TWD: Normandy Apple Tart

Soo I know this weeks recipe was supposed to be the Parisian Apple Tartlets, but we were having a huge laker party at my house, and I needed to make something bigger than just the tarts. 

When I saw the picture of this tart, I was sold on making it! The picture looked just beyond amazing. And it was not at all hard to do.

The finished tart came out wonderful, and I served it with a little vanilla ice cream. Everyone loved it! I would make this again for sure!

Next time, i'll try to make the tartlets, i'm sure those were amazing as well.

CIA'S Key Lime Pie

We were entertaining some family friends the other night for dinner. And my mom asked me to make some sort of fruity dessert. "Maybe a Key lime pie? or something?", she said.

I've never made anything out of my "Culinary Institute of America" baking book before, and when I saw how easy their Key lime pie recipe was, I decided on that.

This was absolutely the EASIEST pie ever to put together, and I couldn't believe how good it tasted! The key lime filling was perfect and had that sweet, yet tangy taste of key limes. Everyone loved it, so much so that they were all licking the pie plate after we'd finished it! If you need an easy, go to pie recipe. This is it.

Key Lime Pie

Baking at Home w/ The culinary institute of America

Graham Cracker Crust

10-12 graham crackers

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Key Lime filling

4 large eggs

one 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lime juice, preferably from key limes

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. lightly spray a 9inch pie pan with cooking spray.

Crumble crackers in a food processor to a fine crumb. Or in a plastic bag. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Stir together crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Use bottom of a glass or flat surface to press into a compact layer in pan covering bottom and sides.

Bake crust for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool while preparing filling.

Separate eggs into whites and yolks.

Combine condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks and blend. Pour filling into crust and bake  until filling is set, about 15 minutes. Prepare meringue while filling bakes.

Beat egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl just until blended. Heat this mixture over simmering water until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture reaches about 110 degrees on a candy thermometer. remove from heat. whip the warmed egg white mixture until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Remove the baked pie from the oven and increase oven temp. to 450 F. spread meringue over the filling while the filling is still hot. make decorate peaks and swirls over surface.

return pie to the oven just long enough to lightly brown the meringue, about 5 minutes.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve chilled.

TWD: Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie (Tart!)

It feels like FOREVER since I last updated, but i've just been crazy busy lately. Stressed

doesn't even begin to describe what things have been like for me...

BUTTT on a happier note!! I was able to do this weeks recipe!

Kim of Scrumptious Photography chose this Chocolate Cream Tart recipe, and wow is

all I can honestly say.

When I was reading the recipe, my eyes flickered to the "playing around" section,

and as soon as I saw the variation was "Chocolate COCONUT CREAM PIE", I was

off to my cabinet for the coconut! The variation was not that much different from

the regular tart except for the fact that before you add the chocolate cream,

there's a layer of creamy coconut custard smoothed on before.

It was absolutely amazing! "It's the best recipe you've made out of that book yet"

exclaimed my family as they licked their plates clean.

And I agree, this probably was one of my all time FAVORITE recipes i've made

from her, so far. There's no question in my mind that I'll make this again.

SOO good !

TWD: Banana Cream Pie

YES! I'm SO happy someone FINALLY chose this recipe! Ever since I got this book, and 

saw the picture of this pie, I've been looking for a reason to make this!

So first, i'd like to thank Amy of Sing for your Supper for deciding to make this.

And secondly, it was my dads birthday yesterday and one of his all time favorite

desserts is none other than Banana Cream Pie! So I though, perfect!

I've never made banana cream pie before, so looking at Dorie's recipe, I had to admit,

I was a little intimidated. But once I got the custard, and the pie dough ready, and going,

I started to feel a little more confident about it. And needles to say, it turned out

absolutely MAGNIFICENT in the end!

I loved the different twist on adding cinnamon and nutmeg to the custard.

Such a great and tasty addition! I was SO glad to see my dads face just

LIGHT up as soon as he took his first bite. That made me so extremely

happy that he and the rest of my family enjoyed it!

This was great recipe this week! Hope everyone enjoyed it as much

as I did!

TWD: French Pear Tart

This weeks TWD was chosen by no other than herself, the women from whom we get all these AMAZING recipes, Dorie Greenspan.

