Saturday, November 27, 2010

Baked Cheesecake with Salted Caramel, Jam Tart and the Daring Bakers Challenge November 2010

 

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Mmmmmm this salted caramel topped cheesecake was super duper delicious

I just wasn't feeling the pie or tart love and went with a cheesecake instead, I though I could get away with using the pasta frolla (pastry) as a base, and it worked but it just felt wrong.


The cheesecake I baked with salted caramel was so delicious it completely overwhelmed the pastry and I felt I was doing the challenge a disservice.


So I went as plain as I could and made a jam tart, using the same pastry base. It was simple, it was sweet and it worked nicely. Not what I would usually bake but that's what the Daring Bakers is about.

recipe after jump


Recipe for Jam Tart with Hazelnut Pastry

Pasta Frolla (pastry)

Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup [80 ml, 75 g, 2 2/3 oz.] caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 1/2 cup [120 ml, 65 g, 2 3/8 oz.] unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup [120ml, 65 g. 2 1/4 oz.] whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ
  • 6 tablespoons[90ml, 85 g, 3 oz] cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  1. Put sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
  2. Add butter and pulse a few times until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.
  3. Empty food processor's bowl onto your work surface.
  4. Add egg and process in short bursts until just mixed.
  5. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.

For the jam tart I rolled out the pastry and popped it into small tart tins, chilled for a couple of hours, topped with jam and a party heart and baked at 180 C (350 F) for around 20 mins.


20 comments:

  1. A cheesecake is more of a tart than a 'cake', I suppose. Your little versions look delicious.

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  2. The salted caramel cheesecake sounds so delicious! The tarts are cute as everything you do!

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  3. You had me at salted caramel! Delicious! And the jam tart with the hazelnut pastry looks and sounds delish!

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  4. All looks absolutely delicious -salted caramel... yum!!

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  5. Both version look amazing I really like the version in the small glasses and the hazelnut pastry is to die for. Great work on this challenge. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.

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  6. Oh Linda you must stop cooking such delish food!

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  7. I love salted caramel. But crostata in its simplest form really is jam tart though isn't it? Good on you for making both!

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  8. I think they are both fab...no disservice here Linda. That cheesecake looks luscious good! And so do the sweet jam tarts. YUM!

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  9. Since reading the forum, I have been waiting for your post about salted caramel cheese cake, something new and refreshing - a special approach to the challenge!

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  10. Wow, Delicious! Fabulous flavors, and I love the dessert cup presentation:) I still need to make mine!

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  11. I would have the jam tart for breakfast and the cheesecake for my 10am coffee break (or maybe sooner!). They both look great!

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  12. I am glad you tried using hazelnut meal. I hope one day to find some at a reasonable price and see how it works in the pasta frolla. I like the heart on the top.

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  13. Salted caramel.. what can be more decadent!

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  14. Both sound amazing but good for you in going through with the jam one sticking more to the challenge. Although I am sure there must be a way to find the balance between the two he he

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  15. OMG.. looks.so.GOOD! Nice work, Linda :)

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  16. Oh Linda-those look lovely! I love the salted caramel cheesecakes!! Great job and I love your creativity. Thank you for your sweet comment today on my Nutella crostata! It has been fun seeing everyone's creations.

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  17. these look so good! i am also obsessed with salted caramel. I put it on my cupcakes this weekend and with the rest i put it on my homemade hot chocolate :)

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  18. Great idea Linda! There are so many gorgeous crostatas out there for DB but this one is very unique :)

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  19. The idea of salted caramel was so new to me until I had a salted caramel ice cream over the Summer and I became in instant convert. This looks awesome!! Shulie

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