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this one...

this one's a good one.

Lemon-Coco Tart with Buckwheat Crust 

I decided to get adventurous with my traditional standby Tartine lemon tart recipe. I completely adore Tartine's lemon tart and have made it time and time again. However, due to my obvious obsession with buckwheat as of late, I decided to mix things up a bit. I used the exact recipe from my Buckwheat Moon cookies as the crust for this birthday tart. I also experimented with the lemon cream recipe, using coconut oil instead of butter. (I think it turned out great!) Crust can be made ahead of time (I made mine the day before and covered tightly with plastic wrap) and so can the cream (stored in a container in the fridge). Once both components are made, the tart can be assembled quickly.

Buckwheat Crust

 

3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 c buckwheat flour

1/4 c walnut/almond/pistachio meal

1/2 c unsweetened finely shredded coconut, very finely minced
1/4 c extra-virgin coconut oil, softened
1/3 c fine-grain natural cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

  

Whisk the flour, nut meal and shredded coconut together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, beat the coconut oil with the sugar and salt until it's smooth and looks a bit like a brown sugar frosting. Beat in the egg until everything is uniform in appearance. Add the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. Turn the dough out onto the counter-top, knead it once or twice and gather it into a ball. Flatten the dough, wrap in plastic and and refrigerate for at least an hour. When you are ready to bake the crust, preheat the oven to 350F degrees. On a floured work surface roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick. If the dough cracks, let it sit and warm up for a couple more minutes. Roll into a circle, large enough to line the bottom and edges of a springform pan. Gently transfer the dough to the pan. (I had to do quite a bit of patching since the dough broke in a few spots, but don't worry--it still turns out great.) Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork. Place in oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

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for Dad's 65th

birthday spaghetti with eggplant & chanterelles >> 

boil salted water in medium sized pot. in another larger pot, add 2 tsp dried chili flake & 2 tsp ground nutmeg. toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil & one roughly chopped yellow onion. cover with lid and cook on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add 1 small eggplant (diced) & 3 cloves minced garlic and continue cook for 5 minutes. add 3/4 package spaghetti to boiling water (i use Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta). to eggplant mixture, add about 3/4 lb sliced chanterelles, remove lid and cook for a few minutes (allow mushrooms to release their moisture and cook down). add a splash of sherry to deglaze pan, followed by a few tablespoons cream. when pasta is almost al dente, remove it from boiling water and transfer to large pot with other ingredients (along with a splash of pasta water). allow liquid to cook off, and remove from heat. add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1/4 c pinenuts, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, & salt to taste. toss well and serve. serves 4.

birthday chiffon cake with cardamom-vanilla bean syrup and dark chocolate frosting >> 

i recently made Tartine's Basic Chiffon Cake recipe as a cake base for their Fromage Blanc Bavarian. however, the Bavarian recipe called for only 1/3 of the chiffon. i thoroughly wrapped the remainder of the cake and froze it for future use.

i removed it to defrost the morning i created this cake.

in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c water, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 vanilla bean (pod and beans). heat over low until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. using a pastry brush, moisten the entire top surface of the chiffon cake evenly with the syrup. in a new saucepan, combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c heavy cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. add 2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% cacao unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces. stir until melted. pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. refrigerate frosting for at least 40 minutes, and once thicker, frost top and sides of cake. serve with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.

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 i spent my birthday morning

constructing this bit of decadence

Tartine's Fromage Blanc Bavarian

a bottle of bubbly

a birthday crown

a dear mother

& a cute boy

(( i'll take mornings like these anytime ))

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my new favorite quiche

(recipe below)

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when i make a batch of Tartine's sweet tart dough

the recipe makes enough dough for 3 extra tarts

sometimes i use the dough to make

little shortbread cookies instead,

adding other ingredients to liven them up a bit

here i ground up a mixture of

fresh thyme, lavender, cardamom, and fennel seeds

using a mortar and pestle

(about 2-3 tablespoons total)

i used the rolling pin to press

the herbs & spices into the rolled-out dough

after the cookies came out of the oven

i topped them with an easy lemon glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped

(combine ingredients in bowl and stir until smooth)

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 Tartine's lemon tart for Mom's birthday

(recipe below)

 

Sweet Tart Dough

by Tartine (for 9-inch tart shells or twelve 4-inch tartlet shells)

1 cup + 2 tbsp (9 oz/255 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7 oz/200 grams) sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room tempterature
3 1/2 cups (17 1/2 oz/500 grams) all-purpose flour
 

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in 1 egg. Add the remaining egg and mix until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

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when one ends up with extra sweet tart dough,

one must make shortbread cookies.

(add fresh thyme to dough and make a lemon zest icing)

Sweet Tart Dough:

1 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
(a few tsp fresh thyme)

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt

and mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in 1 egg. Add the remaining egg and mix until smooth.

Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 equal balls and shape each ball into a disk 1/2 inch thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight or freeze 3 for future use

(this dough will keep for up to 3 weeks).  Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick (sprinkle fresh thyme if you want) and using cookie cutters, cut out cookies from dough. Place on baking sheets about one inch apart.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place in the oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The cookies should be lightly colored and look dry and opaque.

Let cool completely on wire racks.

To make icing, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp water, & 2 tsp lemon zest & brush on cookies.

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i never get enough time in this home

especially in front of the fire

(nor in the kitchen)

first time making Tartine's Chocolate Souffle Cake
 ((  !  ))

Ingredients:

3/4 c walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and finely chopped

3/4 c + 1 tbsp unsalted butter

14 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

7 large eggs

3/4 c + 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

for ganache topping:

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 c heavy cream

Kitchen Notes:  The success of this cake depends on two things.  First, you must incorporate air into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, whipping them to a thick ribbon, or the cake will not have the correct light texture when it is baked.  Second, you must be careful not to overbake the cake, or it will turn out dry.  Many cooks are inclined to turn the mixer to high speed for beating egg whites to stiff peaks.  But you will find that if you whip whites on medium speed and take a little longer, the whites will have a tighter, more stable structure and have fewer large, irregular air pockets.

Preheat the oven to 325.  Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides with parchment paper cut to fit exactly.  Evenly distribute nuts over the bottom of the pan, then gently shake the pan back and forth to fill in any gaps.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the chocolate.  Stir as the chocolate melts, blending it with the butter.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

(recipe continued on next page)