Pear, Gorgonzola and Candied Pecan Tartlettes

Ingredients

Dough

135 g all-purpose flour

60 g granulated sugar

½ tsp. orange zest

3 g sea salt

1.15 g baking powder

57 g unsalted butter

50 g egg, whisked lightly

Filling

1.08 g cream cheese

303 g Ricotta cheese

93 g Gorgonzola cheese

165.75 g eggs, lightly beaten

60 g granulated sugar

3 g vanilla

Maple Rosemary Pecans (recipe below)

Tart dough

Maple Rosemary Candied Pecans

30 g maple syrup

41 g unsalted butter

1 g sea salt

0.43 g cayenne pepper

227 g pecan halves

4.50 g fresh rosemary

Directions

Dough:

Place sugar, flour, baking powder, orange zest and butter in a food processor. Add egg slowly and blend until a smooth ball forms.

Place on floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Roll out on well-floured surface until ¼-inch thick. Roll over rolling pin and place in buttered and floured, fluted tart pan. Mould into the edge and set aside.

(Makes one 10-inch tart shell bottom, or 8 small 6-inch tartlettes.)

Filling:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place cream cheese, Gorgonzola cheese, sugar and vanilla in mixer with paddle and blend until smooth, scraping sides frequently. Add Ricotta and blend on low speed until smooth, again scraping sides. Add eggs as mixing on low speed; scrape sides and incorporate, but do not over mix. Pour mixture into prepared, dough-lined tart pan.

Place maple pecans in sequence on top leaving spaces where portions will be cut. Save remaining pecans for garnishment.

Place on center rack of oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool until room temperature.

Serves 8 to 10.

Maple Rosemary Candied Pecans:

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Mix half of syrup in small saucepan and heat with butter, pepper and salt. At medium heat, add pecans.

Stir gently as the pecans toast for about 2 minutes and mixture gets sticky. Add rosemary and remaining syrup and continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute.

Place pecans on sheet pan, separate and bake on middle rack for 8 minutes. Stir and continue cooking for additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Store at room temperature.

Yield: ¼ pound; 8 to 10 servings.

Tartlette Assembly:

Remove tart from pan. Place knife in hot water bath. Cut portions and place on plates. Garnish with fresh pear sliced into fan, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and additional pecans.

Yield:  8 to 10 servings per tart.