This recipe is a take on pecan pie and has become a favorite with my family and friends. It is easy to make and keep longer than it lasts. I think it is a must try for anyone and everyone. Enjoy making, eating, and entertaining friends and family with this delicious treat.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease the removable bottom tart pan thoroughly, line the bottom with a parchment paper cutout and grease that too. Set aside until ready to use.
Add all-purpose flour, wheat flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor and process for few seconds to thoroughly incorporate the ingredients. Add cubed cold butter and process until combined. Add one egg yolk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and pulse until it is crumbly but not a rolling dough.
Transfer to the prepared tart pan. Distribute the crumbs evenly in the pan before pressing in an even layer at the bottom. Use a measuring cup to smooth the bottom layer while pushing extra crumbs to form a neat fluted edge. Use two fingers, or finger and thumb to even out the edges into a smooth surface for a clean finish.
Dock the surface thoroughly to prevent the crust from developing air pockets. Cover with a plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add ¼ cup water to a heavy saucepan, also add ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup honey. Cook on medium heat without stirring until it start to get golden brown. Lift the saucepan and swirl and cook until it is dark brown caramel. Be careful, there is a very fine line between golden brown and charred.
Remove from heat and add heavy cream stirring continuously.
Once the sauce is smooth, add 4 tablespoon cubed butter, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook stirring. When well combined, let it cool for 30 minutes.
At this point, put the crust in the preheated oven for 20 minute or until it is light brown. Remove and let it cool.
Meanwhile, get back to the caramel, and add 2 egg yolk mixing to thoroughly combine. Add walnuts and make sure all the nuts are well coated with the caramel. Transfer the filling to the crust lined, baked, and cooled tart pan. Smooth it out with the back of spoon or offset spatula.
Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Let it set for at least 20 minutes before cutting into it. Have a delicious tea time treat, or a dinner dessert.
Notes
There are various techniques as well as ingredient variations for making a crumb crust. Traditional crumb crust recipe follows the traditional ingredients of graham crackers and butter but there are many other recipe which use flour, combination of flours with added ingredients such as honey, corn syrup, and egg yolks. Having said that, there are various way of lining the tart pan with the crumbs at hand. Most common being dumping the crumbs in the tart pan and work towards the edges and move the crust up the side and then smooth the top of the edges to form a neat finish for a beautifully finished tart. But some people also add the crumb all around the tart pan and form smooth sides first before working towards the center for a smooth well lined bottom. I have been used to starting in the center, but want to try the technique of starting the edges first, it is a good idea to try different techniques to have fun while baking. You can try and see which way works for you the best.
Blueberry tart is easy to make. With its nut crust and layers of flavored cheese and blueberry topping.
Ingredients
Crust:
1cuppecans, lightly roasted, and finely chopped
1cupall-purpose flour
¼cup brown sugar
pinchKosher salt
1 largeegg
4tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, diced
For the Blueberries Filling:
8ounce canned blueberry topping
1lemonzested and juiced
⅓cupgranulated sugar
Cream cheese topping:
8ouncecream cheese, softened
⅓cupbrown sugar
1teaspoonvanilla
1packetgelatin added to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir until well dissolved. Set it aside.
Apricot Glaze:
¼cup apricot jam
2tablespoons water
Instructions
For the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place pecans in the food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to thoroughly incorporate.
Add egg and diced butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand.
Transfer the mix to a 9-inch removable bottom tart pan. Press on the bottom and up the sides firmly and evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and then bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
Blueberries and Cream Chees Toppings:
In a medium saucepan, combine 8 oz. of blueberry filling, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients.Bring it to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat, stir well and allow it to cool. set it aside for later use.Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and 1/3 cup brown sugar until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, and gelatin mix, and mix until well combined.
Pour cream cheese filling into cooled tart crust. Using an offset spatula, spread the cream cheese into a smooth layer. Top it with thick blueberry sauce leaving a ½-inch border to prevent it from overflowing.Let it chill for 30 minutes before adding apricot glaze on top evenly. Refrigerate overnight before serving. It takes time for it set perfectly.
An incredibly easy recipe which results in a exquisite cake that looks like it has come from a good bakeery. It turns out delightfully rich and luxurious.
