Roasted Tomato Garlic Tart

I think we can all agree that summer is a pretty fantastic time of year. The days seem endless, and pretty much everyone looks just a little bit better -and thank god for that. But do you want to know what my favorite part is? The produce.

Think about it. Biting into a fresh, juicy summer peach (cue Call Me By Your Name flashback). Nibbling on that sweet, refreshing watermelon and letting the juices run down your chin. Sweet and smoky corn just kissed by the heat of the grill. Pretty f**king good, no?

So, what to do when you have the best of the best at your fingertips? Make the best of it, of course. And since tomatoes tend to be the absolute worst when out of season - pale, mealy & flavorless, like your last bad date - they are also one of the greatest gems of summer. And while you can certainly eat them simply sliced, drizzled with olive oil & sprinkled with salt, I have an idea for you, a gentle suggestion. A roasted tomato garlic tart.

The tomatoes become rich and caramelised from the heat of the oven, and the mixture that holds it in place is unctuous & tangy with hits of herbaceous freshness from the thyme. It's ideal served with a bright green salad for dinner or munched on for breakfast with a few slices of streaky bacon. No matter the day, no matter the time, a slice of this is never a bad idea.

Roasted Tomato Garlic Tart
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Originally posted on gloobles
1 kilo mixed colour tomatoes, seeds scraped out and cut into slices
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
115 grams cultured, unsalted butter
6 large cloves garlic, smashed and skin removed
250 oatcakes, finely ground in a food processor
2 large eggs
300 grams Taleggio, rind removed and coarsely grated
70 grams Parmesan, coarsely grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise (we like Duke's or Kewpie, if you can find them)
1 bunch lemon thyme, leaves stripped from stems

Preheat oven to 250 with a rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Arrange tomatoes in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until the tops start to dry out a bit. Remove from the oven to cool. Reduce oven to 190.

While these roast, place butter and smashed garlic in a small saucepan set over low heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until butter begins to foam and the butter takes on a light golden colour. Be careful not to let the garlic burn! Strain garlic butter through a fine mesh sieve into the food processor with oatcake crumbs, setting the crispy, golden cloves aside for later.

Add the eggs to the food processor with the oatcake crumbs and garlic butter. Add a 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse to combine until mixture looks like wet sand. Press into a 23 cm fluted tart pan. Bake for 8 minutes until it starts to take on colour. Let cool.

In the meantime, mix together Taleggio, Parmesan, mayonnaise, pepper and thyme. Dollop half of mixture into the tart pan and spread to the edges. Layer half of cooled tomatoes over top. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and crust is browned. Allow to cool and sprinkle with thyme leaves for colour. 

Cherry Nectarine Tart

I think one of the most hysterical insults you can hurl at someone is 'tart.' Though isn't exactly a colloquialism, I would like to put it forth as your new barb of choice when you sit down to a session of slanderous gossip. I've had occasion to use the word tart quite a bit lately, and, let me tell you, I ain't even mad. It encapsulates my sentiments perfectly.

In addition to serving as glorious jibe, a tart just so happens to be one of my favorite ways to end a meal. I'm not particularly partial to cake, and I find pie a bit overwhelming. But a tart? Well, that's almost always exactly what I want. 

They're not too sweet. They have a nice balance of a crisp, crunchy crust and sweet, smooth filling. And the addition of ripe summer fruit both makes them pretty and rounds out the flavors. This particular tart is nice because you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, and it will still be delicious. Even if you don't happen to have almonds on hand for the filling, you could really substitute any kind of nut. This tart is quick and versatile and pretty wonderful.

Cherry Nectarine Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart 

For the pâte sucrée:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup caster sugar

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

For the almond filling:

1 cup blanched slivered almonds

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg white

1 teaspoon almond extract

For the tart:

2 nectarines, washed and cut into thin wedges

1/4 cup cherries, pitted and quartered

Turbinado sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. In three additions, beat in flour until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Once chilled, roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface until 1/4-inch thin. Drape over a 9-inch tart pan and press into pan. Pierce bottom lightly with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper over dough and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake tart for 15 minutes, until golden at the edges. Remove from oven to cool.

While the crust cools, make almond filling. In the bowl of a food processor pulse slivered almonds, powdered sugar, and butter until almonds are ground and mixture is smooth. Add egg white and almond extract and pulse until the mixture has thinned slightly and is smooth and spreadable. Dollop almond filling over tart crust and spread to cover the bottom. Arrange nectarine slices in concentric circles. Scatter quartered cherries over the tart and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, until fragrant and the nectarines and cherries have softened. Let cool completely.

