DORIE GREENSPAN PEAR TART RECIPES

Steps:

• FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the processor and whir a few times, until the butter is coarsely mixed into the flour. Beat the egg with the ice water and pour it into the bowl in 3 small additions, whirring after each one (Don't overdo it - the dough shouldn't form a ball or ride on the blade) You'll have a moist, malleable dough that will hold together when pinched. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it lightly), and flatten it into a disk.
• HAND METHOD: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in the bits of butter and, using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed. You'll have large and small butter bits, and that's fine - uniformity isn't a virtue here. Beat the egg and water together, drizzle over the dough, and, using your fingertips, mix and knead the dough until it comes together. Turn it out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it some more), and flatten it into a disk.
• Chill at least 3 hours or up to 5 days.
• When you're ready to bake the tart shell, butter a 9 - 91/2inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (butter it even if it's nonstick).
• To roll out the dough: Roll out the dough between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a lightly floured rolling cover; or you can roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. If you're working between sheets of paper or plastic wrap, lift it often so that it doesn't roll into the dough, and turn the dough over frequently. If you're just rolling on the counter, make sure to lift and turn the dough and reflour the counter often. The rolled-out dough should be about 1/4 inch thick and at least 12 inches in diameter.
• Transfer the dough to the tart pan, easing it into the pan without stretching it. (What you stretch now will shrink in the oven later.) If you'd like to reinforce the sides of the crust, you can fold some of the excess dough over, so that you have a double thickness around the sides. Using the back of a table knife, trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Prick the base of the crust in several places with a fork.
• Chill - freeze - the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F Press a piece of buttered foil (or use nonstick foil) against the crust's surface. If you'd like, you can fill the covered crust with rice or dried beans (which will be inedible after this but can be used for baking for months to come) to keep the dough flat, but this isn't really necessary if the crust is well chilled. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart pan on the sheet.
• TO PARTIALLY BAKE THE CRUST: Bake for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove the foil (with the rice or beans). Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 3 - 5 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.
• TO FULLY BAKE THE CRUST: Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until it is an even golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.

Steps:

• 1. Make the savory galette dough: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt and pulse a couple of times to blend. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour. At first, the mixture will look like coarse meal and then, as you pulse more, you'll get small flake-size pieces and some larger pea-size pieces. Add a little of the ice water and pulse, continuing until all the water is in. Then work in longer pulses, stopping to scrape the side and bottom of the bowl as needed, until you have a dough that forms bumpy curds that hold together when you pinch them. 2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it gently to bring it together. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk and put it between two large pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough into an 11-inch round. Don't worry too much about getting the exact size or about having perfect edges?ragged is pretty for a galette. The dough will be thicker than you think it should be, and that's fine?it's what you need for a free-form pastry. 3. Slide the rolled-out dough, still between the sheets of paper, onto a baking sheet or cutting board and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped well, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw before using.) When you're ready to use the dough, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes so that it's pliable enough to lift and fold without cracking. 4. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 400?F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Place the rolled-out dough on the lined baking sheet and prick it all over with the tines of a fork. Cover it with a sheet of parchment and put another baking sheet on top of it. Or, if you don't have a second baking sheet, put a baking pan or tart pan over it?you want to weight it down. 5. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and the top sheet of parchment and bake until lightly golden, 5 to 8 minutes more. Transfer to a rack and cool the crust slightly before you fill and top it?it can be slightly warm, but it shouldn't be hot. (Leave the oven on.) 6. Make the filling: Meanwhile, working in a small bowl with a flexible spatula, beat the cream cheese and milk together until the milk is mostly absorbed; the mixture will be lumpy. Stir in the grated Parmesan and scallions, chives or shallots, if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper. (The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.) 7. Make the topping and bake the tart: Working with a mandoline or other slicer, or the slicing blade of a food processor, cut the potato into very thin rounds. (Or use a sharp knife to cut the thinnest slices you can.) 8. Spread the filling evenly over the crust, leaving a ?-inch border. Starting on the bare edge of the crust (or, if you prefer, just where the filling starts), arrange the potato slices in concentric circles, slightly overlapping them, to cover the entire surface. Brush the potatoes with a little oil and sprinkle with the cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and if you've got herbs, scatter some of them over the tart; set the rest aside. 9. Bake the tart until the filling is bubbling (it may bubble over the edges, but that's fine) and the potatoes are cooked through and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. (If you've left some crust exposed and it looks as though it's coloring too deeply, shield the edges with foil after about 10 minutes.) Transfer the tart to a serving platter and, if you have fresh herbs, sprinkle the rest over the tart. Wait for about 10 minutes before cutting the tart into wedges. Note: While you can make the crust and filling ahead, the tart is really a make-it-and-eat-it affair. It's still fine at room temperature an hour or so after baking, but it's so much better just out of the oven.