Apricot and Basil Shortbread Tart

Seasonal Amazingness. I think that's actually what this dessert should be called. I'm usually aghast at the
poor quality of produce at my local grocery store, but on my last shopping trip I happened to notice some perfectly ripe, large, unblemished, in-season apricots taunting me from amongst the smashed apples and moldy broccoli (seriously). Along with some fresh basil from the gardens of those of you lucky enough to have yards or balconies with direct sunlight (grumble, grumble), this tart makes for an elegantly refreshing taste of early summer.

Herbs seem to be having a moment lately. Infusing everything from cookies and ice cream to cocktails and liquors, herbs add a hint of je ne sais quoi particularly when enriching the flavor of sweets and desserts. I have to admit I was a little wary of the basil-infused pastry cream called for in this tart, but I am now a believer. Yes, it does taste like basil, but in the most amazing way.

Also amazing about this dessert is the crust. Though it's technically a shortbread, it's not the bland, sandy, rock hard crust you're imagining. Made with a unique combination of powdered sugar, egg yolk and potato starch, this crust was soft and tender and probably my favorite component of the entire production.

A couple of notes: This recipe calls for a 14x2" tart pan, but you could easily adapt it for a 9" round tart pan as well and baking for 40 minutes. Similarly, the recipe actually makes more than enough pastry cream and nearly too much crust, so feel free to adjust or adapt this recipe to make several mini tarts instead.

Apricot and Basil Shortbread Tart
     From Food&Wine

Pastry Cream

1 cup whole milk 

5 tablespoons granulated sugar  

1/4 cup packed basil leaves with stems 

2 large egg yolks  

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pastry 

1 large hard-boiled egg yolk  

1 stick plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter  

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup potato starch 

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt 

Topping 

6 apricots (1 1/4 pounds), halved 

3 tablespoons granulated sugar  

1/3 cup apricot jam, melted 

  

1. In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of the milk with the sugar and basil; bring to a simmer. Remove the milk from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove the basil and squeeze any milk back into the pan; discard the basil.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of milk with the yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture into the warm milk; bring to a simmer over moderate heat, whisking constantly until very thick, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Scrape the cream into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 14-by-4 1/2-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the hard-boiled egg yolk with the butter and sugar at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, potato starch and salt and beat at low speed until just combined. Using lightly floured hands, press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the side of the tart pan. Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes, or until chilled.

4. Bake the crust for about 25 minutes, until golden. Transfer the crust to a rack and let stand until cooled, about 1 hour.

5. Increase the oven temperature to 450°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the apricot halves cut side up on the paper and sprinkle all over with the sugar. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the apricots are tender and lightly browned. Let the apricots stand until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.

6. Unmold the crust and transfer it to a serving plate. Using a small offset spatula, spread the cream evenly in the crust. Arrange the apricots on the cream, cut sides down, and brush with the melted jam. Cut the tart crosswise into strips and serve at once.

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Mango Souffles with Coconut Lime Creme Anglaise

Since my local climate could never be mistaken for anything approximating "tropical," it's always a little
surprising to me that mango season falls in the spring--a time of year more often featuring blustery rain than the warm tropical breezes I associate with mango.

Luckily I was able to take advantage this year and indulge in a taste of the tropics with this souffle recipe and the previously unbeknownst to me Ataulfo mangoes I came across at Whole Foods--a small, oblong, yellow mango known for its thin pit.

I don't know why I always waltz into complicated recipes as if nothing could possibly go wrong, thinking that foods with finicky reputations must just be flukes of poor recipe nature. Macarons, for example. Though whole books and classes revolve around the exact technique to achieve their footed perfect domes, I was still surprised when my last batch turned out flat and chewy.

Ataulfo Mangoes

Similarly with these souffles. Thrilled to see tall, fluffy custard towering out of its ramekin when I opened my oven door, I found myself yelling "Noooooo!" just moments later as they slowly collapsed. C'est la vie. These souffles were still delicious, and I would love to be able to give you some tips right now about how to keep your own souffles from falling, but a quick internet survey will give you thousands of supposed hints all essentially coaching you to "whip the egg whites as much as possible--but not too much!!" Right.

I'd also like to say this experience will cause me to be more cautious the next time I embark on an ambitious baking project, but I doubt it :)

Mango Souffles with Coconut Lime Creme Anglaise
      from Food52

Souffles
3/4 pounds ripe mango flesh, roughly chopped
5 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted for the ramekins
1 tablespoon superfine sugar, plus some for dusting the ramekins
2 tablespoons rum
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (any fat percentage works)
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

Sauce
1 egg
1/8 cup granulated sugar
pinches of salt
3/4 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
finely grated zest of 1 lime (about 1/2 a teaspoon) or more to taste

1. For the crème anglaise: Prepare an ice bath, place a small bowl inside of it and set aside.

2. Put the egg, sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium sized bowl and whisk until pale and thickened, about 3 minutes.

3. Bring the coconut milk and cream just to a boil, then pull it from the heat and slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture, whisking all the while to temper. When fully incorporated, return it to the pan used to heat the cream, place it over a low-medium heat and stir constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Pass the crème through a fine meshed strainer (to catch any of the egg that might have started to coagulate) into the bowl set inside the ice bath. Stir frequently until cooled to room temperature. Add lime zest to taste and reserve.

4. For the Soufflés: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mango chunks, the 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar and the rum. Cook, stirring, until well softened and syrupy, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the mango to a blender and process until very smooth, pour into a large bowl and reserve.

5. Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it inside of six - 3” diameter ramekins. Dust the inside of each with a tablespoon of superfine sugar, dumping out any excess. Place the ramekins in the fridge to chill while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

6. Heat the oven to 375℉ and place a sheet pan on a low rack to heat.

7. Whisk together the 5 egg yolks, flour, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the yolks have paled and the mix has thickened slightly. Set aside.

8. Place the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring it just to a simmer. Whisk it into the egg-flour mixture very slowly, whisking all the while to temper the mixture. Once fully incorporated, pour the mix back into the pan used to heat the milk, put it back over medium heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, and whisk constantly until the mix thickens to the consistency of a pudding, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, mix into the bowl with the mango purée and reserve. This is your soufflé base.

9. Place the egg whites in a clean bowl with a pinch of sugar. Beat with an electric hand-mixer on medium-high speed slowly adding the rest of the granulated sugar until the egg whites are white, glossy and hold soft peaks.

10. Spoon about 1/4 of the whipped whites into the soufflé base and whisk it in to lighten the mix. Gently add the remaining whites, and using a rubber spatula, softly fold them into the mix taking care not to deflate them.

11. Spoon the mix into the ramekins, leveling the top of each with a small offset spatula. Run your thumb inside the lip of each ramekin (this will help it rise evenly when baking), and place them on the heated sheet pan in the oven. Bake for 13-16 minutes (depending on your oven) until the soufflés have risen above the rim of the ramekins and are a light, golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little confectioner’s sugar. To serve, cut a hole in the top of each soufflé and pour in a few tablespoons of the coconut-lime crème anglaise.

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