tenderness.

The French version of tart pastry is called brisée, and it is so rich that it is nearly impossible

to roll out unless you are a pastry chef. It is easier to press the dough into the tart pan with chilled,

floured fingers. (How do you chill your fingers? Dip them in ice water.)

You need to bake tart dough longer than pie dough to a very crisp stage before you add

the filling. It holds its shape well because of the sugar and fat, and you can comfortably lift it off

the baking sheet in one piece after it cooled. It is like a big cookie. The French cuisine uses tart

pastries extensively.

Cobblers, Crisps and Crunches

Cobblers and crisps are the invention of bakers who never mastered the art of a good pie

crust. This class of desserts breaks the rule that the more effort you put into it, the better your

creation. These are easy and quick desserts, homey, informal with little work, yet wonderfully

satisfying.

Cobblers and crisps are similar to fruit pies with two differences. The crust is not a pie crust,

and the dough is on top of the filling. It is like an up-side-down single-crust pie. The difference

between cobblers and crisps is small—cobblers are fruit pie fillings with a simple biscuit dough on

top (no bottom crust), crisps are similar fruit fillings topped with a mixture of flour, sugar, butter

and flavorings but no leavening. Topping for crisps is uncommonly simple—if you haven’t yet

mastered making good biscuits, crisp is for you.

Not much can go wrong with either cobblers or crisps if you use a good recipe. The only

problem that bakers run into is not enough thickener in an unusually juicy fruit with a too-runny

result that is difficult to serve neatly. Many flustered cooks resort to serve their creation in bowls

accompanied by a spoon. When in doubt, it is always better to use a little too much rather than too

little thickener.

Crunches, the third member of this unpretentious family, are a variation on the crisp

theme—they are also covered with unleavened dough that includes oatmeal or granola cereal to give

them a crunchy texture and flavor.

Brown Bettys are another crisp variation—their toppings include mainly bread crumbs or

graham crackers with butter. You may put this mixture on top or layer it with the fruit.

Any of these desserts are great and ready to serve as they come out of the oven, but you may

enhanced them topping with cream, ice cream or a dessert sauce. It is best if you plan ahead, if

possible, to let them cool somewhat before serving. Most of them may be too runny while still hot,

also their flavor improves while they cool to room temperature.

If you are still gaining confidence as the future pastry chef of your kitchen, any of these

are excellent choices to start your career. Everyone likes them—they are familiar comfort foods.

They are not heavy or rich and when you have limited time to whip up a dessert on a short-time

notice, few others can compete with this healthy and satisfying medley. They also keep well

when chilled and even improve.

The Mousse Clan

Members of the mousse clan are creamy-sweet, velvet-smooth concoctions that we savor by

each spoonful in gastronomic delight. They are pudding-like with no pastry base or topping and no

flour other than as thickener. The clan includes the familiar and homey puddings and custards, the

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