Chef Recipe: Mirabelle's Queen of Tarts

One of the most popular desserts we do at is our ginger almond tart, a favorite since the day we opened in 1983. I have made thousands of them over the years. The tart can be made at any season, for any holiday. 

The Dish: Ginger Almond Tart Mirabelle

Ingredients

• Pie dough for an 8-inch tart shell (or a pre-baked 8-inch pie shell)
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 1 cup blanched sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 4 large egg yolks
• Unsweetened whipped cream for garnish

Method

Roll out the pie dough 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface, fit it into an 8-inch fluted tart pan with removable rim, and crimp the edge decoratively. Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork, line the shell with foil, and fill the shell with raw rice. Bake the pie shell in a preheated 350º F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it is just golden. Let the shell cool in the pan and remove the foil and rice.

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, almonds, cream, ginger and butter, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot. Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Let the mixture cool for five minutes.

Pour the filling into the pre-baked shell and bake the tart in a preheated 275º F oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool completely. The filling will harden when the tart is cooled. Carefully remove the tart rim from the pan. It may be necessary to run a thin knife around the tart and the rim to loosen the tart. If desired, make a grid pattern on the tart and sprinkle the tart with confectioners’ sugar for a decorative effect.

Serving

Serve the tart at room temperature with the whipped cream. Slice the tart thin as it is very rich.