Butternut Squash Tartlets With Cheese Lattice

FILLING
1 c Pureed steamed butternut
-squash (procedure follows)
1/4 c Heavy cream
1 lg Egg; beaten lightly
1 ts Chopped fresh sage
3/4 ts Salt; or to taste
1/4 ts Black pepper; or to taste
1 pn Cayenne pepper
1/4 lb Thinly sliced Gruyere; cut
-into 36 (1/8-inch) strips,
-for the lattice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make the shells: Roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured
surface and with a 4 1/2 -inch round cutter cut out 6 rounds, gathering and
rolling the scraps as necessary. Press each round into a fluted metal
tartlet pan, 3 1/4 inches across the bottom and 5/8-inch deep, prick the
shells lightly with a fork, and chill them for 30 minutes or freeze them
for 15 minutes. Line the shells with foil, fill the foil with the rice, and
bake the shells in a jelly-roll pan in the lower third of the oven for 15
minutes. Remove the rice and foil carefully and bake the shells for 5 to 7
minutes more, or until they are golden. Let the shells cool in the pans on
a rack. The shells may be made one day in advance and kept in an airtight
container at room temperature.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Make the filling: In a food
processor or bowl with a whisk blend the squash with the cream, the egg,
sage, the salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Divide the filling among the tartlet shells, smoothing it, and arrange 6
strips of Gruyere, trimming them to fit, in a lattice pattern on each
tartlet.

Bake the tartlets in a jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven for 20 to
25 minutes, or until the filling is puffed slightly and the cheese is
melted, and serve them immediately.

SUNFLOWER SEED PASTRY DOUGH

1/4 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds 1 cup all-purpose flour plus
additional for dusting the dough 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted
butter, cut into bits

In a food processor grind fine the sunflower seeds with 1 cup of the flour,
add the butter, and blend the mixture until it just resembles coarse meal.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and toss it with 2 to 3 tablespoons ice
water, or enough to just form a dough. Knead the dough lightly with the
heel of the hand against a smooth surface, distributing the butter evenly,
for a few seconds and form it into a ball. Dust the dough with the
additional flour, flatten it slightly, and chill it, wrapped in waxed
paper, for at least 1 hour or overnight.

To Steam and Puree Butternut Squash

Cut the squash into 2-inch pieces, discard the seeds and strings, and in a
steamer set over boiling water steam the squash, covered, checking the
water level every 10 minutes and adding more water as necessary, for 30 to
40 minutes, or until it is very tender. Let the squash cool until it can be
handled, scrape the flesh from the skins into a food processor, discarding
the skins, and puree it. If the puree is watery, drain it in a sieve lined
with paper towels set over a bowl for 10 to 15 minutes. 1 pound raw squash
makes about 1 cup puree.

Yield: 6 servings