Sticky Toffee Pudding Tart

Happy New Year!!  I don't think that I would make it to the new year with a new post but here I am, making an effort to sit down and write the recipe to share :D

This dessert was actually made last year but I made the toffee sauce twice within two weeks time because it went nicely with another baked item that I created with leftover bananas.  Now I've let out a little hint of what will be the next post ;)

We all loved this tart; it had amazing flavor and the right crispness of the crust.  The toffee sauce was as lovely as the tart, I would think that it would be good with ice cream as well.

So here is the recipe!

Sticky Toffee Pudding Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart


For the crust:
1 batch simple tart dough, recipe follows

For the filling:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup hot brewed coffee
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
Pinch of salt or more, to taste


Make the crust:  Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  Roll the dough into a rough 11-inch round.  Line a 9-inch round tart pan with the dough and dock.  Freeze the dough for 20 minutes.  Line the dough with parchment, fill it with pie weights or dried beans, and blind bake it for 20 minutes.  Remove the weights and parchment and bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the bottom no longer looks raw and wet.

Make the filling:  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

Chop the dates into very small pieces.  Place them in a small bowl and add the hot coffee and baking soda and stir.  Set aside until cooled.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and then the lemon zest and vanilla; beat until blended.  Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Remove the mixing bowl from the machine and fold in the date mixture by hand, using a rubber spatula.  Pour the filling into the prepared shell.  Bake until the pudding is set, 30 to 35 minutes.

Make the sauce:  Combine the butter, cream, brown sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly until the sugar has completely melted, then raise the heat to medium and simmer gently until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

How to serve:  Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the top of the tart.  Serve it immediately, drizzling a little more toffee sauce over each piece.

Simple Tart Dough

Makes 2 1/2 pounds dough, enough for 3 to 4 (8- to 9-inch) tarts or 12 to 16 mini tarts


4 cups all purpose flour, cold
2 cups unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, butter, and salt until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the condensed milk and egg.  While pulsing, slowly pour this into the flour until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently turn over a few times until it is smooth, the dry ingredients have been completely integrated, and the dough holds together.  Take care not to overwork it.

Shape the dough into a loose circle, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

For this recipe, I divide the dough into 4 portions.  Each portions will weigh about .625 pounds or 5/8 of a pound.  Then I flatten each portion and double wrap it with plastic.  These will freeze for about a month.



Source:  adapted from Pie It Forward by Gesine Bullock-Prado

Sweet Potato Pie

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This is a post that may be a bit late, you know, to bake a pie on the day of, but it may be a recipe to try on the next Thanksgiving day.  I don't normally make pumpkin pie myself; I find it a bit bland and not substantial.  But this year I decided to make on--with sweet potato--because I personally love that knobby root vegetable better than sugar pumpkin.

To my surprise I enjoy eating it so much that I think I'm ready to make it a tradition of baking it every year.  This one pie is a simple variety of so many out there with outrageous add-ins.  It is a strictly sweet potato with cream, milk, brown sugar, eggs, and lots of spices.  And as always, my favorite part is topping it with lightly sweetened whipped cream, yumm...

The crust recipe here is for three 9-inch pie which you can freeze after you divide the dough into three portions.  Wrap it well with plastic wrap and freeze up for a month.  I've always like having extra pie dough in my freezer anyway because I don't know always know when my pie craving strike; that way it's halfway done!

Sweet Potato Pie

Makes 12 servings

1 recipe All-Butter Piecrust, recipe follows
1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 packed brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of kosher salt

Prepare the All-Butter Piecrust as directed, except after removing foil and weights, bake about 5 minutes more or until set but not browned.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, wrap them in foil, and roast in the oven 60 to 70 minutes or until tender.  Reduce oven to 375 degrees F.

Let sweet potatoes cool.  Peel and place in a bowl.  Mash with a potato masher.  (You should have about 2 cups.)  In a food processor combine mashed sweet potatoes, cream, brown sugar, milk, eggs, the spices, and a pinch of kosher salt.  Cover and process just until smooth.  Pour the sweet potato filling into the piecrust.  Cover edges of pie with foil (or use a metal pie crust shield).  Bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until evenly puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.


