Rhubarb, straight rhubarb

A tart made for Annabelle Elizabeth

No rhubarb-strawberry, no rhubarb-raspberry...rhubarb sans fruit.  Rhubarb as the sugared up vegetable that it is, this is my favorite way to have a rhubarb in tart or pie form.  My Annie loves this tart.  Though two years ago she would have passed it over completely.  I am thrilled her taste buds took a turn to a wider spectrum in all food areas...I have my own personal issues to climb over with having had to cook for people that sustain themselves on mostly protein, starch and sugar.  I am not far from a good or bad diet, but variety is what I like since I dislike so few foods in general.  Cooking and baking for someone with very limited tastes doesn't sit well with me.  I am fortunate to have veggie loving, ethnic food loving, whole grain eating children.  :)

This was the last of the Redmond rhubarb from a dear friend's plant....a simple joy to use something fresh from the garden of someone I love.  *ahhh*  Love truly feels good.

This is a smaller tart pan, adjust recipe as needed.  A pie pan will take double this amount.

Single crust recipe of your choice...you have a favorite, I'm sure.  :)

12 oz. rhubarb, cut into 1/2 slices
2/3 c. sugar plus 1 T.
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg, as much as you like, I used 1/2+ tsp. for this amount of rhubarb
The barest pinch of salt
2 tsp. tapioca flour

• Mix sugar, salt, spices, tapioca flour.
• Add in rhubarb, mix and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Roll out tart dough for pan, use as single tart or single with scraps rolled for lattice.
• Add rhubarb into tart, top with lattice, egg wash the top and sprinkle with sugar.

 Bake at 375-400 degrees - your choice.  Bake for 35-50 minutes, depending on your oven temp and just how toasty brown you like it.  Not very accurate am I?  These things are subject to me ~ I'm a happily moody baker.

That's pretty toasty brown...right there up front...bubbly luscious ~ ~

Peach-nectarine-almond tart

I had the best nectarines and peaches this past summer that I've ever had in my life.  The flavor topped any organic I've had, and that says a lot considering the delicious quality stone fruit we get here in Oregon.  This past summer....as today marks fall equinox, a lovely and welcome transition.

A recipe for short crust, not quite a double amount - plus the best fruit you can find.  One cannot make up for so-so peaches with sugar.  I only had two good peaches on hand, not enough for a pie so I added nectarines. 

Peach-nectarine-almond tart

This makes a tart smaller than a pie, so if you adjust for a pie pan, you'll need more fruit.  I used an 8" tart pan with 2" sides. 

Peach-nectarine-almond tart ~

2 peaches, largish and peeled
3 medium nectarines, peel left on
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. brown sugar
Freshly grated nutmeg
The barest pinch of salt
1 T. tapioca powder

Optional streusel, approx. 3 T.
Crushed sliced almonds, approx. 2 T.


Egg wash and extra sugar, coarse grain - optional


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• Mix the sugars, salt, nutmeg, tapioca flour.   
• Peel the peaches, slice into halves, then each half into four slices.  Slice nectarines in the same manner. 
• Mix dry ingredients with the sliced fruit.

• Roll out the crust, line the pan.  
• Sprinkle the streusel and almonds over the interior.
• Roll out the remaining dough and cut into 3/4" strips.  
• Add the fruit to the pan, top with lattice weaving.
• Press edges together and pinch off.
• Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Reduce to 350 degree and bake approximately another 20-30 minutes, until the crust is golden as you like it.

Happy Fall.    

But Mom...

"....if you don't post your blog, how can we find the recipes?"  A conversation at the table one evening -- Sofia said she was going to make my recipes some day and open a little bakery....Annie said she was going to make my recipes one day and eat them.  They said I had to write them down.  Annie asking how to find them if I don't publish them online for them to find....Nic asks why I stopped posting.  Simple questions, challenging answers.

Peach-nectarine-almond tart

That tart there in the picture...it's the kind that makes me want my children to have the recipe one day...that tastes so good it's one they will remember for a long time.  Not that they got any of  this particular tart...*lol*...it was given away as a Good Wishes sentiment.  Aside from that, yes, they would like this recipe for their own someday.  So come Friday I'll post the recipe....though no longer a baker....simply a love of baking quietly for my children...and anyone else that wanders across my path when I am in the mood to pass it out.

