Pear Almond Chocolate Tart

This is a recipe that Jana Richard brought to a wedding shower a few months ago. I am just getting around to making it.  It was so much easier than I thought it might be.  Jana speaks fluent French and translated this recipe from a French cookbook.  Can't wait to try it tonight.  They did not have the almond meal in my bulk section, but they had in on the isle with the flour in my grocery store. Probably, if I had gone to Whole Foods, I could have found it in bulk. I have a feeling that I will be making this recipe often, so the package of almond meal will not be wasted.


Ingredients for the Tart:
 1 large can of pear halves (29 oz)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pie crust
2 eggs
7 Tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup almond meal - bulk section
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the melted butter, almond meal, sugar, eggs, and almond extract in a large bowl.  Butter a tart pan (Jana says you can use a pie plate if you don't have a tart pan. The tart pan makes it special and looks great.) Put the pie crust in the pan. Melt chocolate. Pour chocolate over the pie crust and spread evenly. Pour almond meal mixture over the top of the chocolate. Spread evenly. Pour liquid off of the pears. Arrange pears on top of the almond meal. Bake 30 minutes. Last 5 minutes put foil over the tart to keep the crust from getting too done.

Fresh Mint-Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these to take to church.  I had to taste a piece just to make sure they were o.k. to take. They are delicious. The fresh mint is the special ingredient.  I will be making these again.  It comes from Betty Crocker's Cookie Book.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 Tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (10oz) min-chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups)
   Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar, butter, mint leaves, and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
   Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11 - 13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1-2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

First-Kiss Caramel Almond Kisses

I bought the book "The Recipe Club" by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel . This was one of the recipes in the book.  I decided I wanted to make some candy for my grandsons and Jud.
Ingredients:
Butter or shortening for greasing pan.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup condensed milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweet chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cup heavy cream, warm
56 almonds.
1. Grease an 8-ch square baking pan.
2. Combn the sugar, cornsyrup, condensed milk, and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate, and cook, stirring occasionally, until themixture registers 240 degrees on a candy termometer. Slowly stir in th warm heavy cream and cook, stirring constantly, until thethermometer registers 246 degrees.
3. Let te mixture cool to 220 degrees. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
4. Arrange the almonds in rows (you should have 7 rows of 8 almonds each) on top of the candy.
5. Let cool, then slice into individual, 1-inch pieces.
If you don't mind eating your candy with a spoon, this might be for you. I don't know what I did wrong, but it didn't get hard like it should.  My mom used to make fude like this and we made fun of her.  Here I am being my mother.  Oh, well!  Not a bad person to immulate.

Upside-Down Fudge-Almond Tart

I made this recipe last night, and I thought the almonds would toast while cooking and was afraid to toast them before.  Mistake.  You should toast the almonds (like the recipe says) before pouring in the cake.  Sometimes, I think I am smarter than those who wrote the recipe.  You would think I would learn.
Ingredients:
Cooking spray                                                  1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped                 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2.25 oz all purpose four (1/2 cup)                      3 Tablespoons sifted dutch process cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt                                               2 large eggs
6 Tablespoons sugar                                          2 T. golden cane syrup (I used dark Karo)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set oven rack to lowest third of oven. Doat a 9" round tart pan with cooking spray.  Sprinkle toasted almonds in the pan. Combine chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.  Combine flour, dutch process cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until thick and pale yellow. Gradually add sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time, beating at medium speed 2 minutes  or until sugar dissolves. Add golden cane syrup and vanilla; beat on low speed 1 min or until blended. Addchocolate mixture a little at a time; beat 1 minute. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed just until combined.  Pour batter over nuts into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake in lower third of oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool tart in pan 20 minutes on wire rack. Invert tart onto serving platter.  I would suggest taking it out after 20 min. and let it set for the 20 min.  After 20 min. I didn't think it was done enough, but it continues to cook, and I think it was a little dry.  After adding cool whip, it was just fine.