Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust

Every once in a while, I love to enjoy a Sunday Brunch Buffet with my family.  The Golf Club House where my hubby and I tied the knot (years ago) offers a fabulous Live Jazz Sunday Champagne Bruch.  The quality of the food is great and the price is reasonable.  It’s only a few blocks away from where we live now.  The problem is, I tend to eat a lot more than I should at the buffet!  Don’t you want to try a little bit of everything they offer?  Well, even with a small bite of every dish, it’s still over my calories intake limits, especially with a few glasses of mimosas!  Yeah, although mimosa is in liquid form, it’s not calorie free (like how I wish).  What’s the solution?  Dine at home of course.     



So, what’s for brunch this weekend?  Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust!  It’s really easy to prepare and you can pre-bake the crust the day before so you can still sleep-in on the day you want to make the tart.  Plus, you get to relax and dine in at home.  No need to get up early, dress up, fix your hair and get the kids ready…etc.  You can enjoy a lovely brunch in your robe and slippers!  Ha! I bet the buffet can’t beat that!   ;)  Not to mention, it’s way cheaper than dining out. 



Are you sold on this idea yet?  I hope you are because I’m really happy that I did.  This Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust was amazing.  As I was taking pictures soon after the tart came out of the oven, I couldn’t help but noticed the wonderful aromas from it.  The texture of the pecan crust was crumbly with a nice crunch from the edges.  The flavor of the crust was buttery and nutty with a hint of sweetness.  The shallots was mild in onion flavor and complimented well with other ingredients without over powdering other flavors.  The custard was velvety and the salty prosciutto on top added a nice crunch.  The creamy brie on top melted beautifully and added a sophisticated cheese flavor.  I would definitely make this again, and again.             




I recreated the Asparagus Hollandaise Tarts into this Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart for Kitchen Play. Whether your recipe calls for raw or cooked eggs, it’s always safer to prepare it with pasteurized eggs, in my opinion.  Especially, with young kids and elderly at home, it’s better to serve pasteurized eggs for the peace of mind.

Safest Choice Eggs is sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter.  (To make it even easier, click here for a great coupon offer from Safest Choice Eggs.) All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win $100 (6 prizes total).  The deadline is June 5, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Breville.



Spinach- Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust: Printable Recipe
Servings: 4-6

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted pecan, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
8 tablespoons cold salted butter (1 stick), diced
1 Safest Choice Pasteurized egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
A few handfuls of spinach, washed and patted dry
4 slices of prosciutto
3 Safest Choice Pasteurized eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
pinch of freshly grounded black pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of red pepper flakes
4 oz brie cheese, break into small pieces
a few sprigs of thyme

To prepare the crust:

In a food processor, combine the flour, pecan, sugar and butter. Pulse until the butter becomes pea size. Add egg yolk and mustard, process until incorporated. Put the mixture on a lightly floured board and gather the dough into a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface in between two sheets of plastic wrap to fit your preferred pie pan. If the dough tears, just gently patch it with your fingertips.

Line the dough with a piece of parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dry beans and blind bake for 15-20 minutes until completely done. Remove the weights and parchment paper.

Prepare the filling:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and cook the shallots until caramelized (about 3-4 minutes), add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. In the same pan, quickly sauté the prosciutto until slightly crisped. They will crisp up more during baking. Remove from the pan.

In a measuring cup, measure the milk, whisk in the eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and red pepper flakes until well combined. Layer the shallot and spinach at the bottom of the crust and slowly pour the egg mixture over it.
Top with slices of prosciutto and brie cheese.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the tart is golden brown and the custard is cooked. Sprinkle with freshly chopped thyme and enjoy.


This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Friday Potluck
Fresh Bite Friday
Fresh Clean and Pure Friday

Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti

For those who knows me well would probably remember which “meal” is a must have at our house.  Yes, that’s right, the afternoon tea!  Most of the time, we preferred something light, yet satisfying.  It’s just a little pick-me-up in the afternoon, rather than something too heavy that may ruin the appetite for dinner.  That’s why we love these chocolate biscotti.  They are the perfect size for afternoon snacks, or mid-morning snacks.  Along with a cup of tea, mocha, or milk for dipping, you’re all set.  Before I started to make my own biscotti, I used to buy these Nonni’s Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti from Costco.  Somehow, they vanished from all Costco stores!  After cruising up and down all the food isles twice, I panic for a while and didn’t know what to do! 

    

I even checked out another Costco location!  Unfortunately, they didn’t have them either.  Now they only carry the regular ones with a tiny little bit of chocolate drizzled on top.  NO, NO, NO!  I need my chocolate fix!  So, I went to some other stores to see if I have any luck!  But again, I was disappointed.  Before I turn to the internet as the last resort, I came across this recipe from the December issue of Food and Wine Magazine….the Chocolate-and-Pistachio Biscotti!  They look just like the Nonni’s ones I love, except the recipe calls for a different type of nuts.  So, I went into the kitchen right the way, gathered and measured all my ingredients, made some adjustments on the recipe and started making these delicious treats.





