Recipe: Chestnut Tart

I was trying to think of nice, seasonal dishes to make for a recent Sunday dinner, and I found a delicious-looking recipe for a fig tart.  Doesn't that just sound delightful?  Unfortunately, figs appear to be kind of like quinces.  I can't find them on the South Shore.  Getting them would require a trip north to Lexington, to Wilson Farms, and there was no way on Earth that I was going to go anywhere near such an establishment on a weekend.  So I had to come up with another dessert, when I remembered something I purchased a very long time ago: a can of sweetened chestnut puree.  I'd forgotten about it when the shelves inside the cabinet it was in collapsed on it.  The can was fine, but up until now digging it out from under the pile of debris was not worth the effort. 

The rest of the recipe came together pretty easily.  The ricotta just seemed natural - I'd purchased it with the intention of using it for the figs, or possibly for a plain old ricotta pie, but combining it with the chestnut would give it a deeper body and fill out the crust.  The egg whites were likewise there to give it some structure, and were left over from the yolks in the pastry.  The cream filled out the filling a little bit more and slackened the other ingredients enough to make them spreadable.  The allspice was a whim.  Finally, the pastry dough was the Fearless Sweet Shortcrust pastry, with vanilla instead of the almond extract. 

The results were very well received.  It looked a little bit like a traditional pumpkin pie, to be quite honest, but the taste was much more chestnut.  Leftovers (it was kind of rich, I guess) kept for several days in the refrigerator with no diminution of taste. 

Chestnut Tart (serves 8; approx. 1.49/serving)

1 recipe Fearless Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

1 17-oz can sweetened chestnut puree

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

2 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup heavy cream

Equipment:

• Bowl
• Aluminum foil
• Pie weights (I use dried beans.  Rice also works well.  If you really want to spend the money on ceramic weights, though, go right on ahead.)
• Tart pan with removable bottom

1. Preheat your oven to 425.
2. Press the pastry dough into the tart pan, being sure to fill out the sides nicely. 
3. Dock the dough a few times.  Line it with aluminum foil, fill the foil with the pie weights, and bake 10 - 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven.  Remove the foil and weights from the crust.
5. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix very thoroughly.
6. Spread the filling out evenly in the crust case. 
7. Bake 20 - 30 minutes, or until the center is set. 
8. Let cool, then serve.