More Summer Tarts

Brown Butter Raspberry Tarts

Blueberry Crisp Tart

Nectarine and Pistachio Tart

Pear and Almond Galette

For any of you that have been reading Baking the Book for any significant amount of time, you might remember my culinary enemy: the food processor. I know, I know. It makes so many laborious kitchen tasks a breeze. Even I will admit that I used a pastry that called for a food processor this morning, as I was feeling far too lazy to cut in butter by hand (I'll claim jetlag and use that as an excuse until the end of my days), but for some reason I just despise my Cuisinart.

 Every time I have to pull it out of the cupboard, it's like a Wild West standoff. I angrily wrench it out of the cabinets and set it up on the counter. The Cuisinart gives me the side eye, as I grab the butter out of the fridge. The feelings are mutual. It's truly a shared hatred.

 Beyond my displeasure at using the food processor, this recipe comes together in a snap. It's super adaptable, so you can really use any fruit you have on hand. And, if you're feeling particularly lazy, skip the almond base and just sprinkle sugar over the fruit. It'll do just fine.

  Pear and Almond Galette
Makes 1 tart

For the crust
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
9 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 large egg yolks

For the almond filling
2/3 cup blanched almonds
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large egg

For the galette
2 pears, cores removed and cut into thin slices
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Heavy cream
Turbinado sugar

To make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, powdered sugar, and salt until combined. Scatter butter over top and pulse until the butter is in pea-sized clumps. The mixture will have a texture similar to oatmeal. Add egg yolks and pulse until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make the almond filling: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse almonds and flour together until almonds are finely ground. Add sugar and pulse until combined. Add butter and blend until smooth. Add egg and pulse until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the tart: Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge. Flour the dough, the counter, and your rolling pin. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Spread almond filling over top of the dough. Layer pear slices to cover the tart. Sprinkle sliced almonds over pear slices. Fold the sides of the dough over the pears to form a rough tart. Brush the exposed crust with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, and the pears have softened. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

  More Winter Tarts
Cranberry Tart
Simplest Apple Tart
Quince Tart

Chocolate Almond Tart

Getting home after a summer eating in New York has been a shock to my system. Months of gobbling up almost every tasty morsel in sight had to come to an end some time, I suppose. Most of the time, I'd be conscious and eat well, but I just couldn't resist a goat's milk ice cream here and a lobster roll BLT there. Can you blame me?

 Walking through the door of my house greeted by both my dog and the wonders of central air conditioning, I knew my days of over-indulgence were over (well, at least for the time being). My lovely, well-equipped kitchen was a sight for sore eyes after a summer of rolling out cookie dough with a water bottle and hand-creaming butter. While the fridge is well-stocked with kale and cilantro and lentils and the cabinets overflowing with all kinds of grains and dried fruit, there is a dearth of fun food- though everything my mom makes is actually really delicious.

It's been nice detoxing. I'm starting to feel like a real human again. But, for all of the great bits about being healthy, I still get that little itch, usually right after dinner. Sometimes a peach will hit the spot. Other times, a cup of chai tea does the trick. And as for those other times? Well sometimes my sweet tooth is far too insatiable a beast to be tamed by fruit and tea.

Because I'm trying to let my body recover, I'm doing my best to avoid the two tubs of gelato currently residing in my freezer. Instead, I'll opt for a slice of this chocolate almond tart. It's by no means dietetic, but it doesn't leave you feeling sluggish and have you jonesing for a snickers thirty minutes later. After all, I'll be free to stuff my face in two weeks once I get to London.

  Chocolate Almond Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart

2 cups gluten-free oats

1/4 teaspoon table salt

10 pitted dates

1/2 cup almond butter

5 tablespoons almond milk

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup dark chocolate

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Almond flakes, for decoration

Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling over the top

In a food processor, pulse oats and salt into a fine meal. Add dates and almond butter and pulse until combined. Add almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and pulse until dough comes together into a ball. Press dough into a 9-inch tart tin. Meanwhile, set chocolate and coconut oil in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water until melted. Pour chocolate mixture over dough. Sprinkle almond flakes and sea salt over chocolate. Cover tart and freeze until ready to serve.