It's another day ~ aren't we lucky? 

Tarts on Tuesday ~

Your slice.  Do you like corners?

"My.  What a long post you have."

Easy peasy.  Nice and easy.  Though long winded in word.  It's the way I am. 

Tart dough.  Heaven forbid, I was just about out of powdered sugar, thus the granulated and powdered sugars in the same dough.  This makes more than the two tins shown.  Plan on making an extra little tart with the extra dough, say a cute 6" tart. You'll have almost a third dough leftover depending on how thick you line the tins.  Or toss it.  Or cut the flour by a third, the butter by a third, the sugars by a third and use one egg and one yolk.  Or just make as listed.  Options, options, always there are options. 


The ever forgiving tart dough ~

3 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
Pinch salt
16 T. cold butter, diced 
2 eggs

• Mix flour, sugars, salt in food processor, blend.
• Add butter and cut in on pulse until pebbly.
• Add the eggs and pulse until it just comes together.
• Dump on a lightly floured counter and knead a few times if necessary.  Do not over knead.
• Divide dough into halves to roll out.  There will be quite a bit of excess.
• Roll out to 1/8"-1/6" thick to line pans.
• Chill tart pans until ready to use.  I will do five to ten minutes in the freezer if I am to use them very soon, such as baking blind or par-baked shells

Parchment is your friend.  Par-baking for the caramel ganache tart.

Apple tart ~ oh, boy ~ yummers.


Pick your apples.  For pies I prefer a mix of Granny Smith and McIntosh.  For these quickie tarts, I used Granny Smith.  


The sugar and thickener ~


I use approximately 1/4 - 1/3 c. sugar for every two apples I use in tarts.  When I slice and arrange apples as I have in these apple tarts, each serving is a half an apple. Uh huh, I believe that is very generous.  This tart pan takes two apples. Sweetness is up to you, of course.  


I keep tapioca flour on the baking shelf.  I use a teaspoon per cup of sugar for apple tarts.


What this adds up to for this tart ~
(I had extra)


Sweet spinklings ~

1/3 c. sugar
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp. tapioca flour
Scant 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg.  

Is that oatmeal? 

I sprinkle some of the sugar/tapioca on the bottom of the tart, about a tablespoon.   Add struesel and nuts if you like.  I like.  :)

• Add the apples halves that have been peeled, sliced to 1/4 tsp, fanned a little.  Eat the edges if you need to so that the apples can be laid out like falling dominos in the pan.
• Sprinkle each apple with approximately 3/4 tablespoon sugar.  More if you like, you'll have enough.
• Sprinkle optional streusel and nuts. 
• Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Delicious length

The tarts are laid out two by two, hurrah, hurrah

Tart on a Tuesday ~

One day years ago I was browsing baking books at a bookstore and came across a recipe called Mango Tatin, from Claudia Fleming when at Gramercy Tavern.  I made it.  Oooo...sweet Gaia, it was goooooooood.  You can still find it online today by Googling "Claudia Fleming Mango Tatin".  This recipe is a off shoot of that.  There have been many similar recipes such as this, just wander the web.

My babies went to the coast with their dad for the Fourth of July weekend.  Apparently they had pretty good weather and of course, they had a good time.  Sunday evening I found a very nice phone call left by my son on my answering machine saying that he was checking in from the coast, they were having a hard time not eating the salt water taffy they purchased for me.....and that they all loved me.  Mmmm...love.  Talk about timing, it was perfect.  Thank you, Gaia ~ again.  Little reminders.  


I had this tart waiting for them upon their return from the coast. 


Not Mango Tatin coming up.


Tart dough.  French tart dough.  Sable dough.  Take your pick.  Google away and you will find the dough of your choice.   For most tarts I prefer a tart dough that is a dough made without water, instead including an egg.  

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar (or 1/3 c. granulated)
Pinch salt
8 T. butter
1 large egg

• Flour, powdered sugar, salt into a food processor.  Pulse to combine.  
• Add butter, pulse until a fine meal.  Add the egg and pulse until almost combined.  
• Remove dough to a lightly floured counter.  Kneed until smooth, just a few turns.  
• Now, I roll this out at this time and shape it into the tart ring, then put it in the fridge.  It can go in  the fridge for an hour first before rolling out, if you prefer.   If it's a particurally soft or a warm day, I suggest that.  
• Chill tart in the form for half an hour.
• Par-bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes. 

