"Everybody should have a go-to pie dough or tart dough that they do in their sleep," says Pim Techamuanvivit (aka Chez Pim), who recently came out with a cookbook called The Foodie Handbook. Here she shows us her go-to, which really does look ridiculously easy. Making a pie crust from scratch always sounds intimidating but this approach is more like playing with Play Doh that happens to turn into a deliciously flaky, buttery crust. (And you can do it straight on the countertop. No bowl required.) Pim finishes it off with frangipagne (she blends the almonds herself, avoiding almond meal) and fruit for a rustic galette. Become a pie dough expert in four minutes, after the jump....
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As usual, Fanny of the French pastry-centric Foodbeam makes me hungry with her recipe for caramel and milk chocolate peanut tarts. If her photos aren't reason enough to crave this tart, her description should help: I’m not sure what I love most about this tart. The crisp peanut pâte sucrée. The melt-in-your-mouth caramel crème brulée. The crunchy and slightly salty peanuts. The smooth milk chocolate ganache. Or the fluffly vanilla marshmallows. I think I'll take all five. Don't miss her introduction where she equates the feeling of coming up with a new pastry to the electrifying feeling of having your first kiss with someone you really like. She was obviously born to make pastries. Related How to Make Perfect...
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These tasty little tarts are vegan, if you can believe it. Maggie, of Dog Hill Kitchen, uses a vanilla-flavored coconut milk yogurt in place of a traditional pastry cream in these mini desserts. No special equipment is needed; just bake the crusts in a muffin tin. She says these are even better the next day, so they're perfect for a special dinner or for sneaking one as a snack when no one's looking. Plus, anything "reminiscent of an Orange Julius" is more than A-OK in my book....
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Amy of We Are Never Full opines that she is not the biggest fan of Bon Appetit, but the magazine's version of this tart caught her eye—and her version caught ours. Amy's tart combines both puff pastry and pie crust, ricotta and petite Jurassic cheeses, as well as salami and a garden of vegetables for this "lighter than quiche" pastry: Using various different veggies and ricotta over all eggs helped me convince myself that I was eating healthy. Even after a few helpings, I knew I was kidding myself. Indulgence is encouraged with beach season behind us. And anyway, this is lighter than quiche. Serving it "à cheval" with a runny egg on top makes it ideal for a...
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Photograph from Mad Baker on Flickr In preparation for Chinese New Year, which starts tomorrow, Mad Baker made these adorable pineapple tarts, a symbol for good luck. If you celebrate holiday, I hope you have a stomach-busting Chinese New Year's Eve feast tonight!...
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The U.S. Flag: In 1777, Old Glory was adopted by Congress as the flag of the United States. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson declared June 14 Flag Day. In 2006, Martha Stewart whips up this American Flag Tart (right), perfect for the vexillologist in your life. Raspberries, blueberries, and crème fraîche create the familiar design of Old Glory. Junior Walker: Born in 1931, died in 1995. As the leader of Motown's Junior Walker and the All Stars composed the song "Home Cookin'," which takes a woefully unenlightened view of domestic relationships. Laurie Colwin: Born in 1944, died in 1992. Many of the food-minded folks out there will recognize Colwin as the author of Home Cooking and More Home Cooking as...
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