Best Roasted Grape Brown Butter Crostata With Caramel Sauce Mascarpone And Vin Santo Recipes

GOOSEBERRY AND BLUEBERRY CUSTARD CROSTATA WITH BROWN SUGAR CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the dough: Grate the butter on a box grater and add to the bowl of a food processor with the flour, granulated sugar and kosher salt. Pulse to incorporate. Add the egg yolk and almond extract then pulse another few times. Add 3/4 cup of the toasted almonds and pulse to break up the almonds. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Pat and form the dough into a disc. Roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick circle, dusting with more flour if necessary. Transfer the dough onto a floured sheet tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
• Spray six 4-inch tart shells with removable bottoms with nonstick cooking spray. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into 5-inch circles and gently lay into the tart shells. Using your finger, press the dough into all edges of the tart shell, making sure the dough is completely flush against the mold. Run your rolling pin over the top to remove any excess dough from the top. Line the tart shells with foil and fill each with your baking beans. Make sure the foil is completely covering the dough or else it will burn in the oven. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and remove the foil and baking beans, then place back into the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
• For the custard: Add the heavy cream, 4 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Blend with an immersion blender. Set aside.
• Add the blueberries, gooseberries, the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and cornstarch to a large bowl. Toss to combine to ensure the fruit is fully coated. Spoon the fruit into the baked tart shells and pour the custard over the top each, making sure not to overfill. Transfer the tarts into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the custard is set. Sprinkle each tart with some granulated sugar and torch with a blow torch to caramelize.
• For the mascarpone: Mix together the mascarpone, vanilla extract and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• For the brown sugar caramel: Cut the butter into pats. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice into a medium sauté pan. Turn on the heat to medium and cook until it starts to get syrupy, thick and bubbly. Add the heavy cream and swirl the pan to combine. Whisk in one pat of butter at a time. Add the dark rum and bring back to a boil to cook off the alcohol.
• To serve, spoon some of the brown sugar caramel sauce onto the bottom of the plate. Place the tart on top followed by a dollop some of the mascarpone over the tarts. Garnish with the remaining toasted almonds.

CREPES WITH MASCARPONE AND CHERRIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine the mascarpone, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Set aside. If making more than 2 hours ahead reserve in the refrigerator but let come to room temperature before serving. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherries, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice and a splash of water. Cook until the cherries have let off their juice and the flavor has concentrated, about 10 to 12 minutes. When done the cherries should be very sweet and the juice should be syrupy.
• To assemble:
• Schmear some of the mascarpone/chocolate mixture, about 1/4-inch thick, onto the lower half of a crepe. Fold the top half over the bottom to create a perfect half circle and press to secure. Fold the crepe in half again, to create a loose triangle. Repeat this process with remaining 7 crepes. To serve, arrange 2 triangles on each serving plate and spoon the stewed cherries over the tops.
• Batter: In a mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Add the eggs, milk, club soda and 3 tablespoons of melted butter into the center of the well and whisk together until just combined. The mixture should be like VERY loose pancake batter. If the mixture is a little thick, whisk in a little more milk. Let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes before using.
• Crepes:
• Melt about a 1/2 teaspoon of butter in a small nonstick saute pan. The butter should coat the bottom of the pan, if there is a lot of excess, wipe it out with a paper towel. Keep the paper towel handy in case you need it again (you will).
• Put the pan over medium heat. Fill a 2-ounce ladle, almost to the top, with batter and pour it into the preheated pan, tipping and rolling the pan, as you ladle the batter, to evenly cover the bottom. This will take a little practice, even when you are an experienced crepe maker the first couple always get wasted. Accept it and move on.
• When the edges of the crepe begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and the bottom begins to brown a little, turn the crepe over and cook it for about 1 minute on the other side. Remove the crepe from the pan to a plate and let cool. Stack the crepes as they are cooked between parchment paper squares. Repeat this process, until all the batter is used, wiping the pan with your paper towel or melting a little more butter to the pan, as needed.

APPLE CROSTATA WITH SPICED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Blend together flour, sugar, salt, zest, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg and vanilla in a small bowl and drizzle over flour mixture, then gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps.
• Gather all dough together, then divide dough in half and form each half into a 5- to 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until more firm, but not hard, about 30 minutes.
• Make filling while dough chills:
• Melt butter in a heavy, wide 6- to 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and apples, and cook, uncovered, stirring and turning apples over occasionally, until apples soften and juices thicken and begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes (lower heat if apple mixture browns too quickly). Transfer to a shallow bowl and chill until cooled.
• Assemble crostata:
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide crostata off bottom), then lock pan. Generously butter springform pan and chill or freeze briefly to firm up butter.
• Press one disk of dough evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan (use the smooth bottom of a metal measuring cup to help make it even). Chill tart shell.
• Roll out remaining disk of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 10-inch round (dough will be very tender). Peel off top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (3/4-inch-wide) strips and slide (still on paper) onto a baking sheet. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes in refrigerator or 5 minutes in freezer.
• Spoon apple filling in shell, distributing slices evenly. Arrange 5 strips of dough parallel to each other, 1 inch apart, on filling, trimming edges flush with edge of pan (dough will tear easily; patch any breaks with fingers). Arrange remaining 5 strips diagonally across first strips, 1 inch apart, to form a lattice, and trim edges.
• Gather remaining dough and roll into several long, 1/4-inch-thick ropes. Press enough ropes around edge of crostata in a single layer, smoothing seams with fingers, to form an even edge (you will have a little dough left over).
• Bake crostata until pastry is pale golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Near end of baking, heat apricot preserves with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted, then strain through a sieve into a small bowl.
• When crostata is done, brush top with warm apricot glaze. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, then remove side of pan.
• Make caramel sauce while crostata bakes:
• Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, then remove from heat and keep hot, covered.
• Stir sugars together with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice in a heavy 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan, then cook undisturbed over medium heat until mixture is partially melted (reduce heat if mixture turns dark around edge). Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until completely melted and mixture is a deep golden caramel.
• Carefully pour in hot cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel may harden slightly) and quickly whisk in pumpkin pie spice and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until melted. Transfer to a glass measure to let cool slightly.
• To serve, either slide crostata from pan bottom onto a flat serving plate or serve on pan bottom.

CARAMEL GRAPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Stir in grapes. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly and cook over medium heat until mixture starts to thicken. It does not need to boil.
• Pour brown sugar and butter over grape mixture and stir until well blended. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.