Apricot Tart

I have to say, the apricots I saw at the grocery store looked much larger than normal. They were so soft and very ripe... they were practically begging me to buy them. I gave in and thought they'd look absolutely beautiful in a tart. I haven't done much baking and blogging lately, which I feel terrible about, because of my busy schedule with my college internship and the project for it; I'm hoping this tart will help me get back into the swing of things. I believe an important part of food blogging is about quality not quantity, so let's hope this post lives up to that! 


I've learned so much from my internship at Scratch Baked Goods, and have found that I really enjoy observing and learning about the pastry aspect of the bakery. How combinations of flour, butter, and water can help create wonderful, light and crispy puff pastry is beyond me. But, I still love learning about it as well as learning about the rest of the bakery. The American Patisserie inspired bakery is filled with pastries, artisan breads, cakes, and other French inspired baked goods with added American flare, all made daily from scratch. It is the perfect place for me to learn everything about both French inspired pastries and artisan breads! 


So, my time at Scratch helped inspire me with this apricot tart. I've seen one made there before and since then I couldn't get the beautiful circular design of the apricots out of my head. I researched two parts of the tart online, the puff pastry recipe and the frangipane recipe and adapted them together to create this great summer tart. 


Here is the recipe: 


Puff Pastry recipe from Cooking.com:

• 4 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 C cold butter (1 pound)
• 1 1/4 C cold ice water

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into 1/2-inch-thick slices (not cubes). Add the butter slices to the flour mixture; toss till butter slices are coated with the flour mixture and are separated. Pour ice water over the flour mixture. Using a spoon, quickly mix (butter will remain in large pieces and flour will not be completely moistened).
2. Turn out dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 10 times by pressing and pushing dough together to form a rough-looking ball. Shape dough into a rectangle (dough still will have some dry-looking areas). Make the corners as square as possible. Slightly flatten dough.
3. Working on a well-floured surface, roll the dough into an 18x15-inch rectangle. Fold crosswise into thirds to form a 15x6-inch rectangle. Give dough a quarter turn, then fold crosswise into thirds to form a 5x6-inch rectangle and to create 9 layers. Repeat the rolling, folding, turning, and folding process once more, forming a 5x4-inch rectangle. Wrap dough with plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes. Repeat the rolling and folding process 2 more times. Before using, chill dough for 20 minutes more. 

Frangipane (Almond Cream) recipe adapted from Joy of Baking:

• 1/2 C chopped blanched or natural almonds (or almond meal)
• 1 tbl all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C granulated sugar
• 3 tbl unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. In your food processor, place the almonds, sugar, and flour. Process until finely ground. Then add the rest of the ingredients and process until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Assembling the Tart:

• About 1 pound of ripe apricots, pitted and quartered 
• Any fruit glaze you may want to add after baking

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once the puff dough has finished chilling, roll it out keeping a circular shape and place in your 12 inch tart pan. Trim off any overhanging edges. Fork the bottom of the dough and place parchment paper on the bottom surface. Add dry beans while baking to help the shell keep its shape. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, after remove the beans and evenly apply the frangipane to the entire bottom surface of the tart. 
2. Now apply the quartered apricots in a circular pattern starting on the outside edge. You will create about 3 circles of apricots, depending on the size of the fruit. Place the tart back in the oven for about 10-15 more minutes. 
3. Let the tart cool for a bit and add a glaze if you wish. Serve warm!

xo, A

Fruit-Filled Hand Pies

 {homemade mixed berry spread}

 {quick photo shoot of Packer while the hand pies baked}

I've never made fruit-filled hand pies before, but I was clearly inspired after making hand pies at my pastry internship at Scratch Baked Goods, in Long Beach, California. I've made a number of pies before, including this strawberry rhubarb pie, and the crust at the bottom is always soggy, and never as flakey and light as the crust. So, some genius created the idea of folding the insides of a pie with the same flakey crust dough to create the same experience, but in a neater and cleaner way. 

