more than 30 seconds.
2) Turn dough out into a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place each on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour overnight.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place six 4-inch tart rings or molds on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
4) On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate sucree to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out six 6-inch circles of dough with a sharp paring knife, using an overturned 6-inch bowl as a guide if necessary. Press dough into tart rings; trim excess with a sharp knife. Dock tart shells by piercing the bottom all over with a fork. Transfer to the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
5) Cut out six 6-inch parchment paper, line rings; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully remove parchment and beans. Return to oven, and continue baking until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove tart shells from tart rings, and set aside.
Directions for Salty Chocolate Ganache
Place chocolate in medium bowl Pour heavy cream into heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for about a minute. Add cayenne and whisk until smooth. Stir in utter until combined and uniform. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
Directions fro Pomegranate Curd
1) In small heat proof cup, sprinkle gelatin over 1 tbsp pomegranate juice, let sit until soft
2) Whisk together eggs, yolks, salt in medium bowl
3) Combine juices and sugar in saucepan, heat to just below boiling
4) Temper hot juice and sugar mix into yolks and pour everything back into pot
5) Whisk until thickened over medium heat
6) Melt gelatin mixture by placing bowl in simmering water
7) Stir in melted gelatin and butter
8) Strain curd into new bowl, stir in grenadine and pomegranate seeds, let cool
9) Pour curd over ganache/tart shell
-SWAP OUT COOLED POMEGRANATE CURD
Directions for Swiss Meringue Piping
1) Lightly whish egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until egg white mixture is hot to touch or a candy thermometer reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit
2) Pour hot whites into the bowl of a stand mixer or any large bowl if you’re going to mix by hand or use electric beaters. Beat until double in volume and thick and glossy, holding firm peaks that just curl at the tip. Quickly beat in vanilla extract.
3) Spoon evenly or pipe decoratively over tarts. Brown meringue with a kitchen or blowtorch or place tarts on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 F oven for about 15 minutes until meringue is browned.
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