  More Raw Desserts

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

Raw Banana Nut Bread

Crack Pie

There's always something. Something you just can't seem to stop doing, even though you know it's not good. Something that you know you really shouldn't have in your life, but you just can't seem to let go. Yeah, you know, your vices.

For a lot of people it's cigarettes or alcohol. For some, like my friend Carrie, it's tanning and processed meats. Fingers crossed she doesn't actually read this, otherwise I'm probably dead. But for me? Well, I'm sure you can figue out my vice....you got it. It's food.

 Crack pie is something I could only dream of for ages. The thought of something so wildly addictive, so moreish, that it would be named after a mind-altering drug really drove me crazy. Before heading to New York for my internship two summers ago, I said my prayers and hoped that it wouldn't live up to its name, that I would hate it. Maybe it would be sickly sweet? Or maybe that oat cookie crust would be dry and crumbly? Unfortunately for me, I acquired a new addiction that summer.

Thankfully, though, I'm rarely near enough to justify a trip to Momofuku Milk Bar. 770 miles stand between me and a crack pie. Unless, of course, I take matters into my own hands. Honestly, if you have the time and are willing to sacrifice your life to pie, I recommend whipping this up. It's dangerously good, impossible to resist, and is sure to win you lots of new friends. What's not to love about that?

  Crack Pie
Makes 1 9-inch pie
Adapted from Bon Appeit

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
5 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry milk powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease lightly. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 6 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until incorporated. Whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients and beat to combine. Press dough into prepared baking pan and bake for 17-18 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely. Once cooled, crumble cookie into a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar until mixture is moist enough to stick together. Press into bottoms and sides of pie pan. In another bowl, whisk together both sugars, milk powder, and salt. Whisk in melted butter. Add cream, egg yolks, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour filling into crust and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 and bake for 20 minutes more, until top is brown in spots and set around edges but still slightly jiggly in center. Let cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 

  More Momofuku Milk Bar Recipes
Compost Cookies
Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
Birthday Layer Cake

Maple Pumpkin Pie

So, there were two pies. Were being the key word there. The other one may or may not have gotten eaten. I really can't say. I did manage to save one though, so that's something. Right?

Last night my flatmate, Arden, and I set off on a pumpkin extravaganza. After an evening of drunken debauchery, we decided to have an evening of good, clean fun. Arden dragged me out of my bed, threw me into an Autumn-y sweater, and marched me off to Tesco.

What began as a trip to pick up the missing ingredients for our evening pumpkin feast, turned into an urban (though I'm not really sure I'd classify St Andrews as urban) pumpkin picking experience. Arden giddily picked out the biggest pumpkin there and plopped it into our basket. We tottered home, pumpkins and maple syrup in tow, and settled down for the night.

After pumpkin soup with caramelized pancetta and onions with a side of Arden's special mushy lentils, it was time for dessert. While Arden carved an X- for 10 Greyfriars, of course- into a pumpkin, and I whittled away at Jack Skellington, the hypnotizing scent of pumpkin and cinnamon and maple syrup wafter through the kitchen. I think we were a little over-eager, as the pumpkin custard wasn't quite set, when we slid them out of the ovens and swiftly cut a few slices.

Pumpkin pie is one of my all-time favorite foods. I'm not usually a pie person, but I always make an exception for pumpkin pie. I'm planning to test a few different recipes so that I can nail down the perfect one before Thanksgiving. This one was really great- not too sweet with a nice, smooth custard. I don't think I'll settle just yet, but if you are in a pumpkin-y mood, and let's face it, how couldn't you be, do give this one a go.

  Maple Pumpkin Pie
Makes 1 large pie, or 2 mini pies
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 batch pie crust (use store-bought if you're short on time)
1 14 oz can pure pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup whole milk, plus extra for brushing on crust
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out pie crust to 12-inch diameter to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Drape crust over pie plate and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, eggs, spices, and salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, maple syrup, and vanilla together. Slowly pour milk mixture into pumpkin mixture, whisking to combine. Pour custard into prepared pie crust. Fold over edges, crimping if desired. Brush exposed crust with extra milk and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until custard is firm to touch and crust is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

More Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin Coconut Tart
Pumpkin, Maple, and Coconut Custard Cups
Pumpkin-Chocolate Profiteroles

Salted Dark Chocolate Tart

It's back. In full force. The sweet tooth has returned. I'd wager that that was quite possibly the shortest lived sweets hiatus ever. I think it really just took something out-of-this-world delicious to kick it back into high gear. And this tart? Well, it was exactly that.

