Serves a Crowd

Rustic 4M tart

by:
March 10, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Makes one pie tart
Author Notes

Taking my maple, Meyer, and muscovado pudding from last week, I have added marscapone to create a rustic pie with a chestnut flour-based crust. I baked this in a regular size pie shell, and it was just shy of filling it with a very shallow custard as you can see in the photo. Interestingly, the custard did not crack. But then after I drizzled some maple syrup on top, cracks formed exactly along the lines of syrup. I really liked the branchlike patterns this created. The pattern and color reminded me of my witch hazel that is now just in bloom. I have included photos to document this process. I love the flavors. The second time that I made this I doubled the marscapone. I like that this tart is not really deep, but intense. —Sagegreen

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Ingredients
  • The crust
  • 1/2 cup chestnut flour
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar
  • 4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • small glass of ice water
  • The custard
  • 4 egg yolks, chilled
  • 1/3 cup dark muscovado sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup, grade B if possible
  • 1 tablespoon chestnut flour
  • 1 cup marscapone
  • zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon
  • 1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice
  • dollops of marscapone or whipped cream, lemon flavored if desired
  • glaze of 1 part maple syrup (grade A preferred here) and 1/4 part Meyer lemon juice, optional
  • peel of Meyer lemon, as garnish
Directions
  1. The crust
  2. Preheat oven to 375. Blend the flours, salt and sugar in a bowl. Work in the cold butter cubes. Add 1 tbl. of ice water and work that in. Add another. If the mix has not come together add just a bit more water gingerly. Form a ball and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes or more.
  3. In between two sheets of parchment ( 14 inch square or so), roll out the dough very thinly, less than 1/8 inch. Transfer the dough to a small pie plate. Trim the edges. Bake for 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Then let cool.
  1. The custard
  2. Preheat oven to 350. Beat the egg yolks. Add the sugar and maple syrup, Whisk together. Stir in the flour. Fold in the marscapone. Then add the zest and juice. Mix until smooth.
  3. Pour the custard into the semi-baked pie shell. Add the pie to a larger baking pan. Fill that larger pan with cool water so it comes up midway to the pie plate. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the custard has set. Let cool.
  4. To serve, cut into slices. Add a drizzle of maple syrup cut with Meyer lemon juice, if desired. Garnish with dollops of Meyer lemon-flavored marscapone or whipped cream and Meyer lemon peel.

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10 Reviews

SallyCan March 10, 2011
Looks delicious. I like the photos with the witch hazel - what variety is it?
Sagegreen March 10, 2011
Thanks, SC. This is our vernal witch hazel. I just added a photo from our maple sugaring weekend, where we visited a number of our local sugar houses. Best thing in the season out here is to get breakfast during this small window of the season!
Sagegreen March 10, 2011
Hamamelis vernalis, if you want the Latin!
SallyCan March 10, 2011
The petals are so long, and the blossoms are so completely yellow. Love picture #4, with all of the steam. How does fresh maple syrup differ from syrup that is older?
Sagegreen March 10, 2011
To tell you the truth I really don't care for maple syrup by itself all that much, unless it is cooked in a recipe, except when it is hot from the boiling pan. When we go visit the sugar houses, we usually get to taste samples, and they can really differ....but they do seem to taste lighter and fresher, I think....or could it just be the atmosphere? I have made my own syrup in earlier years. I admire our local producers, many of whom learn the art down through the generations.
TheWimpyVegetarian March 10, 2011
I love the flavors you have here!! Sounds soooo good!
Sagegreen March 10, 2011
Thanks, CS!
wssmom March 10, 2011
wssmom March 10, 2011
that was meant to say .... drooling .... :)
Sagegreen March 10, 2011
Thanks, wssmom! I love the flavors. These photos show a pretty shallow custard filling because I did bake it in a regular sized pie plate. I hope to make this again with a prettier result, but probably won't be for a while.