Make the pâte sucrée using the amounts
listed above and the method outlined
below. Shape it into a ball, wrap and
chill it until firm, at least 30 minutes.
While
the pastry chills, prepare the filling: Strip the zest from the
oranges with a vegetable peeler and cut it into the finest
possible julienne strips with a large knife. Blanch the julienne
by putting them in a pan of cold water, bringing them to a boil,
simmering them for 5 minutes, and then draining.
Squeeze the orange juice from the oranges and put it in a medium
shallow saucepan with the sugar. Heat gently until the sugar
dissolves, then bring the syrup to a boil, and simmer for 2
minutes. Add the julienne, lower the heat, and simmer very
gently without stirring until the orange zests are translucent
and very tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated, 30 to
40 minutes. If the pan gets dry before they are done, add a
little water. Lift out the julienne with a slotted spoon, spread
them on a sheet of wax or parchment paper and leave them to cool
and dry. Strain the syrup and put 2 tablespoons aside in a small
pan. (Any leftover syrup makes a fragrant base for Champagne
cocktail, with a tablespoon or two of Cognac.)
Heat
the oven to 375°F/190°C and butter the tartlet molds. Divide the
dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each one into a ball. Roll
out the balls to 4-inch/10-cm rounds and trim the edges with the
cookie cutter. Line the molds with dough, pressing it well into
the base. Prick the bases with a fork, and chill until firm,
about l5 minutes. If you have more molds, set a second mold
inside each pastry shell so that the tartlets keep their shape
during baking; alternatively, line the shells with foil, using
dried beans or rice to weight it down. Set the molds on a baking
sheet and bake the shells until set and the rims start to brown,
6 to 8 minutes. Remove the lining molds or foil and continue
baking until the shells are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Let
them cool before removing the tartlet shells from the molds.
To
assemble the tartlets: Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the orange
julienne for decoration, chop the rest, and spread it flat in
the tartlet shells. Make the ganache filling: Put the chopped
chocolate in a small bowl. Stir the cream and butter into the
reserved orange syrup and heat until the butter is melted. Bring
the cream mixture just to a boil, pour it over the chopped
chocolate, and let it stand for l minute to melt the chocolate.
Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth, then stir in the Grand
Marnier. Pour this ganache into the tartlet shells, covering the
orange zest completely and filling the shells almost to the rim.
Tap them gently on the counter to level the ganache. Leave the
tartlets at room temperature until set, about 30 minutes. Top
the tartlets just before serving with a large pinch of the
reserved candied orange zest. The tartlets are best eaten within
a few hours of making and should not be refrigerated so they
keep their lusciously smooth and creamy texture.
French Sweet Pie Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)
The ingredient measurements for each pie or tart shell are in
the individual recipes. Sift the flour onto the work surface and
make a well in the center. Put the salt, sugar, egg yolks, and
vanilla in the well. Pound the butter with a rolling pin to
soften it, add it to the other ingredients in the well and work
them with the fingers of one hand until thoroughly mixed and the
sugar is partially dissolved. Using a pastry scraper, gradually
draw in flour then work the dough and chill it as for the French
Pie Pastry, above.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne
Willan From My Château Kitchen (Clarkson Potter/Publishers.
April 2000)
www.randomhouse.com