 I tend to get in a bit of a rut with what I post on here. As you might have noticed (and if you haven't, I apologize for pointing it out), there are quite a few cookie recipes on here. I'm less inclined to whip up a cake than a batch of cookies. Maybe that's because I feel a little less guilty indulging in a few cookies than in a slice or two of cake. Ice cream rarely makes its way onto this blog namely because I don't have an ice cream maker at school. Because, if I did, I think you would probably see a lot more of it.

And as for pies, I just find them kind of fussy. Tarts and galettes are more my style, but I rarely have occasion to serve them, so I kind of feel there isn't much point in making them. The making of this tart, however, may just be a watershed event. This tart is so tasty, so irresistible that it might have to make its way into my regular repertoire. But, for the sake of those new jeans I just got, let's hope not.

  Salted Dark Chocolate Tart
Makes 1 tart
Adapted from Food Republic


For the crust:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting work surface

12 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks

For the filling:
7 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons flaky sea salt

Sea salt, to finish

To make the crust: In a small bowl, whisk together flour and cocoa powder. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse butter and sugar until mixture is in small, pea-sized lumps. Add yolks and pulse to combine. Slowly add flour mixture and pulse to incorporate. Wrap pastry in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle work surface with cocoa powder. Roll out pastry until about 2 inches bigger than a 10-inch tart pan. Roll pastry onto rolling pin and drape over tart pan. Press into pan and trim off excess. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to relax pastry. Line pastry with parchment paper that has been scrunched. Fill pan with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Lift out weights or beans and bake another 5-8 minutes, until shell is dry. Let cool.

To make the filling: Put chocolate, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt into a large, heat-proof bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted and glossy. Pour into cooled, baked crust. Sprinkle sea salt over top of tart. Refrigerate for 2 hours, until set.

  More Tarts
Strawberry-Rhubarb and Cream Tart
Almond-Plum Galette
Blackberry Tart with Pistachio Crust

Lemon Bars

It looks like a lemon tart, right? Yeah, I know. So I guess this particular batch aren't lemon bars...can we compromise and call them lemon slices? Lemon wedges? How about just plain delicious? There. That's much better. That clears everything up.

I don't know about you, but I am the world's biggest crust fan. Hand me a peach cobbler, and I'll pick around the fruit. Give me an apple crisp, and I'll focus on the they oat-y topping. I think that pie exists solely as a vehicle for those incredible, buttery, barely sweet crusts. My ideal pie would be a crust pie. I can't explain it; I just love it. Because of my crusty infatuation, I decided to double the crust.

I only used one and a half batches of the dough in the tart pan and simply baked the rest on its own as shortbread. While it wasn't the best shortbread on its own, it was a lovely counterpoint to the smooth, tart filling. I'm going to give you the original measurements for the crust, but obviously feel free to double them if you, like me, are pro crust. Oh my god, and that filling. I cannot stand lemon bars or lemon tarts with super sweet fillings that taste more like 'yellow' than they do like lemon.

These are not like that in the slightest. The curd filling makes your mouth pucker, but in a good way- in a smile. They feel like summer. I added the juice on one blood orange because I had it lying around. It gave the filling a more golden hue and sort of rounded out the flavor. Obviously, you don't have to add the orange juice if you don't have an orange, but it wouldn't hurt if you do! I forgot the zest and didn't feel like I was missing anything, but I'll definitely throw it in there next time for good measure.

Lemon Bars
Adapted from Chicken and Egg
Makes 24 lemon bars

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1 teaspoon almond extract

4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or a mixture of lemon and orange juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. whisk the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and beat until it's incorporated and the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add the almond extract and beat to incorporate. Press the dough into the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300. While the crust is in the oven, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks in a bowl. Add the sugar and flour and whisk until it is smooth. Whisk in the juice and zest. Pour the filling over the baked crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until set. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

More Fruit Bars
Blood Orange Bars
Key Lime Bars
Triple Grapefruit Bars

Bakewell Tart

Have you heard of a Bakewell tart? I hadn't until only a few days ago. I was doing my usual marathon through the internet, flipping from one food blog to the next. My final visit was to one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen. I drooled over her newest post, which was an everyday chocolate loaf cake. I knew it was time to use another of Deb's recipes, as hers always hit the spot.

I went into her archives. I immediately felt overwhelmed. How in the world was I supposed to choose? I started jotting down recipes I wanted to make. I simply couldn't help but write down at least every other recipe. Once I had my list, I went back through it in order to choose one recipe to make that night.

