Tacoma, WA 48°F
They're Easier Than You Think
Recipes by Anna Locke | Photos by Holly Dunning
Pastry Dough
Make a double recipe and wrap the extra dough in plastic wrap and freeze. Next time you want to make a tart, simply defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight.
1 cup flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter (or ½ cup) cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup ice cold water
We made our dough by hand, but it’s super easy to make in a food processor, too.
By hand Simply mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then add butter, and using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until the butter is in pea-size chunks. With a fork, mix the water in until it just starts coming together. If you need more water, add it a teaspoon at a time, but know that you don’t want it to get too wet. Once incorporated, press the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Food Processor Pulse dry ingredients until well blended. Add butter, pulse 10 or 12 times until it resembles pea-size chunks. Add water and pulse a couple times until the dough just starts coming together.
Blackberry Raspberry Rustic Tarts
This recipe is best with fresh-picked berries. Try a U-pick at a local farm.
1 prepared pastry dough
1 cup blackberries
1 cup raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pea-size chunks
1 egg, beaten
Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator. On a floured surface, press it down into a fat disk and let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll it out on a floured surface until 1∕8-inch to ¼-inch thick. Cut into eight 5-inch circles. It should make about six. Place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
Next, combine berries in a large bowl. In a small container, mix the sugar and the cornstarch. Sprinkle the mixture over the berries and mix until dissolved. Place about ¼ cup of berries in the center of each circle of dough, leaving one inch of an edge. Dot with pea-size bits of butter. Fold edge of dough over the berries, leaving an opening in the middle. Place tarts in freezer for 30 minutes to set their shape. While freezing, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove tarts from the freezer, brush crust with egg and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and the juice from the berries is bubbling.
Lemon-Rosemary Tartlets
Both filling and crust can be prepared the day before and assembled at any time for low-stress entertaining.
6 3-inch tartlet pans
1 prepared pastry dough
½ cup lemon juice (about 3 to 4 lemons)
2 tablespoon lemon zest
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
2 rosemary sprigs
8 tablespoon cold butter
Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator. On a floured surface, press it down into a fat disk and let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll it out on a floured surface until 1∕8 inch to ¼-inch thick. Cut into 5-inch circles and press into mini tart pans. Cover in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425. Fill pastry shells with foil and pie weights and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare a double boiler with an inch-and-a-half of water on the bottom and bring to boil. Take the top half of double boiler off heat. In it, whisk eggs and sugar for one minute until well blended and slightly lighter in color. Place the pan back on top of double boiler, and add rosemary sprigs. Heat while continually whisking until mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice in three parts in about 2- minute intervals, whisking continuously until mixture is hot, and a trail is left behind the whisk. Strain mixture through a sieve. Whisk butter into lemon mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture is light- colored and airy. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill until cold. When ready to fill pastry shells, remove plastic wrap, stir to loosen, and spoon into tart shells.
Peach Tart
The taste of the tart really depends on the quality of fruit, so pick the best juicy peaches, which are in season in August. Or use any fruit, or mix of fruits, you like.
1 10-inch fluted tart pan
1 prepared pastry crust
4 well-ripened peaches, sliced ½-inch thick (It’s best if the skins are removed)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and on a floured surface, press the ball of dough into a fat disk and let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll it out until it's 12 inches across and 1∕8-to a ¼-inch thick. Transfer dough to the tart pan by folding it in half, then into a quarter. Place it into the pan and unfold. Trim the excess dough hanging over the pan’s edges until you have a ½-inch edge hanging over. Fold and press it into the edge of the tart pan to reinforce your tart’s edge. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before you take the pan with dough out of the freezer, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Remove pan from freezer, line with tin foil and fill with pie weights or old beans. Bake for 10 minutes, remove pie weights and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely.
Toss peaches in sugar. Lay the peaches in a ring formation on the outside. Repeat the pattern with a smaller ring inside, laying the peaches the opposite direction. Dot the fruit with pea-sized pieces of butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until peaches release juice and start bubbling. Serves 8-10.
-OR- Email & Password