All-Butter Piecrust

Makes three 9-inch piecrusts

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4-1 cup cold water

In a large bowl whisk together flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.  Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until butter is bean-size.  Stir in 3/4 cup of the water, a few tablespoons at a time.  Squeeze a small handful of dough.  If dough is still crumbly, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn dough out in a mound on a work surface.  Starting with a quarter of the mixture, smear the section of the dough with palm of your hand, pushing away from the mound.  Repeat with remaining dough sections.  Gather the dough into a ball, divide into thirds, wrap in plastic wrap, and press each into a round disk.  Chill 30 to 60 minutes.  At this point, you can freeze the remaining two in a freezer bag and store for up to a month in the freezer.

Using a floured rolling pin a generously floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and trim to 1/2-inc beyond edge of pie plate.  Fold extra dough under, even with the pie plate edges; press it together.  Flute as desired.  Prick the bottom and sides of dough several times with a fork.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line dough with a double thickness of foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake about 20 minutes or until sides are golden and firm.  Remove weights and foil.  Proceeds with the rest of pie direction.  If wanting to have a finished pie crust, continue baking the crust after removing weights; 10 to 15 minutes more or until the bottom is golden.  Cool completely on wire rack.


Source:  adapted from Better Homes and Garden, recipe by Ian Knauer

Artichoke and Spinach Quiche

I know I've neglected this blog for a few weeks but vacation time came first before a hobby! :)  I had a family vacation for 2 weeks and my aunt is still staying with my parents so I'm very preoccupied with family.  But before I go (again), I want to share this easy quiche recipe.

I was browsing at Fred Meyer a while ago and saw this spinach and artichoke Parmesan dip from Stonemill Kitchens brand.  I decided to buy and gave it a try because I've always loved the spinach and artichoke combination.  I made this twice already for dinner, paired with salad, and everybody devoured it everytime.

Artichoke and Spinach Quiche

Yields one 9-inch pie


1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
5 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2/3 cup Stonemill Kitchens' Spinach and Artichoke Parmesan Dip


Preheat the oven to 375F.

Beat eggs with heavy cream in a bowl.  Spoon in the dip into the egg mixture and whisk until combined.  Add cherry tomatoes to it and pour into the pie shell.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until eggs are set and golden on top.  If the crust gets brown too quickly, cover the top with aluminum foil.

Let the quiche cool on a rack before cutting it.


Source: Stonemill Kitchen

Strawberry-Frangipane Chocolate Tart

As soon as it's the end of May and the start of the month June, I'm looking forward to picking local strawberries.  The tantalizing taste of these strawberries isn't one I can ignore; even with the busy schedule I've to find a time to go u-picking.  U-pick farms are abound in the Portland area and they have berries that ripe almost at the same time.  This year I promise myself to replenish my strawberry and raspberry jam jars.  But of course, eating these berries fresh is the one of the anticipated events of the year.

I soon found out that getting older and choosing to u-pick berries didn't go together harmoniously.  My back would ache every five minutes or so from squatting too long.  I think it's just my age, really.  I saw some people brought kneeling mat, which now I think it's a brilliant idea.  Why didn't I think of that?

When I picked these berries, the day was supposed to be getting progressively hot.  I started in mid morning and finished picking ten pounds worth of strawberries before noon.  The sun was just starting to peek and blazed its hot rays upon the earth.  I told myself, that's enough berries, you really need to stop before it's too hot.  Yeah, I picked the weekend to do my jam making and baking when the temperature hit a record for the year.  There's no stopping back.  I felt like I lost a pound of weight that weekend.

I picked Hood strawberries because I love their taste and smell.  The idea behind making this tart was because I saw an Instagram photo from UK's Delicious magazine.  But I wanted to have a chocolate tart as the base so I turned to America's Test Kitchen for its recipe.  For the frangipane filling, I found that the recipe from Yossi Arefi's blog was a much better proportion.  The finished product is declared a winner by my family.  I'm happy when they're happy.

Strawberry-Frangipane Chocolate Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart

Chocolate Tart Dough:
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

Frangipane Filling:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 ground almonds
2 eggs, plus one egg white
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract, optional
1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2-2 cups fresh strawberries
3 tablespoons apricot jam for glaze


To make chocolate tart dough:
Whisk the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla together in a small bowl.  Process the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined.  Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses.

