Bernd's tart...

[GMichael]

How many of us are making Bernd's lemon tart pie for Christmas? I just made my first of the year a few days ago. It came out better than ever. I can't thank Bernd enough for this fabulous treat.
For any of you who didn't get to try it the first time around, you really should give it a shot. The crust is tough to work with but the end result is so worth the effort.
Does anyone else out there make this now that we've been let in on this great recipe?
Does anyone have another to share?

Here is Bernd's recipe for anyone who missed it last year:

"Here you go. The most delicious dessert imaginable.



A classic French dessert, and this version is absolutely divine. The method for the pastry is unusual, to say the least, but it produces a nice crisp, biscuity pastry which is ideal for this type of tart, as well as for fruit tarts. The quantity given will make three tart shells, but you can keep it in the fridge for a few days, or freeze it.



Ingredients
Pastry:
250g butter
175g icing sugar
2 small eggs, beaten
500g flour

Filling:
Zest of 4 lemons and 180 ml of juice
4 large eggs
120g caster sugar
120 ml double cream
icing sugar and lemon wedges to decorate


Method
For the pastry, cream together the butter and sugar till fluffy. Lightly mix in the eggs, then cut in the flour with a spatula. Knead gently for a few seconds to make a smooth dough, then wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least half an hour. You'll need to take it out of the fridge well before you want to use it as it is a bit tricky to handle.


Preheat the oven to 150C/300F. Roll out the dough to about 5 mm thick, and use it to line a 22 cm tin (I used a square one). You can make the sides of the tart double thickness by cutting the pastry an inch bigger all round and folding it down. Make the edges nice and neat though. Prick with a fork, line with greaseprooof paper and weight it down with baking beans. Chill for 20 minutes, then bake blind for 25 minutes on a pre-heated baking tray. Remove paper and beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes. The pastry should be crisp and lightly coloured. Set aside and turn the oven up to 170C/350F.


To make the filling, finely grate the zest from the lemons and squeeze enough juice to give the required quantity. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk lightly to combine -- not until it's frothy. Then, still beating, add the lemon zest and juice and the cream. Put this mixture in a jug.


Put the pastry case on the baking tray and slide it out of the oven far enough to be able to pour the filling in, carefully. You want it to come virtually to the top of the pastry. Slide the tray back in, and bake for about 30 minutes until the filling is set and just firm in the centre.


Remove from the oven, sift icing sugar over it and caramelise the top under the grill . Serve at room temperature -- you don't need anything with it."

[bobsticks]

Great re-post GM and, of course, great recipe from Brother Bernd. I seem to recall having some success with this last year but this year Christmas will not be at my home. Too much wear and tear on the goods.

This year's celebration will be of the Chinese assortment and for some reason I think a couplefew tarts might just be the ticket. What a great presentation when walking through the door. My uncle always said, "Boy, you can't go wrong with a good tart.", although I'm not sure this was the context...

[GMichael]

Great re-post GM and, of course, great recipe from Brother Bernd. I seem to recall having some success with this last year but this year Christmas will not be at my home. Too much wear and tear on the goods.

This year's celebration will be of the Chinese assortment and for some reason I think a couplefew tarts might just be the ticket. What a great presentation when walking through the door. My uncle always said, "Boy, you can't go wrong with a good tart.", although I'm not sure this was the context...

Snicker snicker. I agree with your uncle.

Hey Santa! Don't bogart that. Pass a little this way.

[ForeverAutumn]

I will be making Bernd's tart again this year. For some reason we're not entertaining as much this year as last. I must've made six or eight tarts last year. This year I have plans for three.

I have two recipes that my friends beg me to make each year when we all get together for New Year's Eve. I'll post them separately for easy printing.

[ForeverAutumn]

Double Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

1/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6oz chopped bakers chocolate squares – Instead of chopping up the bakers squares, I like to use milk chocolate chips but semi-sweet are also fine. White chocolate chips (or chunks) are also very nice in this recipe if you aren’t going to dip them (see ending steps).

Beat butter or margarine in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and baking powder; beat till combined.

Beat in eggs.

Beat in cocoa powder and as much flour as you can. By hand, stir in any remaining flour and chocolate chips.

Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 9-inch-long log. Place logs about 4 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten logs slightly till they are about two inches wide.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or till toothpicks inserted near the centers come out clean. Cool on the cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 hour.

With a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Lay the slices, cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake slices at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Turn over and bake for 7 to 9 minutes more or until biscotti are dry and crisp (do not overbake). Cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

I will sometimes dip these biscotti in melted white chocolate. If I’m making a cookie tray for a party, I’ll also make a batch of almond biscotti and dip them in dark chocolate. The chocolate biscotti dipped in white chocolate and the almond biscotti dipped in dark cholocate make a very attractive tray.

These chocolate biscotti are a nice combination of a crisp crunchy biscotti and melt in your mouth chocolate pieces and are a hit every time I make them.

[GMichael]

Thanks for the recipe FA. I'll be sure to give it a try over the holidays.

[ForeverAutumn]

I'll post my famous Egg Nog cookies recipe too, but I didn't have time to type it out last night. They are a nice offset to the rich chocolate in the biscotti.