So many cookies have been popping up here, so the sugar puffs, graham crackers, and grasshopper brownies were out of the question. I had just made Irish soda bread, so that knocked out miniature soft pretzels and braided lemon bread. And my recent attraction to breakfast treats made me think that you'd prefer something a little sweeter than cottage cheese pancakes, granola bars, or boozy baked french toast.

A tart, a tart! Of course, a tart. I had not made a tart, at least for the blog, since the end of May when I made the strawberry cornmeal galette. You know how much I love almonds, so the Bakewell tart immediately struck my fancy. It didn't hurt that this is an English dessert. Oh my, I think I forgot to mention that I changed my mind- I am actually going to St. Andrews. Something just didn't feel right about Northwestern, and I am so very happy that I was able to switch.

Bakewell tarts originated in Bakewell, a town in Derbyshire. The tart began as more of a pudding, and, like so many tasty things, was created by accident. The cook at the White Horse Inn misread the instructions for a jam tart and ended up with something so much better. Try it for yourself. Trust me.

Bakewell Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart

1 recipe pate sucree, I use Dorie Greenspan's recipe

1 cup slivered almonds

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

9 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 egg, plus 1 egg white

1 teaspoon almond extract

Zest of one lemon

1 8 oz jar homemade blackberry jam

Sliced almonds for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the tart dough to be slightly larger than the tart pan. Drape over the pan and press into it. Crumple parchment paper, place in the bottom of the unbaked tart shell, and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake for 20 minutes until the dough has baked and is golden brown. Remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, pulse almonds and flour in a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Cut the butter into smaller pieces and drop into the food processor. Add the almond extract and lemon zest and mix until smooth. Add the egg and the egg white and blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer filling to a plastic bag and freeze until the tart shell has baked and is cool. Spread the jam over the bottom of the pre-baked tart shell. Dollop the chilled almond mixture over the jam. Disperse the mixture using an offset spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top of the tart. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

More English Desserts

Sweet Summer Trifle

Eccles Cake

Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding

Strawberry Cornmeal Galette

Baking is truly one of the most therapeutic things you can do. The motion, the rhythm, not to mention the glorious scents that fill your kitchen, all help to alleviate any stress or unpleasant feelings that may be weighing down upon you. I know that if I'm feeling down I can always head into the kitchen, and all of my worries will just melt away.

So there you have it. Baking makes me happy. I am never not in the mood to bake. Do you know what else makes me happy? Fresh, local fruit. My mom came home from the grocery store a couple of days ago with an enormous bucket of strawberries from a farm only a little ways away from my house. I almost started drooling when she plopped them down in front of me.

For days, I ate them straight out of the bucket with no embellishment. That really is the best way to treat good fruit. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, I had barely made a dent in the strawberries. It seemed to be an endless tub. I didn't want them to go to waste, so I started brainstorming.

As much as I love strawberries, I don't often love baked goods that incorporate strawberries. Something about the heat of the oven takes the complexities out of a strawberry and reduces it down to a generic sweetness. The exception to this rule is the strawberry tart. The crumbly crust cradles the tenderized strawberries and allows them to keep more of their original flavor somehow.

Martha Stewart has always delivered when it comes to tarts. I've yet to make one of her tarts that did not come out fabulously (remind me to tell you about her lemon tart we make). This galette was no different. The strawberries were unctuous and juicy, and the cornmeal in the crust made it pleasantly sandy and naturally sweet. I loved it.

Strawberry Cornmeal Galette

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Makes two 14-inch tarts

For the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:

6 cups fresh strawberries, hulled

1cup granulated sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons cornstarch

Dash of salt

1 large egg, slightly beaten

Sanding sugar for sprinkling

Pulse together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Put the chunks of butter into the bowl and pulse until they are pea-sized. Add the water in a steady stream through the feed tube and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. Divide the dough in half, wrap each disc in plastic, and refrigerate for an hour. Roll out the discs of dough into 14-inch rounds on a floured surface.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Spread the fruit mixture evenly onto each round of dough. Fold up the edges of the dough and pinch together. Brush the exposed crust of each galette with the brushed egg and sprinkle with the sanding sugar. Put the tarts onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Once they are golden brown, remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

More Strawberry Desserts

Strawberry Scones

Rustic Strawberry Tart

Strawberry Tart with a Shortbread Crust

Apricot Blueberry Galettes

I know what you must be thinking. Why does she keep using apricots and blueberries? In my defense, apricots were actually the original main fruits in this recipe. The accent fruit, the cherries, were not looking too hot in the grocery store, and I have a slight aversion to them. I'm not sure exactly what it is about them, but I would rather forgo dessert, which is saying a lot, than eat something with cherries in it.

