Tag Archives: tart

Chocolate Macaroon Tart

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It’s Wine and Unwind time!  Now that “Hamilton” is up and running and only rehearsing 12 hours a week (in addition to an eight-show a week performance schedule) James has time to bake again.  Ahem.

Anyway, this tart was so popular that I barely had time to snap a few pictures before it was gone gone gone.  (I did manage to score a tiny slice and it was velvety smooth and delectable.  Good thing everyone else devoured it too, or else.)

It’s also gluten-free, so you can serve it to just about anyone.  A useful recipe to have in your repertoire in this day and age, no?

Chocolate Macaroon Tart

Ingredients:
10  ounce(s) (soft ) coconut macaroon cookies
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
1  navel orange, for garnish

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Using a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2.  In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse macaroons until fine crumbs form. Pour crumbs into prepared pan and press crumbs onto bottom and up side of pan. Bake crust 10 minutes or until golden-brown; cool completely on wire rack (about 30 minutes).

3.  In 1-quart saucepan, heat 3/4 cup cream to boiling on medium. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; with wire whisk, whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in liqueur and vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture into tart shell. Refrigerate 2 hours or until set.

4.  When ready to serve, in small bowl, combine sugar and remaining cream. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream until soft peaks form.

For extra credit:
With vegetable peeler, from orange, remove strips of peel measuring approximately 3″ by 1/2″. With paring knife, scrape off and discard white pith from peel; very thinly slice peel lengthwise. One at a time, wrap each strip around chopstick or pencil and hold 10 to 15 seconds or until curled. Garnish tart with whipped cream and citrus curls.

IMG_2328Lin-Manuel Miranda taking his tart very seriously.

IMG_2327Sidney Harcourt, a member of the Hamilton ensemble, digging in.

IMG_2325The glamor of theater!  Thanks Anna Wintour for the Veuve Cliquot!!

 

Wine and Unwind: Chocolate Walnut Tart

5.26 W&UW3James’ Chocolate Walnut Tart — only one left!

The Master Builder only has a few more performances at BAM (it closes on June 9, so get your tickets NOW!)  It’s gotten great reviews, so try not to miss this one.

At last Sunday’s Wine and Unwind, James treated the cast to his legendary Chocolate Walnut Tart.  It’s delicious and actually pretty easy to make.  Eddie, the house prop man, supplied a delicious Brunella to share, and more bottles just showed up as well.  Everyone unwound just fine!

Next week, James moves on to PSM the workshop of Spongebob Squarepants:  The Musical.  Can’t wait to see what he makes for THAT Wine and Unwind!

James Latus’ Chocolate Walnut Tart

Ingredients:

Pastry for single pie crust (see recipe below)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Press pastry dough into bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.

2.  Sprinkle walnuts and chocolate chips over crust

3.  In small bowl combine, eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Pour into crust.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until top is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

James’ French Pastry Crust recipe
(makes two pie crusts)

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
5 Tablespoons ice water

Method:

1.  Combine flour, salt and sugar, cut in shortening until it resembles course meal

2.  Combine egg, vinegar and 4 Tablespoons of water. Whisk together, add to flour stirring with fork until it forms a ball. Add additional Tablespoon of water only if needed

3.  Allow dough to rest 10 minutes in refrigerator before rolling out.

James notes that because Wine and Unwind has gotten so popular with this cast, he had to make TWO tarts!!  Hence the double pastry crust recipe.  

5.26 W&UW

James hosting the event

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John Tuturro and Andrei Belgrader

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Cast members Max Gordon Moore and Julian Gamble