You can fill these hand pies with any jam, fruit spread, chopped fruit, pie filling or fruit butter, and the crust will always turn out flakey and light. No more runny insides of a pie that can seriously ruin your day once you slice it (...that has happened to me), but now create smaller, more convenient and equally delicious baked goods for everyone to enjoy. 

Here is the recipe: 

Patee Brisee by Martha Stewart 

Ingredients:

• 3 3/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 C) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 C ice water, plus more if needed

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)
2. With the machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened rectangles. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Assembling the hand pies:

adapted by Martha Stewart 

• About 2 C of fruit, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (I used thinly sliced Granny Smith apples as well as homemade mixed berry spread)
• 1 tbl granulated sugar (for the apple slices)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (for the apple slices)
• 1 tbl cornstarch mixed with the zest of 1/2 orange and 1/2 orange's juice (for the apple   slices)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Once the dough has chilled for at least one hour, roll it out and cut out as many 5-inch circles as you can. 
3. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. Working with one circle at a time, place 2 tablespoons of your fruit mixture in the center. Brush two connecting edges with beaten egg and fold on the diagonal over the filling, pressing to seal. Repeat process with remaining squares.
4. Repeat entire process with remaining pate brisee. Place hand pies on prepared baking sheet. Brush pies with remaining egg wash. Using a paring knife, make three cuts in the dough at the top of the hand pie to allow any steam to escape.  
5. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until crusts are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

xo, A

Peach Custard Tart with Raspberry Cherry Jam

 {my mom's cookbook that her grandmother gave her for Christmas}

The first tart I made was from Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I had received Volume I right before Christmas and decided to make a pear and almond custard tart. It was a delicious dessert for Christmas Eve dinner!


Just a couple days ago I started to read Julia Child: A Life by Laura Shapiro. I'm only about 25 pages in and it is already a great read. I've learned about first 35 years of Julia's life; right now she is married to her husband Paul and is taking cooking classes in Paris just to impress him. Who knew her cooking classes would help her to become such an iconic American cook! What a life she had, living in Paris with her husband and spending most of her time learning about the French cuisine and culture... I would love that life!


Right now, realistically speaking, the closest I can get to living Julia's life is through recreating her recipes. The way she explains everything in her cookbooks both informs readers about the French culture and instructs readers of the recipe's directions. As I continue to read her biography, I will make more recipes from her cookbook that will further help me understand the French culture and the happy life she used to live.


Tarte aux Pêches
by Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking 
for 8 people 


Ingredients:

• A 10-inch fully baked pastry shell
• About 4-5 fresh peaches
• 1 1/2 to 2 C chilled creme patissiere (custard filling)

Pâte Sablée (sugar crust):

for a 9- to 10-inch shell 

• 2 C (7 oz) sifted all-purpose flour
• 3 to 7 tbl granulated sugar (the more sugar you mix in the more soft and sticky the dough will be)
• 1/8 tsp double-action baking powder
• 7 tbl fat: 5 tbl chilled butter and 2 tbl chilled vegetable shortening
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, and baking powder in the mixing bowl. Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly with the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into bits like the size of oatmeal flakes. 
2. Blend in the egg and vanilla, knead the dough into a ball. Place on pastry board and start kneading with the heel of your hand. Rapidly press the pastry by two-spoonfuls bits down on the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches. 
3. Form into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and chill for several hours until firm.
4. After several hours have passed, roll out the dough and carefully place into your mold. Use foil and beans to help keep the dough set in the oven. Bake the sugar crust shell in a preheated, 375 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Then remove the dining, prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork in several places, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove the shell when it has browned very lightly; you could remove the mold from the shell and let cool or keep the pastry in it's mold. 