With the machine running, add the egg mixture through the feed tube and continue to process until the dough just comes together around the processor blade, about 12 seconds.  Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a 6-inch disk.  Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Before rolling the dough out, let it sit on the counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough to an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured counter and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Set the tart pan on a large plate and freeze the tart for 30 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375F.  Set the tart pan on a large baking sheet.  Press a double layer of foil into the frozen tart shell and over the edges of the pan and fill with pie weights.  Bake until the tart shell is set and looks dry, about 20 minutes.  Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake the tart shell until it is fully baked, about 5 more minutes.  Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the tart shell cool completely on the baking sheet.

To make frangipane filling:  In the bowl of the food processor, combine the butter and sugar and pulse until smooth.  Add almonds and blend until well combined.  Add the flour and cornstarch followed by the egg and egg white and finally the vanilla and almond extract, if using, and salt.  Mix until just combined.

Spread the frangipane into the cooled tart shell.  Bake the tart shell while still on the baking sheet for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the filling is set and no longer jiggly when touched.  Let tart cool completely on a wire rack.

To assemble the tart:  Trim the strawberries and cut each into half.  Starting from the outside edge, lay them in neat overlapping circles until the top of the tart is covered.  In a small pan, heat the apricot jam with a bit of water until syrupy, don't boil the jam or the glaze will become cloudy and thick.  Pass it through a sieve back into the pan.  Brush the smooth, clear glaze over the fruit.


Source:  idea from Delicious magazine: Strawberry Frangipane Tart
                 chocolate tart dough from The America's Test Kitchen: Family Baking Book
                 frangipane filling adapted from Yossi Arefi for Food52: Berry and Frangipane Tartlets

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tart

I'm back!!!  Yes, it's been a few weeks since I wrote my last post.  Holiday and mother-in-law visit got in the way of me time, but I had a good time during my week off break.  It was also the time of indulging myself with delectable dishes that my mom made.  But there was one occasion that I had to make a special treat, that was my dad's birthday in the middle of November.  When I asked him what he would like for his birthday cake, he wanted to have something chocolate, preferably made with bittersweet chocolate.

I thought long and hard and I found the answer in this chocolate truffle tart.  It was rich in chocolate flavor, smooth, and a little fruity; a dessert that's manly and elegant.  The trick that I learned was that the chocolate didn't need to be super bitter to achieve the velvety texture.  Chocolate can get grittier as it gets bitter, so choosing chocolate liquor content between 60-70% should be enough.  I use Lindt chocolate bars and was very pleased with the result.  We enjoyed having tiny slices accompanied with a big dollop of frozen espresso-flavored custard.

Speaking of frozen custard, I tried a new brand called Snoqualmie.  Costco had the pumpkin custard sample in their store and it was excellent, and that made me decide to try the coffee custard--yay for egg yolk in ice cream!  This makes me want to try their Peppermint Stick Gelato once I see it in stores.  It'll be my holiday spoil that I may (not) share! :)

And yes, the photo above was what's left of the frozen espresso custard after too long of a photo shoot.  It was still amazing to eat!

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tart

Serves 10


For crust:
1 1/2 cups finely ground chocolate wafers, such as Nabisco Famous (28 wafers)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling:
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cocoa), coarsely chopped
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces fresh raspberries, plus extra to serve

Make the crust:  Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly butter side of pan.  Stir together ground wafers and butter in a bowl until combined.  Pat mixture evenly over bottom of pan and 1 1/2 inches up side.  Bake until crust is slightly puffed, about 10 minutes.  Cool completely on a rack, about 15 minutes.  (Leave oven on.)

Make the filling:  Melt chocolate and butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.  Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl.  Whisk in chocolate mixture and until well combined.

Scatter raspberries on crust.  Pour filling into cooled crust and rap pan once on counter to eliminate any air bubbles.  Bake until filling 1 inch from edges is set and slightly puffed but center still trembles slightly when pan is gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool tart completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours.  (Center will continue to set as it cools.)  Refrigerate tart, uncovered, until center is firm, about 4 hours.  Remove side of pan and sprinkle with cocoa before serving.  Serve with extra raspberries, cream, and/or ice cream.