9-inch cake pan well greased befoer lining the bottom with parchment cutout and greasiong
Method
In a large bowl, add eggs, egg whites, sugar, salt,almond extract, and vanilla.
Whisk by hand until frothy.
Add the almond flour and mix until a smooth batter forms.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with offset spatula.
Sprinkle ⅓ cup Turbinado sugar over the top evenly.
Sprinkle ⅓ cup slivered almonds over the sugar layer and try to evenly cover the surface.
Bake in a 350°F preheated oven on the middle rack for 45 to 55 minutes.
Let it cool on a rack until it comes to room temperature.
When cool, run a knife around the edges and invert on a rack and turn it over again the right side up on a plate. Now you are ready to cut into wedges and serve it .
This apple dessert tastes as delectable and exotic as it looks. A little time consuming, but very simple to make. I assure you it delights your palate as well your soul.
10 smallGala apples or any firm, fresh apple workscrab apple is recommended
1½cup granulated sugar
1cup water
½freshjuiced, and strained
10 almondsblanched and peeled, more if needed
Method
Core and peel apples but leave them as whole. Rub each one with barely a drop of lemon juice to prevent browning. If you put them in acidulated water, apples will absorb water which will be released while cooking, making the cooking process longer and making apples mushy.
In a large pot or a wok bring sugar, water and lemon juice to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook stirring until the sugar is competely dissolved. Continue to simmer for a few more minutes.
When the sugar is dissolved, and liquid slightly reduced and brownish, add prepared apples and bring it back to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and continue to cook.
Shake the saucepan gently and stir carefully,on and off, to brown apples on all sides. Give apples gentle turns every so often with great care, while spooning the syrup on the surface of each apple for a glossy amber finish. When ready, about 45 minutes,(may be a little more or less) and apples are tender (al dente), not mushy, remove from heat and let them cool in the syrup.
Arrange on a platter to serve by putting almonds in the cored opening of each apple. Depending on the size of the opening, you may need more than one.
Serve one apple per serving and drizzle some of the extra syrup over each serving. Can be served with whipped cream, ice cream or any other dessert if so desired.
preheat oven to 400°F and Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Adjust the oven rack to middle position.
In a bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and well combined. Add vanilla extract and continue creaming for 1 to 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together, thoroughly, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.
Add buttermilk and 1 large egg to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
Use a mini ice cream scoop to put the batter on prepared baking sheets until all the dough is used up. Do it in batches until all the batter is used up. Will be enough for 16 to 18 pies.
Bake each batch for 12 minutes. Bring to room temperature.
Put one tablespoon icing on the flat surface of one cookie and sandwich with flat side of the other one. Press gently to spread the icing to the edges. Serve.
Pound cake is a classic which is an all-time favorite of everyone I know. It is called pound cake because traditionally a pound each of each ingredient such as flour, butter, sugar and eggs were used. Though now there are several recipes with variations. I developed this recipe after attempting to use slight changs in ingredients and amounts used.
Necessary equipment is a Bundt pan for cake to hold its shape.
Method
Preheat oven to 350° F. And well grease and flour a Bundt pan.
Sift all-purpos flour, cake flour, and salt in a bowl to remove impurities and lumps from it..
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla extract, and lemon extract while beating. Adding flavor at this point works well because fat helps distribute flavors well.
Start adding eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated.
Start adding dry ingredients and heavy cream or sour cream in alternate increments and continue to beat. Don't over beat.
Pour the batter into a Bundt pan, and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack until it comes to room temperature. Once cooled, place a plate on top, invert the pan and gently tap to release the cake. When the cake is released, it should be right side up and ready for the glaze.
Glaze:
To make the glaze , sift 1 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar) to remove lumps from it.
Add lemon juice in tiny increments while stirring to mix. This is important to prevent glaze from thinning out too much too quickly. Once the glaze is at a right pouring consistency, stop adding lemon juice and stir well.
Squiggle the glaze over the top of the cake evenly. Let it set before cutting into wedges to serve
Can be served with whipped cream, ice cream, glazed berries or topping of your choice.
Notes
It is highly recommended that the pound cake be baked in a Bundt pan or tube pan. Reason being that it does not have too much protein to provide structure and would not hold its shape in a loaf pan. Bundt pan transfers heat evenly cooks in the center better than it will in a regular pan.
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