Crème Pâtissière (custard filling):

for about 2 1/2 C

• 1 C granulated sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 2/3 C sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 C boiling milk
• 1 tbl butter
• 1 1/2 tbl vanilla extract 

1. Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beating for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and forms "the ribbon" (lift up the hand mixer and when the mixture falls down a ribbon of custard should slowly disappear) 
2. Beat in the flour, and slowly mix in the boiling milk in a very thin stream. 
3. Pour the whole mixture into a clean saucepan and set over high heat. Stir with a wire whip - when the sauce comes to a boil it will get lumpy, but keep beating it and it will turn smooth. After the boil is reached, turn the heat to low and keep beating for 2-3 minutes. Make sure custard does not burn on the bottom! 
4. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and the vanilla extract. 
5. Let custard cool in the refrigerator until it is ready to use (place a dot of butter on top of the custard so a skin does not form)

Preparing the Tart

1. Drop the peaches in boiling water for 10-15 seconds. Peel, halve, remove pits, and slice. 
2. Spread a 1/2 inch layer of crème pâtissière in the bottom of the pastry shell. Add the sliced peaches in a circular design. 
3. I then used a pastry brush to add some Raspberry Cherry jam that I made a couple of weeks ago - it turned out to be a wonderful mixture between a topping and a glaze! 
4. Serve the tart warm or cold. 

Bon Appétit! 

xo, A

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

Okay I know I am starting to have a lot of posts with rhubarb, but I'm not that obsessed with rhubarb, I just had so much left over from the strawberry rhubarb jam! Four pounds worth! I clearly got way too much at the grocery store... oh well. 


When I was back in Washington last month I tried a delicious slice of blueberry rhubarb pie from the cutest bakery. I thought, since I already made a strawberry rhubarb pie, I thought I'd make a crisp instead. I looked at so many recipes for blueberry rhubarb crisps, but I decided to create my own recipe for the filling of the crisp. 


I love crisps that have a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg that remind me of baking in the fall. The taste of the blueberries and rhubarb contrast so well, and the tartness of the rhubarb is more apparent against the sweet blueberries. You'll get both a sweet and a tart taste in this crisp that is so divine! At first it may be an unusual combination to bake with, but blueberries and rhubarb are widely abundant around this time of year, which makes this crisp a perfect summertime dessert. 


Here is my recipe for the filling:

• 4 C fresh rhubarb, 1/2" to 1" slices
• 2 C fresh blueberries
• 1/3 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1.5 tbl all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp water

Topping: 

from Cooks

• 2/3 C all purpose flour
• 2/3 C oatmeal
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a 8 x 8 x 2 baking dish by buttering the inside. 
2. Combine the sliced rhubarb, blueberries, brown sugar, sugar together. Add the flour, lemon zest, lemon juice and water, and combine gently. 
3. Pour mixture into buttered pan, then start making the topping. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a bowl. Add the sliced butter and combine with a fork until crumbly - sprinkle over the fruit covering it completely. 
4. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling. Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or neither. 

Enjoy! 

xoxo, A

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

I just love rhubarb now. I honestly never thought I would like the tart and sour fruit (...vegetable??), but it cooks and blends so nicely with other sweet fruit. I've been wanting to make strawberry rhubarb jam with my mom ever since I saw the first few stalks of rhubarb at the farmers markets in Washington. I told her she had to buy like 4 pounds of rhubarb or I wasn't coming home. Ha kidding... I went home and went on a huge search to find rhubarb at all my local grocery stores (my local farmers market wasn't until the weekend.. bummer.)

The rhubarb that was out on display at 2 of my local grocery stores had definitely been picked over... so that wasn't going to cut it. They happily got more in the back for me and I ended up getting a huge portion of it. I knew that all the rhubarb that the recipe called for would eventually cook down; this recipe only makes about 6 pints! It's not that much for all the fruit it requires. The jam is still delicious and definitely worth making - it's now officially the favorite jam so far in my family! The recipe doesn't require any extra pectin and doesn't have a ginormous amount of sugar like 7 cups that I've seen in many recipes online. The strawberries already make the jam so naturally sweet. 

After making this jam, my mom and I made decided to continue canning so we made a fruity Victorian barbecue sauce, which had the most interesting and unique combinations of fruits and spices! That post will come soon! 

