- Yields: 48 servings
- Preparation: 5 hours and 45 minutes
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
- 2 lb (1Kg) STIRLING - Churn 84 butter, unsalted sheet
- 1/3 cup (75mL) STIRLING - Churn 84 butter unsalted, cold and cut into chunks
- 6 cups (1.5L) all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (375mL) cake-and-pastry flour, non-self-rising
- 2 tsp (10mL) salt
- 2 1/4 cups (550mL) water, ice cold
Tart
- 2 lb (1Kg) HEWITT'S - goat cheese log
- 3 lb (1.5Kg) asparagus spears, trimmed
- 2 tbsp (30mL) lemon zest
- 2 tbsp (30mL) salt
- 2 tsp (10mL) pepper
Instructions
Puff Pastry:- In large bowl, whisk together flours and salt. Using fingers or pastry cutter, mix in chunks of butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Form well in centre; add water. Using hands, gradually draw flour mixture into water, stirring gently. Knead until dough comes together, adding up to 1/4 cup (60 mL) more water if necessary; pat into ball. Turn out onto plastic wrap; roll out into rectangle. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- On lightly floured work surface, roll gently into 24- x 14-inch (60 x 35 cm) rectangle. Place butter sheet on one side of dough; fold flap of dough over butter to enclose. Press to seal, ensuring there are no air pockets.
- Use rolling pin, gently pound dough over entire surface, flattening to 1-inch (2.5 cm) thickness. Gently roll out into 20- x 36-inch (50 x 90 cm) rectangle. Starting at one short end, fold into centre; repeat with other short end. Fold over again like a book (double turn). You should have 4 layers of pastry. Pound dough again and roll gently, rotating frequently and dusting with flour as needed. Roll out dough in opposite direction of last fold again to 20- x 36-inch (50 x 90 cm) rectangle. Do another double turn. Pound out gently into rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Repeat Step 4, rolling out dough in opposite direction of last fold, to make 2 more double turns. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll out pastry. Cut dough into 2 equal portions and roll out to fit two full-size sheet pans. Lay pastry on parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) border, prick surface of pastry all over with fork. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.
- Meanwhile, blanch asparagus spears in boiling water for 1 minute; transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Dry with paper towel and set aside.
- Crumble goat cheese over warm tart shells and lay asparagus in uniform pattern over top. Sprinkle with lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Return tart to oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares.
Tips:
- Individual tarts can be made by cutting the pastry into squares before baking.
- Pastry dough will keep in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