For the longest time, I wasn't looking forward to making these galettes. Once I realized that I could substitute another fruit for the cherries, however, my interest was peaked. I enjoyed the blueberry apricot upside-down cake so much that I couldn't imagine not liking these. Plus, their diminutive size is so sweet and playful that I felt a little sad for having overlooked them until now.

We usually only present our projects in front of our classes. However, my class and another are combining tomorrow for my presentation, so I wanted to bring something that would impress everyone. These lovely free-form tarts really fit the bill and definitely lived up to my expectations. Their flavor was ethereally light and their fragrance was wonderful as well. I enjoyed smelling their sweet scent almost as much as I enjoyed eating them. Hey, I did say almost!

Apricot-Blueberry Galettes
Serves 6
Adapted from Room for Dessert


9 ounces galette dough 
1 cup frangipane
18 small apricots, halved and pits removed
One 1-pint basket blueberries
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. On a floured surface roll out each into a 7-inch circle. Place circles on baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm. Spread 2 tablespoons frangipane on each circle, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange 6 apricot halves on top of the frangipane. Scatter blueberries over galettes. Fold borders over fruit to contain it. Brush crusts with melted butter and sprinkle each galette with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, until apricots have softened and crust is browned. Cool on a wire rack.

More Galette Recipes

Strawberry Galette

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Pear, Rum, and Pecan Tart

This was a disaster. No. The tart would not have been a disaster had I tied my shoes. I was getting dressed to meet some friends when I my timer rang. I ran downstairs, not bothering to tie my shoelaces. I yanked open the oven, pulled the tart out, and started toward the counter. As soon as I took my first step away from the oven, I noticed something was wrong. I couldn't walk.

I struggled. I tipped forward, the pie sliding gracefully off of the baking sheet like an olympic ice skater. There was nothing I could do. It was over for my poor little tart. I saw it suspended in the air, looking at me sadly. Why were you not more careful? the tart seemed to ask. With a deafening crash, the tart hit the ground, turned over, and splattered most of its contents all over my kitchen floor. I wanted to cry.

I called my brother Beau down to see "how beautiful the tart was"; he walked into the room and burst out laughing. Apparently my misfortunes are hilarious. He did taste the tart, off of the floor may I add, and declared it to be delicious. He also ate a piece of the crust, which was mostly undamaged, and sung its praises. I deeply regret my clumsiness, as this could have been one incredible dessert.

Early this morning, I made my way down to my kitchen dressed in the striped onesie I received for Christmas. I sleepily pulled butter and eggs from my fridge and flour, sugar, and other ingredients from my pantry. I set everything up on the counter, ready to create something special.

In between Lady Gaga songs and strange German music videos, I arranged the slices of pear in concentric circles inside of the tart shell. I carefully poured the custard over top of the pears and put the tart pan back onto the baking sheet. Once again, I popped the tart into the oven to bake for another thirty minutes. And after that? Well you know what happened.

This tart could have been a real winner. The custard filling had a quietness and subtlety about it. I most definitely will attempt it again, although perhaps when I am wearing laceless shoes, or no shoes at all. I wish, for your sake, that I had more attractive pictures to show; I am not too disappointed because failure is a part of the process and is a good experience to have. Has anyone else had any cooking mishaps?

Pear, Rum, and Pecan Tart
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Room for Dessert


3 eggs
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
10 tablespoons butter

2 medium pears, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 pre-baked 9-inch tart shell

Whisk together eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla, and rum. Cut butter into large chunks. Melt it slowly over low heat in a large saucepan. When the butter has darkened to the color of maple syrup and smells toasty, remove it from the heat. Quickly pour it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to keep it from cooking the eggs. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate custard until chilled and thickened, about 1 hour. Place pears in a mixing bowl with brown sugar and 1 tablespoon dark rum. Macerate for 15 minutes, tossing frequently to coat slices. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange pear slices concentrically in pre-baked tart shell. Pour brown butter custard over pears. Fill tart to the rim, but do not overfill. Set unbaked tart of baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, until browned. Cool completely before serving.