When I looked at who this recipe was picked by, I knew it had to be a pretty good one. So I made it right away, and it served it to my family this weekend.

This tart was absolutely amazing. And i'm glad to say that it was very easy to make as well. I loved the thick, sweet dough, and the almond cream complemented the pears beautifully. 

I will definitely make this again soon.

Thanks Dorie!

TWD: Double Crusted Blueberry Pie

MMMM...PIE!

So this weeks TWD recipe was for the Double Crusted Blueberry Pie.

I was really excited when I saw this is what had been picked cause i've never made a big pie like this before, so I was anxious to get started.

When I told my mom I was going to be baking a blueberry pie, she got verrrry excited. And said that blueberry pie was her 2nd favorite pie, next to apple to eat. So I got started right away.

The dough was actually not hard at all to put together, and when rolled out, wasn't difficult to handle. I tasted the filling before I put it into the crust, like Dorie said to do in the recipe, and even the filling tasted amazing!...so I had no doubts this was going to be a pretty good pie.

Here's how it turned out!:

YUMMM...it turned out great! It wasn't too gooey, or runny...just perfect! And the crust turned out grrrreat as well...I served it with some vanilla ice cream. A GREAT way to finish a pretty hectic day!

mmmm...MY PIECE.

Now excuse me while I devour this lovely slice of blueberry heaven. =]

Quick Classic Berry Tart

Last night we had my mom's sisters family (my aunt, uncle, and cousins), my moms parents, and my dads father over for dinner. My grandparents brought over Pattys Pizza from Santa Monica. It's basically a take and bake type of thing, but you can eat there as well. Probably the BEST pizza you will ever have, if you ask me. It's great.

Anyways, my mom's been on my case for a VERY long time, to make some type of tart, she LOVESSS tarts, so I decided i'd bake one for dessert that night. I've never made a berry tart before, and I thought, well since it's summer, and there's SO many fresh  fruits and berries in season, I should try one!

So I did what any baker would probably do, and went to my trusted Dorie Greenspan book. It never fails.

I flipped through the fruit pies, and tarts section, and stumbled upon her recipe called "Quick Classic Berry Tart".

PERFECT!! I thought, I mean it had the word "QUICK" in it, so it's got to be pretty simple, right?

Well I wasnt 100% right about it being simple. But it wasn't hard. The only trouble I had was with the tart shell. It just seemed too crumbly when I was patting it into my tart pan. But after I froze the dough for a half hour, it became less crumbly, and loose. 

The recipe also said to make her pastry cream as well. I've also never made a pastry cream like that before, so I was a little worried about the whole boiling on the stove and all that stuff. But I didnt let that stop me! All in all, I didn't have many problems with the cream, all the ingredients were simple, and the only part that took a little time was just chilling and cooling it off. After it was completely cool, I tasted it, and had my mom taste it, and it was AMAZING. Such a great creamy, texture, and exactly how I'd picture it.

I'm not going to post the recipe for the pastry cream, and tart dough, but I will post the recipe for the overall tart.

This turned out SO wonderful! Everything I thought it'd be! And when I told my family it was the first time i'd made a tart, they were in awe. They ALL said it was a winner, and want me to make it again in the future. Even my dad, who doesn't eat desserts a lot, had more than 1 helping! It really was so extremely tasty, I loved it.

I'd for sure recomend making this!

Quick Classic Berry Tart-

1 1/2 cups pastry cream, cooled and chilled

1 9-inch tart shell made with Sweet Tart Dough, fully baked, and cooled

2 pints fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or an assortment of berries

1/3 cup red currant jelly mixed with 1 tsp. water, for glazing.

Smooth the pastry cream by giving it a couple of strong turns with a whisk. Spoon enough of the pastry cream into the tart crust to come almost to the rim, then even the surface with a rubber spatula. Carefully lay the berries on the cream, arranging them in any pattern that pleases you. If you are using strawberries, either half them from top to bottom or slice them, depending on the size of the berries and your whim.

Bring jelly and the water to a boil in a microwave oven or stovetop. Working with a pastry brush or pastry feather, dab each berry with a spot of jelly. Or, if you like, you can glaze the entire surface of the tart, including the bit of pastry cream that peeks through the berries.

I just served it as is, and it turned out fine. But the recipe serving suggestion says you can serve it with some tea or an espresso. Whatever your guests, or you, prefer.