tartlicious tuesday: cranberry linzer tart

The military tends to move its service members and their families to places that the family members, particularly the spouse, may have never dreamed of living. My husband, being a United States Marine, didn’t have the ability to choose some of the glamorous locales available to the other services. At one time I found myself sobbing about how much I hated living in the middle of the Mohave Desert when another Marine Corps spouse gave me some very sound advice, “You have to grow where you are planted, honey.” That gooey, corny advice, complete with southern drawl did not sit well with this on-the-verge-of –a-complete- meltdown North Easterner. But, once I stopped feeling sorry for myself I realized she was right. I started to look around me. I discovered that the desert wasn’t a flat, one dimensional, seemingly sterile land. It was a living, breathing environment that hid its precious... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday: dorie greenspan’s parisian apple tartlet recipe

Winner for the Gingerbread Food Picks is Jenn  at “Baking Jenn”. We are really enjoying Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking from My Home to Yours. The recipes are easy, delicious and most are perfect for sharing with your guests this holiday season. For this week’s tart we picked the Parisian apple tartlet for two reasons: It is easy to make and it is absolutely delicious. We are all very familiar with the saying: Less is more. The Parisian apple tartlet provides a fine example of this saying. Two main ingredients: puff pastry and apples. Two supporting roles: brown sugar and butter. Who could ask for a better “cast”? The Parisian apple tartlet is a perfect dessert for a large crowd. They prepare quickly, bake quickly and can be served warm, topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. If you’d like to add a little sophistication to the tartlet simply add a small... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday: dorie greenspan's parisian apple tartlet recipe

Winner for the Gingerbread Food Picks is Jenn  at “Baking Jenn”. We are really enjoying Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking from My Home to Yours. The recipes are easy, delicious and most are perfect for sharing with your guests this holiday season. For this week’s tart we picked the Parisian apple tartlet for two reasons: It is easy to make and it is absolutely delicious. We are all very familiar with the saying: Less is more. The Parisian apple tartlet provides a fine example of this saying. Two main ingredients: puff pastry and apples. Two supporting roles: brown sugar and butter. Who could ask for a better “cast”? The Parisian apple tartlet is a perfect dessert for a large crowd. They prepare quickly, bake quickly and can be served warm, topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. If you’d like to add a little sophistication to the tartlet simply add a small... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday: chocolate caramel tart

With the passing of Thanksgiving (barely) we enter the time of the year known as “The Season”. One could argue that it is “The Season” of overindulgence and it began, for many, in the wee hours of the morning, the day after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday, which oozed into Small Business Saturday and then Cyber Monday. Whew! If you were shopping on these days you certainly need a break. Even if you didn’t go shopping you might be exhausted by the onslaught of circulars, flyers and catalogs clogging your mailbox and cluttering your doorstep. The only plus side to all these publications is that your children will have a plethora of material for future collage projects at school. Shopping, wrapping, parties, more shopping, cooking, baking and decorating can take its toll no matter how joyous. If, after hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer sung ad nauseam at your... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday: coconut cream tart (pie) recipe & winner for cutting board announced

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“. For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion. There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor. You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard.... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday: coconut cream tart (pie) recipe & winner for cutting board announced

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“. For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion. There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor. You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard.... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday's: potato & onion tartes tatin recipe

These individual potato and onion tarts are the perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal. They look fabulous on the table. Of course, when we have large gatherings we make large portions that are placed on the dining or buffet table. But, it is always impressive to add at least one side dish that is made for each individual. These tarts are perfect. They are easy to make, look fantastic and taste even better. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of onions, you will love the buttery goodness of these potato and onion tarts. We recommend that you try to make your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee.) There is nothing like home made puff pastry. And, once you make a batch it can be kept in the freezer. The recipe below makes about two pounds of puff pastry so it will last for several recipes. Of course, with everyone busy,... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday’s: potato & onion tartes tatin recipe

These individual potato and onion tarts are the perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal. They look fabulous on the table. Of course, when we have large gatherings we make large portions that are placed on the dining or buffet table. But, it is always impressive to add at least one side dish that is made for each individual. These tarts are perfect. They are easy to make, look fantastic and taste even better. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of onions, you will love the buttery goodness of these potato and onion tarts. We recommend that you try to make your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee.) There is nothing like home made puff pastry. And, once you make a batch it can be kept in the freezer. The recipe below makes about two pounds of puff pastry so it will last for several recipes. Of course, with everyone busy,... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday's: pumpkin pie tartlets

In an earlier post entitled “It’s all about the Pumpkin” I wrote about cooking down your own pumpkin. For me, the day my father would peel and cut the pumpkin for my mother to cook down was one of great pleasure for I knew what the end result would be. I mentioned that my mother rarely, if ever, baked. She didn’t care for baking so having a freshly baked pumpkin pie was a treasure and greatly anticipated each year. I’m not really sure why my mother chose pumpkin pie as the one thing she would bake year after year. My mother passed on three years ago and so I won’t have the chance to ask her, but I do know it wasn’t a recipe handed down from mother to daughter as my grandmother was from Sicily and pumpkin pie was not in her baking repertoire. I am going with the... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday’s: pumpkin pie tartlets

In an earlier post entitled “It’s all about the Pumpkin” I wrote about cooking down your own pumpkin. For me, the day my father would peel and cut the pumpkin for my mother to cook down was one of great pleasure for I knew what the end result would be. I mentioned that my mother rarely, if ever, baked. She didn’t care for baking so having a freshly baked pumpkin pie was a treasure and greatly anticipated each year. I’m not really sure why my mother chose pumpkin pie as the one thing she would bake year after year. My mother passed on three years ago and so I won’t have the chance to ask her, but I do know it wasn’t a recipe handed down from mother to daughter as my grandmother was from Sicily and pumpkin pie was not in her baking repertoire. I am going with the... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday's: soul cakes

Día de los Muertos is celebrated on November 2nd, however celebrations begin on November 1st, which Is known as Día de Muertos Chiquitos–The Day of the Little Dead also known as All Saints Day. Día de los Muertos continues into November 2nd which is called All Souls Day. The name of the holiday gives pause, but it is actually a joyous occasion for it is the time to celebrate the memory of ancestors as well as the continuity of life. El Día de Los Muertos originated in Mexico, before the arrival of the Spanish. The holiday is also celebrated in central and South American countries. The Catholic Spanish did not like the pagan qualities of this holiday. And, as with many pagan holidays, El Día de Los Muertos was joined to the Catholic holiday of All Saints Day. Interestingly, All Saints Day was originally celebrated in May, but that date... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday’s: soul cakes

Día de los Muertos is celebrated on November 2nd, however celebrations begin on November 1st, which Is known as Día de Muertos Chiquitos–The Day of the Little Dead also known as All Saints Day. Día de los Muertos continues into November 2nd which is called All Souls Day. The name of the holiday gives pause, but it is actually a joyous occasion for it is the time to celebrate the memory of ancestors as well as the continuity of life. El Día de Los Muertos originated in Mexico, before the arrival of the Spanish. The holiday is also celebrated in central and South American countries. The Catholic Spanish did not like the pagan qualities of this holiday. And, as with many pagan holidays, El Día de Los Muertos was joined to the Catholic holiday of All Saints Day. Interestingly, All Saints Day was originally celebrated in May, but that date... Read the Rest →

 

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