After all the measuring, beating, shaping, baking, cutting, dipping, cooling, waiting, and finally, tasting…I’m a happy girl again!  Didn’t people say chocolate, especially dark chocolate, helps improve ones mood?  Don’t just listen to me, here’s what the experts have to say.  Whether you need to de-stress, satisfy your sweet tooth, fight off the mid-morning hunger, or simply want to try something chocolaty and delicious, this is the perfect treat for you.  After you give these biscotti a try, I’m sure you’ll like this recipe as much as I do!





I'm sharing/linking this recipe at the Holiday Recipe Exchange.  Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Exchange sponsored by Scharffen Berger.





Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti:  (Adopted from Food and Wine Magazine)
Makes 32

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sliced almond
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Melted bittersweet chocolate, for dipping

 

Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and Baileys and beat until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and beat at low speed until incorporated. Beat in the almonds.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 1 1/4-inch-thick log. Arrange 2 logs on each baking sheet about 3 inches apart and press to flatten slightly. Brush the logs with the egg white.

Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, until the tops are cracked and glossy and slightly firm to the touch. Let the logs cool slightly.

Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the logs into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheets; bake for about 20 minutes, until dry. Let cool completely. Partially dip the biscotti in the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

Prosciutto di Parma with Smoke Gouda Crescent--TangZhong Method (湯種法) **With Video Instructions**

  


You bet!  My dear readers, here comes another bread recipes with TangZhong Method (湯種法).  As I mentioned before, this TangZhong Method is one of the best method I’ve discovered for bread making.  TangZhong method really keeps the bread soft and fluffy for days!  That is if they last that long around your house.  They usually gone pretty quickly in my home. 





As some of you requested, I included a video showing some steps when I made these crescents.  I suggest you to read the recipe once before watching the video.  I know, I know, the recipe might seems complicated, but it’s really quite simple and easy.  That’s why I include a video on the instructions.  Once you watched the video, you’ll say, “ah-ha, that’s easy!”  :)    I hope you’ll enjoy watching the video and be inspired to try this recipe out.  You and your family will be really happy that you did. 





The picture above is how the crescent looks inside, isn’t it lovely?  Hm…with the swirl of prosciutto and melted cheese, every single bite is a winner.  It’s perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.  These are the best pick-me-up in the afternoon.  Alright, enough said, let’s roll the film, shall we?  “In 3-2-1, actions!”  Oh wait, before we start, I want to thank my hubby for being the director and producer of this video.  Special lighting effect from Amy’s kitchen, hair and make up…okay, okay I’m just teasing, let’s watch the video!  Oh…one last thing before we roll (I promise), the first part of the video shows how to shape and fill the dough.  The second part shows how to apply egg wash before putting them into the oven.  Enjoy!







Note: If your computer and internet connection are fast enough, you may want to watch the video with HD quality.  Simply change the setting from 360p to 720p from the lower right hand corner of the video screen.











Prosciutto di Parma with Smoke Gouda Crescent--TangZhong Method(湯種法):
 
Makes 8 crescents
 
TangZhong Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Cup Bread Flour
 
Bread Dough Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Warm Milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cups Bread Flour
1 1/3 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
 
Filling Ingredients:

8 pieces of paper thin Prosciutto di Parma
1 cup smoke gouda cheese, grated
 
Egg Wash Ingredients:

1 Beaten Egg
1 Tablespoon water
8 springs of fresh oregano leaves (optional)
 
Making TangZhong 湯種:

1) Place bread flour in a small bowl, pour boiling water over the bread flour and stir quickly with a fork to combine until no lumps.

2) Wrap mixture (it'll be a very wet dough) with plastic wrap, form dough in ball/round shape and refrigerate overnight.

 
Making the bread:

1) Take out the TangZhong 湯種 from the fridge at least an hour before use (I usually leave it on countertop until it's room temperature).

2) In bread machine, pour in ingredient in this order, warm milk, TangZhong 湯種, salt, sugar, butter, bread flour and yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting according to its user menu.

3) Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and grease wrap with cooking spray. When dough is ready, take it out from bread machine and gently punch it a few times to deflate it. Divide dough into 8 equal portions, shape each into balls and place them on the prepared plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of greased wrap and leave them in a warm place to rest 15-20 minutes.

(Please refer step 4, 5 and 6 to the video from this post)

4) Slightly flour both hands, gently pull all sides of the dough and fold dough to the back to form a ball shape, revealing a smooth surface.

5) Flour rolling pin and board. Roll and shape each portioned dough into a 3 by 8-inch triangle. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on dough, leaving a 1-cm border all around. Place a slice of prosciutto on top of the cheese, again, stay within the edges. Roll the filled dough, starting from the wider end to form a log. Slightly shape the rolled dough into a crescent. Repeat until all dough are filled. Place all filled and shaped dough on a parchment paper(or silicone) lined baking sheet, seam side down. Let dough proof for 2nd round, 45 mins to 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

6) Preheat oven 355F. Brush egg wash on dough and top with a spring of oregano leaves (optional), bake 15 to 18 mins. Transfer to a wiring rack to cool.
 
Tips: When proofing the dough, make sure it's in a warm place and covered with wet towel or plastic wrap so it won't dry out. I usually place dough in the oven with a bowl of hot water.