Italian Tomato and Cheese Tart

(one 9" tart)

This is a great summer dish when tomatoes are at their peak.

crust
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup wholewheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, cut up and chilled
2-4 tbsp cold water

Place the flours and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Remove the top and evenly distribute the butter pieces. Replace the top and pulse as few times until the butter is roughly chopped and mixed with the flour (small pea sized).

Remove the top again and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the flour and butter mixture. Place the top back on and pulse a few more times. The mixture should look like it's about to clump together. If not, then add a bit more water.

Gather up the dough and shape into a flattened ball. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a circle to fit a 9" pie or tart pan. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unwrap into the pan. Press into the pan and remove excess dough from the edges and set aside.

filling
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup roasted or sauteed onions, sliced or chopped
6 oz cheese, shredded (I combined gruyere, garlic cheddar and edam)

2-3 tomatoes, sliced (enough to cover the top)
1 tbsp fresh basil, sliced
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
freshly ground black pepper
salt, to taste (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Combine the garlic, ricotta, and basil. Spread evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.

Scatter the onion over the ricotta mixture and then cover with an even layer of the shredded cheese.

Arrange the tomato slices over the shredded cheese. Sprinkle the sliced basil and parmesan cheese over the tomatoes. Finish off with some freshly ground black pepper.

Sprinkle a bit of salt, if needed.

Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the tart is done.

Sour Cream Berry Pie with Crumb Topping

(1  9" pie)

I was organising my freezer and came across a bag of frozen berries I forgot I had. I also had some sour cream in my refrigerator which was due to expire by the end of the week, so I combined those two items with a few more things and made a pie.

crumb topping
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 stick butter

Place everything into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is combined and resembles crumbs. Set aside.

pie filling
1 cup sour cream
1/4 -1/2 cup sugar, to taste
1 egg
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp almond extract, optional
2 1/2 cups mixed frozen berries, defrosted and drained in a sieve

1  9" unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk together the sour cream, sugar, egg, flour and almond extract in a bowl until well mixed. Stir in the berries.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top.

Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the custard is firm and the crumb mixture on top has browned.

Cool completely before serving. This pie is best the day it's made.

Pecan Butter Tarts

(12 large tarts)

I made these for the July 4th festivities; was thinking of making a pie, but am bringing these instead. I Americanized a Canadian favourite, and I'm very pleased with the results!

1 pkg ready made pie crust (2x 9")

1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar, very lightly packed
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract, or bourbon
a pinch or two of salt, (optional)
1 egg
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut out 6 circles from each pie crust, (12 total) and line a 12 standard cup muffin tin with them. I allow the crust to rise slightly above the top to accommodate the large amount of filling. Set aside.

Place the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract (or bourbon) and salt, (if using) into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until well combined. Add the egg and continue to process until smooth.

Divide the pecans evenly among the "tarts" and spoon the filling over them. Most recipes tell you to fill them 2/3 full.. I would say these end up being closer to almost full.

Bake for about 12- 14 minutes or until bubbly and browned. The longer you bake these, the firmer they will be.

Cool them in the tins long enough to be able to run a knife around the edges to remove them for further cooling (about 10 minutes). If you can't get them out for fear of breaking them, then make sure they aren't sticking to the pan (I keep running a knife around them as they cool) and remove them when they have cooled completely.

Caramelized Onion Tart

(6 servings)

Whenever I see those large Vidalia onions at the market, I think of this tart. The sweetness of these onions becomes very apparent after a long and slow saute over low heat. It takes a while, but the wait is worth it.

2 tbsp olive oil
3 large Vidalia onions, sliced (about 2 lbs)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg

1 9" unbaked pie shell

2 cups shredded swiss cheese

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and add the onions. Toss them to distribute the oil. Adjust the heat to low and saute these gently until the onions have taken on an amber hue; about 45-60 minutes. Check them every 10 minutes or so and stir them up a bit. Remove from heat.
 
Preheat oven to 450°F.

In a small bowl combine the eggs, sour cream and milk. Whisk until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and the onions and toss to combine evenly.

Spoon the mixture onto the pie shell and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F and bake another 10-15 minutes or  until the pie is puffy and the top is browned.

Cool for 5 minutes before slicing. This tart goes well with a simple green salad.

Butter Tarts

(12 large tarts)

There's no way around the sugar for these, but somehow they're worth it. This is the "other" great Canadian dessert which comes to mind whenever I think about Nanaimo Bars.

I'll make puff pastry from scratch, but for some reason I really dislike making pie crust, so I usually look for a ready made one in the refrigerator section at the grocery store.

This recipe makes 12 rather large tarts as I line muffin tins with the dough and generously fill each one. The traditional recipe uses corn syrup, but often I use maple syrup because I usually have some on hand. I'll also use raisins if I can't find dried currants which are harder to find in Dallas. Personally, I prefer the dried currants which are smaller.

1 pkg ready made pie crust (2x 9")

1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup, or maple syrup
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup dried currants, or raisins

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut out 6 circles from each pie crust, (12 total) and  line a 12 cup muffin tin with them. Set aside.
 
Place the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup or maple syrup, vinegar and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Add the eggs and continue to process until well mixed and smooth.

Divide the currants or raisins evenly among the "tarts" and spoon the filling over them. Most recipes tell you to fill them 2/3 full.. I would say these end up being closer to almost full.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until bubbly and browned. The longer you bake these, the firmer they will be.

Cool them in the tins long enough to be able to run a knife around the edges to remove them for further cooling (about 10 minutes). If you can't get them out for fear of breaking them, then make sure they aren't sticking to the pan and remove them when they have cooled completely.