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Musquee de Provence Pumpkin Tartlets With Swiss Meringue, Caramel Ice Cream, and Banyuls Vinegar Reduction

Eric Ziebold, CityZen

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For the tart crust:

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Gradually add the egg
yolks, flour, and fleur de sel and mix until just combined. Form the
dough into a mass, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for three
hours. Roll out the dough and cut it into 10 or 12 squares. Lay the
squares on a Silpat-covered baking sheet and bake until they are light
golden—about ten minutes.

For the tart filling:

4 cups water
4 cups sugar
1 large musquee de provence, sliced into 3-inch cubes (sugarpie
pumpkin may be substituted)

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

Place the water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for
a few minutes, and when sugar has dissolved and syrup has thickened,
remove from the heat and cool.

Place the musquee in a shallow roasting pan, cover it with the syrup,
and cook in the oven until tender about 45 minutes to one hour. Cool
in the refrigerator.

For the Swiss meringue:

6 ounces sugar
4 ounces egg whites
Pastry bag with star tip

Place the sugar and the eggs in a metal bowl set over a pot of
simmering water. Whisk the sugar and eggs until they're warm. Remove
the bowl from the heat and keep whisking until the mixture is light
and fluffy and has tripled in size. Place the meringue a pastry bag
with a star tip.

For the caramel ice cream:

1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk, warmed
2 cups cream, warmed
10 egg yolks
Ice cream machine

In a saucepan set over medium heat, caramelize 3/4 cup of sugar. When
the sugar turns a dark amber, immediately remove the pan from the
heat. Whisk in the butter, then stir in the warm milk and warm cream.
In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the sugar with the egg yolks.

Very slowly add the warm caramel mixture to the egg yolks, whisking
constantly. Return this mixture to a saucepan over medium heat and
cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from
the heat, strain the mixture, and cool. Mix in the ice cream machine
according to instructions.

For the spicy Banyuls reduction:

1 3/4 cups red wine
3/4 cup Banyuls vinegar
1/2 cup Armagnac
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon juniper seed
1/4 teaspoon anise seed
3 cloves

Place all the ingredients in a medium pot over medium-low heat and let
simmer until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Assembling the tartlets: Arrange a few pieces of the cooled confit
over each tartlet square. Pipe the meringue overtop and brown under
the broiler. Spoon the ice cream and Banyuls reduction alongside each
tartlet.

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