Monthly Archives: June 2011

Fruit Tart Party

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So the Mister requested something that I have never made before:  a fruit tart. We always grab one from the bakery whenever we grocery shop together – which is about two or three times a year.  I guess one is not a great grocery shopping partner if one is price-sensitive, has a background in economics, and schedules coupon clipping hours every week.  Go figure.

Results:  These were so much easier than I anticipated!  But then again, I did cheat by purchasing my graham cracker crusts.  The tarts look beautiful and the bottom filling is delightful.  I’m a little iffy on the glaze, so I may use less next time or change to a more acidic juice (like orange).

These probably turned out so well because I had some kitchen help:

Recommend:  I’ve seen other people make these with vanilla pudding at the bottom, which I will try in the future.  If you have the time, I would recommend using a homemade graham cracker or other type of pie crust.  This recipe can easily be altered to make one large pie.

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Follow Up – Father’s Day Edition: Salted Caramel Turtles

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Our little turtles spent the night/following workday in the freezer.  This is what they looked like after the big freeze:

And the caramel never hardened.  So we had to scrape them off the parchment paper like this:

But they were delicious.  After the gooey pecan and cold chocolate crunch, the salt would  hit you on the back taste and bring a smile to your face.

Recommend:  These little guys would be perfect ice cream toppers.  Perfect.

I think I went wrong in using CHEWY caramels.  I will definitely revisit the turtle candy, but next time use hard caramel candies.  Unless I was hosting an ice cream sundae social!

Father’s Day Edition: Salted Caramel Turtles

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Sadly, my dad and I live 370 miles apart.  I moved to DC (well, Arlington) four years ago for grad school then landed a job and haven’t moved since.  My family is still in Cleveland, my hometown.  The Mister and I are hosting our wedding in CLE, so we’ve been lucky to see my dad more throughout the planning process.  Nonetheless, I miss him very much.

I’m pretty sure I inherited my sweet tooth from him.  Today I attempted to make my dad’s favorite candies:  turtles.

Results:  Well, the key word in the previous sentence was attempted.  While the flavors were delish, the texture was off and the multiple attempts led to multiple dishes that needed washing.  We ended up throwing them in the freezer and I’ll post a picture tomorrow with the final results.  I also had a sore tummy from snacking on chocolate chip pieces and spoons full of caramel.

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Lemon Sugarmeal Cookies

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Lemon flavored sweets are a personal favorite.  I haven’t used cornmeal in a while, so today I’m trying out Lemon Sugarmeal Cookies.
 
Need:  staples + cornmeal + confectioners’ sugar + lemon.
Step 1:  Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup stone ground cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Step 2:  Beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl until creamy.
  • 1 stick unsalted softened butter
  • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 grated lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Step 3: Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Beat until cookie-doughey.

Step 4:  Place dough in refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 5:  Do the dishes.
  
Step 6:  Roll dough into golfball-sized cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet;  softly, flatten with a fork.   Sprinkle each cookie with granulated sugar.

Step 7:  Bake for 16-19 minutes until the cookies have golden edges.

Step 8:  Let rest on cookie sheet for two minutes; transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Results:  Overall, the lemon flavor was great!  These cookies are supposed to have a crisp, sturdy texture but mine turned out a little crumbly (as shown below).  I originally used 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, but I scaled the above recipe back to 1.5 tablespoons.  Even though they were a little dry, T (my fiance) ate five in one sitting!   He thought they were best when dunked in tea and coffee.
Recommend:  These would be great dipped in some sort of raspberry sauce or without the lemon flavor (omitting the lemon juice and using only 1 teaspoon of zest).  If you make them plain, I would recommend dipping one side into chocolate! 

Oatmeal Cookie Muffin

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My fiance loves Ben & Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk ice cream.  I tried to recreate the flavors in yesterday’s muffin:  Oatmeal Cookie. 

Need:  staples + applesauce + apple + cinnamon + rolled oats + mini-morsel chocolate chips.

Preheat:  350 degrees.

Step 1: Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Beat in egg and add vanilla.
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Step 2: Combine dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Step 3:  Add half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter, egg, and vanilla bowl.  Beat.  Add applesauce, apple, and cinnamon.
  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 grated apple – I used Fuji
  • Pinch of cinnamon 
Step 4:  Fold in oats and chocolate chips.
  • 1 cup oats
  • 3/4 cup mini-morsel chocolate chips

Step 5:  Fill muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Step 6:  Do the dishes as the muffins bake (trust me, they will taste better).

Step 7:  Let muffins rest in pan for 10 minutes. 

Step 8:  Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Enjoy!