Pithivers

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

TAMALES WORLD TOUR SHOW #WT1A26  Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and
butter in a large bowl. With your  fingertips, mix until a coarse meal
forms. Add the water, all at  once, and knead by hand until a ball
forms.  Transfer to a bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook and
knead  until smooth and moist, about 5 minutes, or knead by hand about
15  minutes. Press dough into a 6 by 4 inch rectangle. Wrap with
plastic  and chill 4 hours or overnight.  Butter Block: Soften butter
block with your hands or with an electric  mixer until pliable enough
to roll like doughnut not too soft. The  key to rolling butter and
dough is they must be warm enough to roll,  but not warm enough to
combine. The two parts should always remain  separate.  On a floured
board, roll cold dough, from center out, to form a 9 by  6 inch
rectangle, keeping the thickness uniform, about 1/2inch thick.  Align
dough so the length is parallel to the counter.  Imagine the dough
divided in thirds along its width and spread butter  over middle and
right thirds, leaving a 1/2 inch margin uncovered on  all sides. Fold
dough in thirds, first left over middle, then right  over left. Press
edges together to seal in butter and press out any  air.  Turn folded
dough clockwise a quarter turn. You have now completed one  turn. To
make second turn, roll dough out again to a 9 by 6 inch  rectangle.
Fold in thirds again. As a reminder of turns completed,  press 2 dots
in dough with your fingertips. Wrap in plastic and chill  1/2 hour.
Roll, fold, and turn dough two more times. Press the dough with four
dots, wrap, and chill 1/2 hour. Repeat the same procedure 2 more
times, for a total of 6 turns. Wrap well in plastic and store in
refrigerator overnight. Puff pastry may be frozen as long as 3 weeks.
Almond Cream: To make almond cream, process sugar and almonds in a
food processor until fine. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time,
processing after each addition until smooth. Add remaining  ingredients
and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until  ready to
assemble. The almond cream may be made up to 4 days in  advance.
Divide puff pastry in half. On a lightly floured board, roll each
piece to a 10 inch square. Set aside in refrigerator 1/2 hour.  After
chilling, assemble tart on a sheet pan lined with parchment  paper.
Lightly roll each piece so it returns to a 10inch square.  Place one
pastry square on pan. Mound softened almond cream in a 5  inch circle
about 2 inches high in center of square. Brush egg on  exposed pastry.
Place second pastry square over almond cream, so corners align.
Pressing out from center to release any air, seal in cream by  pressing
together top and bottom pastry. Cut a small hole in center  of top
layer using a paring knife. Press out excess air. Chill an  additional
hour or, preferably, overnight.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place
in a 10 inch round bowl over tart and, using a sharp paring  knife,
trim excess pastry to form a 10 inch circle. Do not drag  knife. Press
edges again to seal and carefully brush top with egg.  Using a paring
knife, make a pinwheel pattern by scoring dough from  center out.
Bake, on lined sheet pan, 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F  and
bake an additional 1/2 hour. Serve immediately.  Serves 8 to 10.
Posted to recipelu-digest by molony <molony@scsn.net> on Mar 9, 1998.

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 4167
Calories From Fat: 2523
Total Fat: 290.3g
Cholesterol: 915.2mg
Sodium: 2445.6mg
Potassium: 1375.3mg
Carbohydrates: 329.1g
Fiber: 21.2g
Sugar: 110.3g
Protein: 62.8g