*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                       Chocolate And Pear Tartlets

Recipe By     : Look and Cook Chocolate Desserts by Anne Willan
Serving Size  : 8    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Pies                             Fruits

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   5      oz            Semisweet chocolate
   1 1/2  lb            Ripe pears (2)
   2      tb            Sugar -- for sprinkling
                        Pastry Dough:
   1 1/2  c             Flour
   6      tb            Butter -- extra for molds
     1/3  c             Sugar
     1/2  ts            Salt
     1/2  ts            Vanilla
   3                    Egg yolks
                        Custard:
   1                    Egg
     1/2  c             Light cream
   1      tb            Kirsch
                        Raspberry Coulis:
   2      c             Raspberries
   1      tb            Kirsch -- up to 2 tb
                        - (optional)
   2      tb            Confectioner sugar -- up to 3 tb

Sift flour. Put butter between 2 sheets wax papaer and pound with
roling pin soften slightly. Make a well in center of flour. Put
sugar, salt, and vanilla in well. Add butter and with fingertips,
work the ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Add yolks to well and
work into ingredients in well. Draw in flour with metal spatula. With
your fingers, work flour into the ingredients until coarse curmbs
form. Press into a ball. Sprinkle work surface lighty with flour,
then blend dough by pushing ball away from you with heel of your
hand. Gather up and continue to blend until very smooth and peels
away from work surface in one piece, 1 to 2 minutes. Shape into a
ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill about 30 minutes.

Brush tartlet molds with melted butter. Place 4 together edges nearly
touching. Divide dough in half and roll out to 1/8". Roll loosely
around rolling pin and drape over molds to cover. Tear off piece of
dough from edge, form into a ball, dip in flour, and use it to push
dough into the molds. Roll rolling pin over tops to cut excess dough
off. With fingers, press into flutes of each mold. Repeat with other
4.

Heat oven 400°F. Heat baking sheet.

Fine chop chocolate. Sprinkle into each shell. Whisk egg, cream and
kirsch together until thorougly mixed. Spoon about 2 to 3 tb over
chocolate. Peel pears, cut in half, and remove cores. Cut each into
very thin slices. Arrange in flower-petal design on custard so they
overlap. Press down lightly into custard, then sprinkle evenly with
sugar.

Put on heated sheet near bottom of heated oven. Bake 10 minutes, then
reduce heat to 350°F and bake until pastry is golden and custard is
set, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Coulis:

Pick over berries, then puree them in processor. Add kirch, if using,
the confectioner's sugar to taste and puree again. Strain to remove
seeds. Let tarlets cool slightly. Spoon coulis onto indiviual plates.
Unmold tarlets, place on coulis and decorate with mint sprigs. Serve
warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate-Apple Tartlets:

Peel and core 3 apples (1 lb) Cut into small chunks. Heat about 2 tb
butter. Add chunks and sprinkle them with 1 to 2 tb sugar, and 2 ts
ground cinnamon. Saute briskly until slightly softened and
caramelized, stirring occasionally 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle chop choc
into shells and spoon custard over top. Spread apples on custard,
pressing down lightly.

Posted by: Belle Bestor (DFPF73A)


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