Cart
Info, Videos, Reviews & More
Categories
- Activity/Crafts Calendars
- Aging Humor
- Art
- Art Calendars
- Astrology
- Baby
- Biography
- Birthday
- Boxed Kits
- Business
- Catholic Interest
- Children
- Christmas
- Comics and Humor
- Comics and Humor Calendars
- Cookbook
- Cooking / Food / Wine Calendars
- Day-to-Day Calendars
- Desk Calendars
- Environment
- Father's Day
- Fitness
- Gift Books
- Graduation
- Health
- History
- Home and Crafts
- Home Decor
- Inspirational
- Inspirational Calendars
- Journalism / Writing
- Journals
- Mini Day-to-Day Calendars
- Mini Wall Calendars
- Mother's Day
- Movies
- Music
- New Titles
- Non-Fiction
- Paranormal
- Parenting
- Personal Finance
- Pets / Nature
- Pets / Nature Calendars
- Photography
- Poetry
- Politics
- Puzzles and Games
- Puzzles and Games Calendars
- Reference / Science
- Self-help
- Slimline Calendars
- Sports
- Sports Calendars
- Teachers Appreciation
- Television / Movie Calendars
- Travel
- Travel Calendars
- True Stories
- Valentine's Day
- Wall Calendars
- Wedding
The Art and Soul of Baking
Gourmet's Cookbook Club October Selection!
- Media
- Introduction
- Contents
- About the Authors
- Baci Tart with Frangelico Cream
- Classic Yellow Layer Cake
- Herbed Chicken Pot Pie
- Primer on Breads
- Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake
- Croissants
- Potato, Onion, and Gruyere Galette
- Endorsements
- Also from Sur La Table & Andrews McMeel Publishing
Baci Tart with Frangelico Cream
Baci are popular Italian candies featuring the inspired trio of chocolate, caramel, and hazelnuts. This dessert translates the candies into tart form, with a chocolate crust cradling a chewy filling of caramel and toasted hazelnuts and topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate. A spoonful of whipped cream scented with Frangelico—the Italian hazelnut liqueur—sends this over the top. Note: If you've never made caramel before, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the process (page 26) before beginning the recipe.
Ingredients
1 recipe Easy Chocolate Press-In Dough (page 212), prepared through Step 3
1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy whipping cream
1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup (2 ounces) water
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) light corn syrup
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (page 52)
1 1/2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Gold petals or gold leaf (page 436), optional
Frangelico Cream (page 417), for serving
Equipment
9- or 9 1/2-inch Fluted Tart Pan with a Removable Bottom, Cooling Rack, Small Saucepan, Medium Saucepan, Heatproof Silicone Spatula, White Plate, Double Boiler, Kitchen Scissors or Sharp Knife, Large Metal Spatula, Thin and Sharp Knife
Getting Ahead The crust can be baked a day or two ahead of time. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.
Storing The tart keeps at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for 3 to 4 days.
1 Bake the shell: Preheat the oven to 350°F and position an oven rack in the center. Bake the tart shell for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven (hold the pan by the sides and not the bottom), close the oven door, check for cracks, and repair any with a bit of reserved dough. Return the pan to the oven and bake 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove pan (again, holding by the sides) and place on a rack to cool while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven on.
2 Make the filling: Combine the cream and butter in the small saucepan and heat just until the cream begins to simmer and the butter is fully melted. Remove from the heat and let the mixture sit while you make the caramel.
3 Combine the water and syrup in the medium saucepan. Sprinkle the sugar over the top. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heatproof silicone spatula, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. Turn the heat to high and boil rapidly, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir) to cook the sugar evenly, until it turns a golden honey color. Watch carefully here and keep a white plate and spoon nearby so that you can tell the exact color by dropping a bit of caramel onto the plate. When it is honey-colored (think of the amber-colored honey at the supermarket), remove from the heat and immediately add the warm cream and butter mixture. Be careful! The caramel will rise dramatically in the pan and sputter,
The Pressing-in Method
for Tart Dough
Use the heel of your hand to press the dough into an even layer across the bottom and up the side of the pan. Press from the center of the pan outward, building up some extra dough where the bottom meets the side. Using your thumbs, press this excess up the sides of the pan to form the walls, making sure the dough is level with the pan at the rim. Save any small bits of extra dough in case you need to patch a crack during the baking process. Make sure there are no cracks or thin spots—if there are, just press the dough to bring it together.
what the pros know
While the Baci Tart is wonderful with hazelnuts, you can substitute other nuts for variations on them. Try macadamias, almonds, pecans, or walnuts, all of which pair well with chocolate and caramel. Toast the nuts first to bring out their flavor, and ensure they stay crispy within the soft caramel filling.
4 Stir with the spatula or wooden spoon to blend the caramel and cream. If there are any bits of hardened caramel floating around, put the pan over the lowest possible heat and stir gently until the caramel melts. Add the hazelnuts to the caramel and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel turns a light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. It should be the color of those chewy square caramel candies in the supermarket. Immediately pour the filling into the cooled tart shell.
5 Bake at 350°F for 17 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Transfer to a cooling rack, making sure you hold the pan by the sides. Cool completely.
6 Finish the tart: Bring an inch of water to boil in the bottom of the double boiler. Turn off the heat. Place the chopped chocolate in the top of the double boiler and place over the steaming water. Stir occasionally with the spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (Or, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; see page 43). Place a resealable plastic sandwich bag in a cup and fold the top of the bag over the rim of the cup to hold the bag in place. Scrape the melted chocolate into the bag, then use your hand to squeeze the chocolate into one corner. Use the scissors or sharp knife to cut off the very tip of the corner, making a small hole. Squeeze the chocolate through the hole and stripe it over the entire surface of the tart in any pattern you like. If you like, sprinkle gold leaf petals sparingly over the top of the tart, or accent with small pieces of gold leaf sheets (page 436).
For a great twist on a classic Christmas tart, see the Sour Cherry Linzer Tart on page 227; it's made with dough filled with warm holiday spices and nuts
7 Place the tart pan on top of a large can from your pantry (the 28-ounce tomato cans are good) so that the bottom balances midair as the rim falls to the counter. Use the metal spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate or simply leave the bottom of the tart pan under the tart for support. Serve at room temperature, using a thin, sharp knife to cut slices (for cleaner slicing, wipe the knife occasionally with a towel that's been rinsed in hot water and wrung out)
Contact: Aimee Bianca, YC Media: (212) 609-5009, aimee@ycmedia.com
Authors: Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet
ISBN: 978-0-7407-7334-1
Format: Hardcover: 8 ½ x 10 ½, 464 pages
Price: $40.00 U.S.A. ($44.00 Canada)