Slice up two mangos of good size.  Peel and slice into 1/4" slices.  Set aside.

Brown sugar goodness ~

1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water
2-3 T. butter

• Heat sugar and water in a saute pan on medium low until melted.  Turn heat up to medium and heat until it barely is starting to show small bubbles around the edges.  Add 2 T. butter, melt.  
• Pour half this into the bottom of the par-baked tart shell, spread lightly.
• Arrange mangos in the tart.
• Bake the tart an additional 20 minutes at 375.

I do like a brownish firm crust for some of my tarts, this being one of them.


Whipped cream ~ 

• Easy peasy.  Some heavy whipping cream, about a 1/4 c. 
• Some sugar, about 2T.   
• Some good vanilla. 
• Sprinkle with nutmeg if you desire.

Toodles ~
xoxo
 

Pumpkin Streusel Tart ~

This is a design post. I had not thought of some of the items I post as that, but now I see it that way. As recipes are abundant and variations are slim on traditional goodies, what is, for me, another fun aspect to trying something "new-ish" is the way it will look in the end. I've got the taste part down.

I am sure many have thought of an idea for a finished baked item, knowing they cannot be the first, they simply have not run across it before without searching it out. I’ve done that recently, using Google’s Image search to see what is out there. I thought - Hey! Eggnog pudding. Yes, there is was. Then I thought…streusel on a pumpkin tart would be pretty. Yes, it’s out there. Nothing is new. Or is it everything old is new again?

This recipe was the inspiration. I don’t usually care for oatmeal on most items calling for streusel so I used my favorite recipe. I’m sure you all have your favorite pumpkin pie recipe and crust as well. I play around with pumpkin filling each year, but crusts, I tend to stick with a familiar pate brisee. I'm leaving the pie filling up to you. It's not as deep as a pumpkin pie, so amount and baking time will vary. I assume most know these things...you are wandering the web looking at a baking site. *smiling*
 
Streusel will show up repeatedly in this blog, it is a favorite accent of mine.

This makes two 8-10 tarts.

Pate brisee ~

2 ½ c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
16 T. butter, chilled, cubed
5 T. water

I do this in my food processor, adding water after the butter has been cut into the flour, the usual routine. Most of the time when I make a filled tart, I roll out this dough, forming it into the pan, then chill for an hour or two before filling and baking. If it’s a blind bake or partial, then the dough gets a chill before rolling and another chill before baking.

Toodles!
xoxo

Raising a glass to Karin *clink* (blueberry 'tini, darlin')

Going back about three weeks in the baking history ~ tarts baked for a couple of sweet Taurus women ~

My first fruit tart of the year, using my petal ring. I used frozen berries, as it really isn't peak fruit season here in Oregon. I'd much prefer consistent quality frozen fruit over imported and mediocre. Come summer, yes - fresh preferred. I added raspberries with the blueberries, just about a quarter as much. I like my fruit tarts to be...well...to have a hint of tart. I prefer a non-too-sweet result. Lemon zest ~ always.



It went something like this.

4 c. blueberries
1 c. raspberries
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
Zest of half a lemon
Barely a smidge of salt

Glaze for accents
An egg, beaten with a bit of water. A bit? Maybe a 3 tablespoons? That sounds about right.
Sugar, raw or granulated

My favorite tart shells as of the past few years are the versions without water, though include egg. Not wanting to sift through my cookbooks (yes, yes...I know I need to gather my master recipes into one spot), I did what so many before me have done. Google, please. This is where you will find the recipe I used for this tart. I did not par-bake. I start watching my thinner baked open tarts around 35 minutes, looking for that bubble, that color along the edges, the color on the top of the pastry accents. They can take as long as some pies, depending on depth. 35-55 minutes @ 400 degrees.

This concludes my first post with picture to test font, alignment, photo size, etc.

Toodles ~ see you next time!
It might have something to do with the hazelnut sables I baked this morning....