Source:  adapted heavily from Gourmet Today 2009

Tomato and Dijon Tart with Parmesan and Basil Crust

I think everyone agrees that this season's harvest is exceptional.  Summer produce is ripe at alarming rate and the sheer number of yields can be overwhelming.  What to do with hundreds of zucchinis, tomatoes, green beans?  Will there an end to cucumbers and peppers?  I like to tell people that for every garden, one can only have 1 zucchini plant!  But, really, seeing those wonderful produce is heartening and eating is naturally more enjoyable with the freshest local fruits and vegetables.

Here's a recipe to help you use the over abundant tomatoes.  It's a tart that with an addition of basil leaves and Parmesan emanates aromatic, sweet and cheesy.  The combo works well with tomatoes and savory custard filling.

Tomato and Dijon Tart with Parmesan and Basil Crust

Serves 6-8


For the dough:
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
10 basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

For the filling:
3-4 ripe, medium tomatoes, all of similar size and shape, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2/3 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup creme fraiche
2 large eggs
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


To make the dough:  Process the flour, Parmesan, butter, basil leaves, and salt together in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine green bread crumbs.  Add the egg and 1 tablespoon cold water, and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.  Add a little extra water if needed.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400F.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to a large circle about 1/8-inch thick and use to line the tart pan, making sure it overlaps the sides.  Trim all but 1/2-inch of the overhanging dough.  Prick the bottom with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with baking beans.  Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until the dough is lightly cooked.  Remove the beans and paper, and bake for another 5 minutes to crisp.  Trim off any ragged edges while still warm.  Reduce the heat to 350F.

For the filling:  Place the tomatoes in an overlapping circle around the edge of the tart.  Fill the center with a smaller circle of tomato slices.  Scatter the chopped parsley over the tomatoes.  Whisk together the half-and-half, creme fraiche, eggs, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Place the tart back on a baking sheet and carefully pour the cream mixture over the tomatoes.  Scatter the grated Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden on top and the filling has just set.  Set the tart aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before eating warm or cold.  This is best eaten the day it is made.


Source:  adapted from Pies: Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton

Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart

Great, another raspberry post?  Yes, but I can convince you that this tart is worth the steps to make.  It's flaky at the bottom, tangy and creamy in the middle followed by sweet-tart burst of raspberry on the top.  This reminds me of clafouti which I also love; there's few custard type desserts I don't like!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart

Serves 8


For the pastry dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk

For the filling:
4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
A pinch of grated nutmeg
3 large eggs, beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
12 oz (350 g) raspberries
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


To make the pastry dough:  Place the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until it resembles bread crumbs.  Alternately, to make by hand, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs, then stir in the sugar.

Add the egg yolk to the mixture and mix to a firm dough.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use to line the pan.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400F.

Line the crust with wax paper and fill with baking beans.  Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 10 minutes, or until pale golden.  Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350F.

To make the filling:  Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar together until smooth.  Add the nutmeg, eggs, and lemon zest; beat again until well combined.  Pour into the crust and scatter the raspberries over the surface.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just set.  Set aside to cool before transferring to a serving plate.  Serve warm or wold, dusted with confectioners' sugar.


Source:  Pies:  Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton

Apple-Pear Praline Pie

Here I am, back after Thanksgiving break.  I had a great holiday with my parents and I hope you, readers, had a great time with your loved ones.  When it's time to go back to work, I wasn't so excited, but my work schedule is actually not a bad one.  In a about 2 weeks time, I'll have a winter break for two weeks!  

My husband and I finally replaced the igniter in our oven today.  I feel so giddy right now, it's like having a new oven!  For a few weeks I couldn't do any baking nor making any menu because I couldn't forecast whether I'd still have my oven or not.  I could end up having to buy a new one, which I wanted to avoid.  Now I can bake cookies!  More pies!  Make that Dutch pancakes for breakfast!  

