Easy Does It

There are things in life that just work. The perfect cup of coffee, weekly brunch dates, long bike rides on the first warm day in the spring,  pajamas and reruns. Routines, traditions, patterns.

There are also thing in life that you have to work at; friendships from afar, love on opposite schedules, family ties being stretched thin, career in constant adaptation and change. They need effort, they need attention, they just need more of myself than I have been giving them. As my career is taking up so much of my time, sometimes I feel that the other areas of my life suffer. They get neglected, pushed aside. Just until tomorrow, I tell myself.

This concept of 'tomorrow' finally materialized. I was able to fly home for a short 48 hours to try to pack in as much as I could. And pack it in I did, by meeting new babies, spending some girl time with my sister and mom, sharing meals and wine with my dad and soon to be brother-in law. So many sentimental and rather emotional activities in such a short period of time left me kind of a mess, exhausted and a bit emotional myself. But I would do it again in a second, because you know what? It works. I just don't have the time off or the money to travel home that often, so when I get the chance I make it work, no matter how short the visit, or sad the goodbyes.

When I get a bit of time to myself, sometimes I can let my brain overload on all the possibilities of things to do, new recipes to try, and crazy projects in the kitchen. Lately though, I have been focusing on easy, simple, and classic. A disc of leftover pate brisee hanging out in the freezer, some berries on sale at the grocery store, and just enough eggs left in the fridge to make pastry cream, it just came together without much effort. For those few hours alone with my coffee that morning, it was the perfect thing to keep my hands busy and let my mind wander. Its something that doesn't happen as often as it should these days, plus pastry cream with fresh berries is just one of those things that works. Always has, always will.

Pate Brisee Crust

(this is enough for 16-20 3-inch tarts)

400 grams (14 oz) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar

100 grams (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar

2/3 cup water, chilled

665 grams (1 lb 7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Remove butter from fridge 20 minutes before mixing.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, water, and vinegar, stir to aid the dissolving of the sugar. Set aside in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then, stir again to completely dissolve sugar.

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt together a few times to combine. Add the butter, and pulse in one second bursts about 3-4 times until butter is cut in and evenly dispersed. You should have visible chunks of butter in your flour mixture, this is where the flakiness comes from.

Pour mixture into a large bowl and make a little well in the middle of the flour. Pour the vinegar water mixture into the well, along with the almond extract, and gently mix liquids into the flour with a fork. When liquid is evenly dispersed, dump dough out onto a clean surface and knead gently a few times, just until dough comes together in one cohesive ball. It may be a bit shaggy or falling apart, but that's okay, while it is resting the moisture will bind everything together.

Cut ball of dough in half and shape each half into a disc about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours, or overnight. Take dough out of fridge about 15 minutes before you roll it out. For the 3-inch sized tarts, I cut each disc in half, rolled it out into a square, 1/8 inch thick, then cut the disc into four pieces, placing each one of the four pieces in a tart mold. How you roll the dough out will depend on the size and shape of the tart mold you are using. Always start in the center of the disc and roll outward, turning the disc 30 degrees after each roll to get an even thickness throughout. Carefully move the dough to your tart pan and press evenly into all corners, pinching off the excess.

Dock with a fork (meaning poke a bunch of tiny holes in the bottom of the tart crust with a fork) and freeze for twenty minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place a piece of tin foil over your tart shell, pressing it down to fit the form of your tart, and fill with beans or rice or pie weights. Blind bake your tart for 15 minutes, flipping the pan front to back halfway through. Remove the pie weights and tin foil and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until the crust is golden brown (the times on this will depend again on the size of your tart pans) . Let cool completely.

Orange Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
(makes enough for 16 3-inch tarts)

1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 oz butter, chopped into small pieces
1/2 vanilla bean
zest of 1 orange

In a medium sized sauce pan, heat the milk, 1/2 cup of the cream, and the vanilla bean pod, split and scraped. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let steep for about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh seive, then return to burner. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. While mixture is heating, combine the eggs, yolks, cornstarch, and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.

When the cream/sugar mixture reaches a simmer and the sugar is completely dissolved, temper into the egg mixture,  whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens.

Since it has cornstarch in it, it does technically need to come to a boil for it to thicken properly, so once that first bubble pops, remove from heat and immediately put through a fine sieve to ensure that no scrambled eggs make their way into your pastry cream. Whisk in butter and orange zest and chill about 4 hours or overnight before using.

Tarts - Assembly

Pipe the pastry cream into each of your tart shells, using just enough to cover the bottom. Arrange blackberries on the surface of the pastry cream and top with chopped pistachios, and more orange zest. These are best eaten within a few hours, if you are making them much ahead of time, I would spread a thin layer of apricot jam onto the pastry crust before filling to keep the shell from getting soggy.

Spinach & Goat Cheese Turnovers

I have been sitting on this cookbook review for a long, long time now. The nice people over at Sterling Publishing sent me a copy of The Green Market Baking Book by Laura C. Martin, and asked if I would like to cook something out of it, or do a review of the book itself. I read a summary and quickly said yes. Well that was a couple months ago, and I am just now getting around to this post.

It wasn't for lack of interest, that is for sure. Things like school and work, vacations and appointments, weddings and funerals, cake orders and homework got in the way. The cookbook is wonderful, separated into seasons, providing a guide of produce that is ripe for the picking for that season, and corresponding recipes to use that produce. It has a lovely little canning guide in the back, for when you get a little too grabby at the farmers market and buy 20 pounds of peaches. It has beautiful illustrations and most importantly, delicious recipes. It is not necessarily a 'healthy' cookbook, but it is geared towards using fresh food in your baking, and finding natural ways to use natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup.

Since one of my goals this summer is to get my butt to the farmer's market more often, I think this book will come in handy when looking for things to do with my bounty. There were quite a few recipes that I was wanting to try right off the bat, but I could not resist spinach and goat cheese wrapped in crispy filo dough. I am glad I picked it first, they were a delicious little treat, and would make a great appetizer, or a main course when paired with a nice green salad.

Completely out of character, I followed the instructions exactly from the book, and the results were great. Me being me, however, I couldn't just leave it at that. I had to make my own version. I nixed the spinach, and instead made some turnovers with brussels sprouts, shallots, bacon, thyme, lemon, and goat cheese. I won't say which version I liked better, they were both outstanding, you can decide for yourself. You can find the recipe for my version here at Honest Cooking.

Spinach & Goat Cheese Turnovers
recipe by Laura C Martin from The Green Market Baking Book

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 green onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large bunches spinach, stemmed and chopped
2 ounces softened goat cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
4 frozen phyllo sheets, thawed
1/2 cup, 1 stick, unsalted butter, melted

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to high, and add the spinach. Saute until spinach has wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain the spinach mixture by pressing it with a wooden spoon to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible.

Transfer spinach mixture to a bowl and let cool. Add the goat cheese, pine nuts, parmesan, herbs, and zest. Mix to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place one phyllo sheet on your work surface. Cut the phyllo lengthwise into 3 equal strips. Brush one of the strips with melted butter and place 1 heading tablespoon of filling at one end of the strip. Starting with the corned, fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle. Repeat folding the triangle over itself the entire length of the strip. Brush top with butter and place on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Serve hot, or at room temperature.

An Ode to the Croissant, the HOMEMADE Croissant

I have always loved croissants. The buttery, flaky layers, the amazing smell, the way a dollop of jam finds it way into all the little nooks and crannies, just sublime. But little did I know how much better croissants could be when they are homemade, and fresh out of the oven.

Maybe it's the freshness of the ingredients, maybe it's the use of all butter and no shortening, and perhaps its the knowledge that you took the time to fold that dough encased butter into about 1600 layers yourself. Whatever the reason, store bought croissants, or the ones in the can, just cannot compare to homemade.

At some point in the near future, I hope to make these again, with step by step pictures, since that is really the only way to describe and show how to truly make a great croissant. I always wanted to make puff pastry or croissants at home, but was always intimidated by the instructions I read online. I never knew how easy it was until I saw it in person in class this week. While it takes a long time, and may be a little tedious, the best way to learn how it to see the method first hand.

Until I can take some step-by-steps, you can see a pretty good tutorial posted on The Kitchn. The one thing that stands out right away from their pictures is the size of the triangles they cut. If you want a more traditionally shaped croissant, you want to cut a very long and skinny triangle, maybe three inches at the base and 10-12 inches long. Then, cut a one inch slit in the middle of the base, and stretch the corners out a bit until you get a shape like the Eiffel Tower. You will get even more layers and rolls this way.

This February, the bleakest month of the year, try something you have been afraid to make. Pie crust, souffle, lemon curd, short ribs, duck, deep fried goodies, what's on your list?

Creme Brulee Tartlets

How do you make creme brulee better than it already is? Add some cinnamon and vanilla bean, and put it inside a buttery, flaky pastry tart shell. That's how. Plus there is always the added bonus when making creme brulee of using a kitchen torch. There is nothing like a little pyrotechnics at 7:00 am on a saturday morning, am I right?

It may be a little more involved than your typical creme brulee, but it is so so worth it. Someone commented on the post I did about the mini fruit galettes, praising/giving me the crazy eye for taking the time to roll out each little disc of dough, and meticulously crimping each tart. Well folks, its true, I am kinda crazy. I will be the first to admit that. I take pleasure in the little things in life, and by 'little things' I mean teeny weeny food items. Making them is all part of the fun. Do most people like to sit at their center island for 12 hours rolling and re-rolling, filling and chilling, baking and cooling, freezing and thawing? No. But I do. I realize I am getting into Dr. Seuss territory here, so lets get on with the recipe.

I used the same pate brisee (short crust) recipe as I did for the mini stone fruit galettes. This made the baking marathon much easier by utilizing one component in two desserts, but they were so different from each other, that I don't think it was obvious. These rich little morsels are a fantastic addition to any dessert table, and next time you make creme brulee, think about putting it in a pastry shell, your taste buds will thank you.

Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee Tartlets
adapted from Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook via AlmostBourdain.com
Makes about 20-24  3.25" Tartlets

720 ml heavy whipping cream
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise to expose seeds
10 egg yolks
80 grams granulated sugar, plus extra for torching
1 batch pate brisee, recipe below

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cream, cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean and bring just to a simmer. Remove from heat, pour into a glass or metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight.

Reheat the cream mixture just to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a large metal or glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar for about a minute until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Pour about 1/4 of the hot cream mixture through a sieve into the egg yolk mixture and whisk well to combine. Pour the rest of the cream through the sieve into the egg yolk mixture, and discard the leftover cinnamon stick and vanilla bean pod. Whisk well to combine.

Set bowl containing egg/cream mixture over a pot of barely simmering water to create a double boiler, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water itself. Cook, whisking constantly (this will give you arm a fantastic workout) over the simmering water for 10-15 minutes. Note that if you double this recipe, you will be whisking for much longer, about 25-30 minutes.

Once the custard has thickened, remove from heat and whisk for another two minutes to start the cooling process. Let cool at room temperature for about an hour, whisking every 5-10 minutes or so to aid the cooling. Once it has cooled, set a layer of plastic wrap directly on the custard, this will prevent it from getting a skin, and chill overnight to set up a bit.

The next morning fill the tart shells (see directions below for pastry crusts) with the custard. You can overfill them a bit and then use a off set spatula to scrape any excess off the top, leaving a nice flat surface for the torched sugar. Once all the tarts are filled, chill them for at least 30 minutes before torching.

Sprinkle about a teaspoon or so of sugar in a thin layer over each tart, and use a kitchen torch to caramelize sugar. Concentrate mostly on the center, and torch gently around the edges being careful not to burn the edges of the pastry. Chill the tarts for another 30 minutes to reset the melted custard and sugar. You can sprinkle on some chopped nuts, or garnish with some fresh raspberries.

Pate Brisee Tart Shells
from Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook via AlmostBourdain.com
makes about 20-24 shells

400 grams (14 oz) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
100 grams (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup water, chilled
665 grams (1 lb 7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Remove butter from fridge 20 minutes before mixing.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, water, and vinegar, stir to aid the dissolving of the sugar. Set aside in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then, stir again to completely dissolve sugar.

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt together a few times to combine. Add the butter, and pulse in one second bursts about 3-4 times until butter is cut in and evenly dispersed. You should have visible chunks of butter in your flour mixture, this is where the flakiness comes from.

Pour mixture into a large bowl and make a little well in the middle of the flour. Pour the vinegar water mixture into the well and gently mix liquids into the flour with a fork. When liquid is evenly dispersed, dump dough out onto a clean surface and knead gently a few times, just until dough comes together in one cohesive ball. It may be a bit shaggy or falling apart, but that's okay, while it is resting the moisture will bind everything together.

Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 10-12 circles out of each disc of dough. Press each disc into a 3 1/4 inch fluted tart mould, being careful not to stretch the dough, as this will cause shrinkage when baking. Push the excess off the edge with your thumb, and make sure the dough gets into each nook and cranny of the tart mould. 

Freeze shells for at least 20 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line each tart shell with a small piece of tin foil and fill with beans, rice, or pie weights. This is called blind baking. It helps the dough to stay fairly compact and not puff up too much to give you ample room for your filling. Place tart shells on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until shells are a golden brown. You should flip the pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through for even baking. 

Let shells cool in moulds for at least 15 minutes, then gently un-mold and cool completely on a cooling rack. You can make these ahead of time, then freeze until ready to fill. 

Between these, the mini galettes, and the macarons, the bridal shower dessert table was a hit. The extra effort was absolutely appreciated by bride, groom, and guests alike. 

Mini Stone Fruit Galettes

The heat is on. 120 mini desserts down, 1 two-tiered wedding cake to go.


