Conversation Tart

I know, I know the name sounds weird :), this tart has a special story, and of course, like everyone can imagine the name comes from it.

This Tart is a pastry dating from the end of the 18 th century, and it was created for the special event which was the publication of the book of Mme d'Epinay; "Emilie's Conversations".

The lattice pattern remind the conversations which were meeting, in those places where the great minds of that time where exchanging ideas and crossing swords.

There were also served in the coffee shops and tea salons which were created first around this period too.

Let's revisit this delicious recipe, but I have to tell you, it is not an easy recipe, so it is important to be precise.

Ingredients for the "fast feuilletée dough" :

- 250 gr of flour

- 200 gr of butter of Tourage (special butter for french pastries)

- 5 gr of salt

- 125 gr of water

For the almond cream :

- 75 gr of soften butter

- 75 gr of granular sugar

- 75 gr of almond powder

- 1 egg and a half

- 35 gr of whipping cream

- 1 Teaspoon of rum

- Zest of half an orange (if you want to)

For the royal icing :

- 15 gr of flour

- 125 gr of icing sugar

- 1 egg white

- Some drops of alcohol vinegar

Preparation of the "Fast feuilletée dough" :

Mix the butter cut in dices and the flour. Don't mix it well just turn the spoon something like 5 times.

Add the salt and the cold water. Mix well.

"Tourez" It is a french culinary term to describe this ; fold the dough in 3 or 4 after spreading it. 

Set aside in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.

The Almond cream (delicious !!) :

Mix with a whist but not too much, the butter with the sugar and the almond powder. 

Then add the egg, the cream the rum and the zelste. Mix carefully with a wooden spoon, don't whist (the white of the egg would produce air and it would swell up the tart.

The oven pans :

Spread the dough on 2 cm of thickness. Put the dough into the oven pans (buttered).

Let the dough go over all around the pans.

Fill half of the tart with the almond cream.

Cut another disk of dough smaller than the pan.

Moisten with a brush all around this second disk and put it on top of the almond cream.

Pass the rolling pin on top of the tart for the top disk to be well stock and take the excess of dough with a knife away.

With the excess of dough that you just cut, prepare some strips and use egg yolk to paint them.

Set all aside in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Royal icing :

Sieve 15 gr of flour with 125 gr of icing sugar.

Mix very well with a egg white.

Adjust if you need it with some alcohol vinegar

Set aside in the fridge.

Garnishing :

Spread a thin layer of royal icing with a brush.

Put the strips of dough and form little diamonds shape on top of the tart just like on the photo.

Set in the fridge for 30 minutes before the cooking process.

Bake the tart for 25 to 30 minutes at 170ºC to 180ºC / 355º F

Let it cool down before you take the tart out of the pan.