Taking apart that old igniter was a pain though, because the old screw has lost its grooves which made it hard to unscrew.  We had to use all kinds of tools, and hoping that it wouldn't break the screw because we still had to reuse it to attach the new igniter.  In the end, the new one got installed; what's supposed to be a 15-minute job took about an hour, yeah, it's never that easy.  When I pushed the button to bake and set the temperature, it seemed like an eternity, but lo and behold, it worked right away without me having to use a fire retardant :)

To end my happy dance, I'm going to share the recipe of apple-pear praline pie.  This was the pie that I made for Thanksgiving day; it was a hit with my family, especially since it's eaten with vanilla ice cream.  My family wasn't a big fan of pumpkin pie anyway so making this was a smarter plan.  We had too much to eat, of course, and I was punished by having some extra pounds packed into my belly.  Oh well, I have 3 weeks of dieting before the food galore starts again :D

Apple-Pear Praline Pie

Makes 8 servings

1 recipe Nut Pastry

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups thinly sliced, peeled tart apples

3 cups sliced, peeled pears

2 tablespoons butter, cut up

¼ cup unsalted butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half

Preheat oven to 375F.  Prepare Nut Pastry.  On a lightly floured surface use your hands to slightly flatten one pastry ball.  Roll it from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.  Wrap pastry circle around the rolling pin.  Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate.  Roll remaining ball into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and dash of salt.  Add apples and pears; gently toss until coated.  Transfer apple mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate.  Dot with the 2 tablespoons butter.  Fold bottom pastry under and crimp as desired.  Roll second pastry circle; with leaf-shape/acorn-shaped/any shape cookie cutter, cut out shapes from second pastry circle.  Arrange cutouts on top of filling.  

To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil.  Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below the pie in oven.  Bake for 50 minutes; remove foil.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes more or until filling is bubbly.  Transfer to a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, melt the ¼ cup butter over medium heat.  Gradually stir in brown sugar and milk.  Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil.  Carefully spoon over baked pie.  Return pie to oven; bake for 2 to 3 minutes more or until topping bubbles.  Cool on wire rack.

Nut Pastry

In a large bowl, stir together 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup ground toasted almonds or pecans, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut into ¼ cup shortening and ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut up, until pieces are pea size.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon ice water over part of the flour mixture; toss gently with a fork.  Push moistened pastry to one side of bowl.  Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon ice water at a time, until all of the flour mixture is moistened (½ to ⅔ cup ice water total). Gather flour mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together.  Divide pastry in half; form halves into balls.

Source:  Holiday Recipes Better Homes and Garden 2013

Strawberry-Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

I hope another posting of a variation on lemon curd recipe won't bore anyone.  But I can't resist not to whip up extra batch of Meyer lemon curd to make this lovely tart.  It's late spring, almost summer; local strawberries are just coming in, and Oregon-grown strawberries are red all-around, sweet and juicy.  When the tart is cut, the luscious and creamy curd seeps through the buttery and flaky crust; who can resist such temptation?

My parents have a small patch of strawberry plants and they're picking the fruits everyday---it's now or the slugs will get to them.  The fruits don't always look perfect but they're quite sweet.  Elsewhere, u-pick strawberry farms are starting to advertise their picking hours recently and I'm planning to go pick some more strawberries this season, to supplement what I can also get from my parents' patch.  Most of the fruits from last season were almost gone and my homemade strawberries jam is down to one last jar.  I used my vanilla-strawberry jam to glaze this tart and it helps the tart looking more gorgeous.

I didn't use up all the strawberries to cover up the tart--the rest was for snacking--but I think it still looks pretty that way.  The lovely combo of lemon curd and strawberries is a must-try for tart lovers.  I, for one, can't get enough eating the tart shell alone; in my opinion, a good crust equals a giant buttery cookie--simply irresistible!

Strawberry-Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

Serves 10

For Meyer lemon curd:  please see this recipe.  Note:  the curd can be made 2 days ahead.  Keep chilled until used.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons (or more) chilled heavy whipping cream

1 large egg yolk

For topping:

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, stem ends cut flat

1/2 cup strawberry jam



To make the crust:  Blend flour, sugar and salt in food processor.  Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add 2 tablespoons cream and egg yolk.  Blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.  Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.  Wrap and chill 1 hour.  The dough can also be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled until used.  Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round.  Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.  Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan.  Trim dough overhang to 1/2-inch; fold in and press firmly, forming double-thick sides.  Pierce crust all over with fork; refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake crust until golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Cool crust completely on rack.

Spread curd in crust.  Stand berries in curd, cut side down.  Stir jam in small saucepan over medium heat until melted; strain into small bowl.  Brush jam over berries.  Chill tart until glaze sets, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Remove pan sides from tart.  Transfer to plate and serve.



Source:  adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts