Thomas Keller's Lemon Sabayon Tarts with Rosemary and Honey-Mascarpone Whipped Cream

So remember when I said a few weeks ago that I was going to share the dessert that I made for Mikey's parents' dinner party? Well here it finally is! The reason it took so long is that last time I had no time to photograph the tarts before I handed them over to Amy, Mikey's mom, for her party. So, on Monday, while I had no class due to President's Day, I went over to his parents' home and Amy and I made them again!

These tarts are tasty and unique, and a wonderful finish to any meal. The best part is that the tartness and freshness from the lemons make them a lot lighter than a chocolate or ice cream dessert. The filling is creamy and smooth, and the pine nuts and rosemary in the crust add a nice earthiness. The honey-mascarpone whipped cream cuts the sourness from the citrus and ties the entire dessert together, leaving you with a dessert that looks and tastes far more sophisticated than it really is ;).

This dessert is fairly easy to make, but, you need to be ready for a workout because you will have to whisk continuously for a good 10-15 minutes. Having to do this twice in one day left my arm feeling like I just lifted weights at the gym! However, the whisking is the only truly difficult part of the recipe, and even that doesn't take any special skill.

I think that it would be fun to experiment with different nuts and herbs in the crust and different citrus in the filling. For instance, a brazil nut and maybe mint crust with a blood orange filling, or keep the pine nut crust and add in grapefruit as the filling! Adding cocoa powder into the crust might even be an interesting alteration.

If you have any extra sabayon, it is positively delectable served over fresh berries!

Thomas Keller's Lemon Sabayon Tart with Rosemary

recipe slightly adapted from here

the crust recipe will make enough for 3 large tarts or an array of smaller ones (also, I wouldn't recommend  trying to third the crust recipe as it would be difficult to measure 1/3 of an egg)

the filling is for 1/3 of the crust recipe (I find it's easiest to make the filling in smaller batches)

crust:

• 10 ounces (2 cups) toasted pine nuts (you simply must toast them; it makes all the difference)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 lb (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Place the pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add in the sugar, rosemary leaves, salt, and flour and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate.
3. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before using. (You can freeze any extra dough for up to a month.)

sabayon & assembly:

• 2 large eggs, cold
• 2 large egg yolks, cold
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon zest
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into 6 pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour (I only buttered and it worked great) a 9-inch fluted tart pan (or rectangular equivalent- or many smaller tart pans) and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
2. Remove the tart pan from the fridge. Using your fingers, press the chilled dough into the tart pan(s), and up the sides.
3. Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for 10-15 minutes more until evenly golden-brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the sabayon filling.
4. Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a oil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be making your sabayon in.
5. In a large metal or glass bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about a minute until the mixture is smooth. In a measuring cup, combine the lemon juice and zest; set aside.
6. Set the bowl over the pot, creating a double boiler, and whisk the mixture vigorously. After about 2 1/2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add 1/3 of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously, and after another 2 1/2 minutes when the mixture has thickened again add another 1/3 of the lemon juice. Again whisk for another 2 1/2 minutes and then add the final 1/3 of lemon juice. Whisk for 2-3 minutes until the mixture has thickened and is light in color. You can judge if it's thick enough by placing a wooden spoon in the mixture, taking it out, and running your finger down the back of it. If the trail left by your finger stays, it is thick enough.
7. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter, a piece at a time.
8. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
9. Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door of the oven open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating if necessary to get an even color. (This won't take very long, so DON'T walk away!)
10. Let the tart sit for at least an hour before serving. (I served mine at room tempeature but you could, alternatively, serve it chilled.) Serve with Whipped Honey-Mascarpone Cream recipe below).

Honey-Mascarpone Whipped Cream

ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 6 tbsp mascarpone
• 2-3 tbsp honey

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tarts

These tarts are the final component to the Valentine's dinner that I made for Mikey and myself this year, and I think they were both of our favorite parts!

These tarts are even more amazing that they look. The luxuriously creamy chocolate ganache, the ooey-gooey caramel, and the crisp, buttery, golden crust all come together to create one of the best desserts I have ever had!

We ended up eating these little tarts as if they were cookies- just picking them up and biting them! It seemed to work best, and certainly aided in hastening the plate to mouth exchange. While these tarts are amazingly tasty, they are also amazingly rich, and I highly recommend that you have an ice-cold glass of milk on hand to wash it down.

Mikey brought some extras in to work and gave one to his parents and all were met with rave reviews!

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tarts

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

crust:

• 10 tbsp (5 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sea salt

caramel:

• 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
• 5 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• pinch of sea salt

chocolate ganache:

• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• small pinch of sea salt + more for garnish
• 2 cups heavy cream

for the crust:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add in the flour and salt on low speed and mic until just incorporated.
2. Scrape the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. Flour work surface and roll out your dough to 1/4'' thick. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" tart pan (I used seven 4" tart pans). Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or in the fridge for an hour.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Line your crust-filled tart shell(s) with tin foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 30 minutes if you are using a large tart pan, or 20 minutes if you are using smaller. Turn the tarts halfway through.
6. Remove the foil and weights from the tarts and bake for about 10 minutes more or until the tart shells are golden. Let cool on a wire rack before filling.

for the caramel:

1. Place the cream in a small sauce pan and heat it over medium heat. Stir it occasionally while you cook the sugar and if it starts to boil up, then turn it off.
2. In a medium saucepan heat the water and sugar over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook without stirring until the mixture turns a dark amber. Swirl the pan to ensure even cooking. (This will take between 5 and 10 minutes.)
4. Take the sugar mixture off of the stove and SLOWLY pour the cream into the sugar, a little at a time because it will boil up. Stir until combined and smooth. Stir in the salt.
5. Pour the caramel into the bottom of the cooled tart crust(s), covering the bottom(s) evenly. Allow is to cool until it firms and is no longer shiny.

for the ganache:

1. Place the chocolate and salt in a large heatproof bowl.
2. Place the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes. Whisk slowly to gently combine (whisking to fast will incorporate air making the ganache less smooth).
4. Ladle an even amount of ganache into each of the tarts over the caramel. While the ganache is still warm, sprinkle the tops of the tart(s) with some sea salt. (I used a combination of pink Himalayan salt and black lava salt that is colored with charcoal.)
5. Allow the tart(s) to sit at room temperature for 3-12 hours to cool and harden

Lavender-Cardamom-Dark Chocolate Tart

Yep, another lavender recipe! And I have another one on the way! I guess you could say I'm somewhat infatuated with the perfume-y flower at the moment, but I think there is something about it that is just perfect for the holidays! It's taste and aroma remind me of rosemary and pine trees, yet a bit more unique with its extra floral note.

I imagine this tart would be positively delicious paired with some vanilla bean ice cream, but it is quite tasty all on its own. The chocolate-y lavender filling is super creamy and decadent, and the salt on top brings the flavors over the top.

What I love most about this tart is the way it fills your home with the rich scent of cardamom as the crust bakes, and the soothing aroma of lavender as the cream steeps.

Since the filling is so rich, it only takes a small slice to satisfy. I found that the extra ganache that I had leftover was absolutely scrumptious with my Salted Honey Lavender Shortbread; just dip half of a square in and enjoy!

Lavender-Cardamom-Dark Chocolate Tart

recipe from here

The recipe states that it makes 1 9" tart or an equivalent rectangular tart, but I suppose my tart pan wasn't quite big enough as I found the crust to be a bit thick and I had quit a bit of ganache left over.

ingredients:

for pastry:

• 260g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cardamom (I used whole cardamom that I ground with a mortar and pestle)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated Meyer lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water, chilled

for ganache filling:

• 10 oz. heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup culinary lavender + more to top
• 12 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• coarse sea salt

pastry:

1. Using a food processor, pulse together the flour, cardamom, lemon zest, salt, and sugar until combined. Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture has the texture of small peas.
2. Add in the egg yolk and then slowly add in the water/lemon juice just until the dough begins to form when pressed between two fingers.
3. Form the pastry into a ball and refrigerate for at least one hour or stick it n the freezer for 15 minutes.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
5. Press the pastry dough firmly into the tart pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Return to the freezer for just a few minutes so the dough can harden up a bit again.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden. Remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until the crust has turned golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let cool.

filling:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and lavender buds to a simmer. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to steep for 10-20 minutes.
2. Place the chopped chocolate and honey in a large bowl and place a fine mesh strainer on top. Set aside.
3. Add the butter to the cream and lavender and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream mixture through the sieve over the chocolate/honey. Be sure to press out all of the liquid from the lavender buds.
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth. Immediately pour into the prepared crust.
5. In a mortar and pestle, rub together an equal amount of sea salt and lavender and sprinkle over the chocolate.
6. Allow the tart to set at room temperature fora couple of hours until completely cool. Serve at room temperature.