POLENTA 'TARTS' WITH CANDIED KUMQUATS

(Note: This recipe began as a loaf cake but adapted easily to fit 3” x 1¼” tartlet pans. Serve with lightly sweetened mascarpone or ice cream.)
 
makes fourteen 3” x 1¼” ‘Tarts’ or one 9” x 5” loaf cake
 
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup fine yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
zest of 2 clementines
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
¼ cup fresh clementine juice
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the tart pans (or loaf pan) and dust with flour. Tap out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder.
 
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter. In a medium bowl, rub the zest into the sugar. Beat the butter on medium, gradually adding the sugar/zest, beating until fluffy. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In the bowl you used for the sugar and zest, whisk together the yogurt and clementine juice. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the yogurt/clementine mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat the mixture for an additional minute until well combined; it will be thick.
 
Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, divide the batter between the tart pans (or place the batter in the loaf pan.) Place the tart pans on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven for about 18 minutes, until the tarts are golden and test clean with a small paring knife. The loaf pan will take approximately 50 minutes and should also test clean. Place the tarts (or loaf pan) on a rack to cool completely. Serve with candied kumquats.
 
Candied Kumquats
 
2 cups fresh kumquats, rinsed, leaves discarded, thinly sliced, seeds removed
½ cup water
1 cup sugar
 
Bring the water and the sugar to a boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then stir in the kumquat slices. Simmer for about 8 minutes until the kumquats have softened. Drain the kumquats in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Return the reserved sugar syrup to the saucepan and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes until thickened and syrupy. Cool the kumquats and syrup separately and then combine, cover, and refrigerate. Serve with the polenta ‘tarts.’