New Year's Tart

I was doing some baking today. To be honest it was for a party we are having in January. I have been baking like mad trying to ready everything that can be done in advance. Today's chore: 3 dozen brandied sour cherry and pear tartletts. I'm not sure how it happened but even after finishing and freezing (unbaked) all of my party goods I still had enough filling left over for a full sized tart and thought I could just barely stretch out a crust from the pieces I wasn't willing to roll a third time. I froze the leftover dough and I was going to grate it into the tart pan. That is until a certain pup who shall remain nameless -- thought it looked too delicious to look away while Mommy was downstairs chatting with Daddy. Dog thief.

Anyway I made a quick recovery (can't waste that filling) by whipping up a sweet pastry dough (Nick Maglieri's pasta frolla) -- super easy to make and to roll. In the food processor I combined 2 1/3 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 6 TBs sugar and then added in one stick of cold butter cut in chunks. I pulsed until the butter was the size of peas in the flour and added in two eggs and pulsed again until the dough came together. After chilling for an hour in the fridge I rolled out two circles to fill my tart pan and baked the filled tart for 45 minutes at 375º.

Waste not want not. I made James a quick tray of pie crust cookies with the leftover sweet dough. I cut the rolled dough into squares, sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar, and baked for about 10 minutes along with the tart. Just right with a cup of tea.

Tonight someone else is having the party but we are bringing the tart. And at home, a little lagniappe for my honey as they say in the Crescent.