Here is the recipe: 

from Tart and Sweet:

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 pounds of rhubarb, 1/2 inch slices
• 4 quarts of strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 3 cups of sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons

Directions: 

1. Place the sliced fruit in a very large pot over the stove. Add the lemon juice and sugar and mix until everything is combined. 
2. Turn the heat to medium-high, the liquid from the fruit will begin to boil. Keep on medium-high heat for about one hour, stirring very frequently so the fruit on the bottom does not burn. (Tip: You can stir in about 1 teaspoon of butter in the pot if the foam from the boiling is out of control!)
3. You can use the frozen spoon or plate test to find out whether the jam is finished cooking. Use this page for directions - it explains both tests very well! When your jam is finished, you can process the jam in washed and warmed jars for canning, or just place the jam in your own jars for personal use! 
4. If you are processing the jars, fill them and close them fingertip tight. Place them under boiling water to process for 10 minutes. Remove them after the 10 minutes is finished, and let them cool on the counter. 
5. Add labels or tags to decorate them as gifts to friends, family or neighbors! The perfect summer gift for anyone. 

xoxo, A

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I have never tasted rhubarb before - all I knew about it was that it looked like red celery. I did some research on rhubarb before starting the pie and this site explains how "rhubarb is often commonly mistaken to be a fruit but rhubarb is actually a close relative of garden sorrel, and is therefore a member of the vegetable family." But, this site says that since rhubarb is so often used as a fruit in pies and other desserts, that it's considered a fruit... I thought, hmm okay... fruit or vegetable?! Whatever, I'll just go with it. 

Over the weekend I went to Bainbridge Island with my boyfriend and went to their farmer's market in 'downtown' Bainbridge. That was where I saw rhubarb stalks for $1 each and knew I had to get some. I ended up getting only 2 stalks, and thinking back I should have gotten way more to use in other recipes! Oh well, guess I'll have to go back to Bainbridge Island next weekend.. :)

Anyway, there were many recipes out there for strawberry-rhubarb pie. I chose this recipe because, like many other recipes on Smitten Kitchen, I had a feeling it was going to taste the best out of the others. She had 2 recipes to choose from, but I chose to go with the one she made 'improvements' on... I'm sure both recipes taste wonderful though! 

I love how beautiful this pie is, the fruits really stand out, not only in color but in flavor as well. Rhubarb originally has a strong tart taste to it, but when it is baked with sugar and strawberries, it gets much sweeter. I love the taste of rhubarb now; i've learned that you can add rhubarb to many, many desserts, such as: bars, breads, cakes, muffins, jams, and tarts. I think I'm going to have to try making jam with rhubarb next! 

Here is the recipe: 

from Smitten Kitchen

•  1 recipe All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough or double-crust pie dough of your choice

•  3 1/2 C (about 1 1/2 pounds, untrimmed) rhubarb, in 1/2-inch thick slices

•  3 1/2 C (about 1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced if big, halved if tiny

•  1/2 - 3/4 C granulated sugar

•  1/4 C light brown sugar

•  1 tbl lemon juice

•  1/4 tsp salt

•  1/4 C quick-cooking tapioca

•  2 tbl unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

•  1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 tsp water (for glaze)

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a well-floured counter, roll half of pie dough into a 12-inch circle and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Deb says to fold the dough into quarters for easy transfer to the pie plate.)

2. Stir together rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon, salt and tapioca in a large bowl. Mound filling inside bottom pie crust and dot with bits of unsalted butter. Roll second half of pie dough into an 11-inch circle and cut decorative slits in it. Transfer it to center over the pie filling. Trim top and bottom pie dough so that their overhang beyond the pie plate lip is only 1/2-inch. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself and crimp it decoratively.

3. Transfer pie to a baking sheet and brush egg yolk mixture over dough. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pie is golden and the juices bubble visibly.

4. Transfer pie to wire rack to cool. When fully cool (several hours later) the juices gel.

The pie will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature. Enjoy the pie with some vanilla ice cream, or simply on its own! 

XOXO, A