I am officially halfway through another baking marathon, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But as you may imagine, I don't find myself with a lot of free time right now. So I will let these next few desserts mainly speak for themselves through their pictures.


I will say though that I tried a new pate brisee (sweet shortcrust) recipe, and I won't be going back to the old one. Ever. The last one I used from Dorie Greenspan was good, almost sugar cookie like in taste and texture (maybe I did it wrong, who knows) but this one, oh my god, this one turned out flaky, buttery, and almost like a dense puff pastry. My boyfriend actually uttered the words "this is my favorite thing you have ever made". It's that good.

Take that crust and fill it with fresh stone fruit and ground nuts, and you have a winner. This is my kind of dessert, lots of butter, not too sweet, and comes in a compact size.

I made these galettes miniature of course, but you could also use this to make one big galette, for a fairly quick and quite easy dessert. Personally though, I can barely handle how cute the little guys are. I mean come on, look at them.

You know how some people gush and coo at any little baby they see on the street? Well that's how I am with miniature baked goods. I think I have a problem.

Mini Stone Fruit Galettes

makes 20-24 galettes

1 batch Pate Brisee (sweet shortcrust pastry), rolled out to two 1/8 inch thick discs and chilled (see recipe below)

2 large nectarines (or 4 large black plums), pitted, cut in quarters, and sliced crosswise very thinly

3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup pistachios (I used pistachios with the nectarines, and almonds with the plums) ground finely
1/2 cup turbinado sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together your fruit, 3 tablespoons of sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Let the flavors mingle for at least an hour in the fridge. Meanwhile, remove one disc of dough from the fridge and use a 4.5-inch round cutter to cut 10 circles. (you may fit more, I got 12 out of some of my dough). Place circles back in fridge, and repeat with the other disc.

Pour fruit mixture into a sieve and set over a large bowl. Let as much liquid drain off as possible so your galettes don't get soggy.

I didn't get my dough as thin as I wanted it, so as I was assembling these, I placed each disc between two sheets of parchment paper and rolled them a bit thinner, and wider (about 5-6 inched across).

Working with 6-7 discs at a time (if you can fit all 20 of these onto two baking sheets, go for it, I chose to work in smaller batches) re-roll each disc if needed, and space evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place about a teaspoon of you ground nuts in the center of each round, and top nuts with about 1-2 tablespoons of your fruit mixture.

Gently fold dough up around the fruit, crimping and pinching it together every so often. A trick here is to dip your crimping finger into your egg wash before each pinch, this way, they won't unfold and fall apart in the oven, as the egg acts as a glue. Brush some more egg wash over all the exposed dough (I just used my finger) and sprinkle about a teaspoon of turbiando sugar over dough and fruit. Repeat with remaining dough.

Chill assembled galettes for at least 20 minutes before baking. This will also help them stay together in the oven, and encourage the flaky dough to develop properly.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Bake on middle racks for 25-30 minutes, depending on how big your galettes are, and how thick the dough is, until the fruit is a little bubbly and the crust is a deep golden brown, switching pans top to bottom, and front to back halfway through baking time. Let cool completely on a baking rack, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator if you are able not to eat them all straight from the oven.

These are delicious served warm, but were really really good served the next day at room temperature. Three days later, they are still wonderful straight out of the fridge.


Pate Brisee
recipe from Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook

400 grams (14 oz) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
100 grams (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup water, chilled
665 grams (1 lb 7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Remove butter from fridge 20 minutes before mixing.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, water, and vinegar, stir to aid the dissolving of the sugar. Set aside in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then, stir again to completely dissolve sugar.

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt together a few times to combine. Add the butter, and pulse in one second bursts about 3-4 times until butter is cut in and evenly dispersed. You should have visible chunks of butter in your flour mixture, this is where the flakiness comes from.

Pour mixture into a large bowl and make a little well in the middle of the flour. Pour the vinegar water mixture into the well and gently mix liquids into the flour with a fork. When liquid is evenly dispersed, dump dough out onto a clean surface and knead gently a few times, just until dough comes together in one cohesive ball. It may be a bit shaggy or falling apart, but that's okay, while it is resting the moisture will bind everything together.

Cut ball of dough in half and shape each half into a disc about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours, or overnight. Take dough out of fridge about 30 minutes before you roll it out. Place dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to a 1/8 inch flat disc. Always start in the center of the disc and roll outward, turning the disc 30 degrees after each roll to get an even thickness throughout. Place thin discs on a flat platter or pan, and chill for two hours to let the gluten relax. You are now ready to cut dough into circles for the galettes.

I used this crust for another yummy dessert for this bridal shower, so stay tuned, more minis to come!