Lemon Tart

Daring Bakers: Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

After a month break I'm committed to my Daring Bakers again. This month is a British dessert that I'll admit I'm not too familiar with and something that I've never made before, so I'm glad to have checked it off the list.

What is a Bakewell Tart? Well in a "pie shell" its an almond cake baked in a pie shell spread with jam.  I would say these could be compared to the butter tarts or nanaimo bars of my area of the world. They are common and beloved and everywhere from bakesales, family dessert trays and mass produced for every major supermarket and bakery chain in the country. And like those same ubiquitous squares and tarts in my city, they are also often bad interpretations of the original. So we Daring Bakers attempt to bring attention and honour to a relevant member of the British tea tray and a pastry with a longstanding history and do it right.

(If you really want to know the history of this beloved British dessert, visit Jasmine's site.)

With my jam supply still a little on the heavy side and berry season firmly upon us this was a perfect dessert to use a jar of beautiful, tart, raspberry jam. It was spread on a sweet tart shell crust and then covered with frangipane, an almond cream of sorts that turns into cake. I'm not unfamiliar with this and have used it in many a tart usually with whole fruits of the season, an application I prefer, but with a highly flavoured bright jam its an easy way to showcase your homemade or gifted preserves. In reference to the mini versions that are commonly seen sporting a white iced topping and a sliced cherry, I drizzled mine with a raspberry icing and scattered a few raspberries on top, a reminder of what's hidden below.

On our first trip to the UK a year ago this month we ventured north to Windermere and had a proper English afternoon tea in a cozy tearoom on a windy, grey and rainy day. On that huge 3 tiered silver tray hovering over our small 2 person table, was certainly a bakewell tart. And its this memory that I recalled when I had my first bite of my bakewell tart. As a dessert alone, after a big meal, it didn't appeal to me. It seemed heavy and one dimensional. But alongside an uplifting cup of Earl Grey or a bracing English Breakfast tea, I imagined it the perfect afternoon pick me up, something light enough for mid day, but heavy enough to get you through to dinner. And this afternoon that's exactly what I craved with my mid afternoon beverage. So pay homage to a dessert that's been through a couple world wars, a few kings and queens and at least one low carb diet phase, and is still going strong. I can't say this one will be in my repertoire very often, but I'm certainly glad I've given it a chance.

Thirsty Thursdays: Rhubarb Mojitos

 

Well, its Thursday, and that means time to start thinking about something new to drink for the weekend. The beginning of lazy patio summer evenings are the perfect occasion for a bright, minty Mojito

Mojito: a popular Cuban drink, bastardized for the most part, in every casual eatery from East to West, often made of artificial lime juice and barely a sprig of mint to be found. Properly made they are the perfect hot weather cocktail. Sprigs of fresh mint are muddled with sugar and fresh lime juice, mixed with good white rum, topped with ice and soda. Simple, fresh, thirst quenching.

This one is a little different. While I respect the classic and have made my share including a weekend with family that I  became an expert overnight due to the sheer number I made. I believe we exhausted the rather limited mint supply in Red Deer Alberta that year. Since I like to flavour my drinks with a little somethin-somethin I recently got inspired by a rhubarb version. Using a rhubarb infused syrup as the sweet base gives a lovely zip and a beautiful pink colour.

The secret to a great Mojito is the mint. If you can grow it yourself all the better because herbs are always better freshly picked. All you need is a small bit of garden space with some sun and a little water here and there and it will soon keep you in Mojitos and beyond for as long as you'd like. Or, do what I do and grow them in pots where they are easy to grow and kept under control. And surely you must know someone with too much rhubarb on their hands!

Friends in French Places

I may not be the first to break this story, but I feel so incredibly excited by a recent acquisition, that I couldn't help but share this with you.

What you are looking at is just another example of why I love the French: Chocolate stamps! For real! You can actually mail a letter through La Poste with these. They don't just look like the most beautiful chocolate bar, complete with foil wrapping, tone on tone artistic relief and beveled edges, but they SMELL like chocolate too! Only in France, I say. Sorry, Canada Post I'd rather have my letters sporting chocolate and pastries than hockey players and bluebirds. I guess I'm not a very good Canadian.

As soon as I read about these my mind started working out a plan- I mean, I knew I HAD to have them. How could I get my hands on some of these? We'll be in France in October but did I want to risk them being out of circulation by then? I think not. I mean, come on, we're talking chocolate stamps here, let's get serious. It turns out I do have a French Connection. I asked DG who has colleagues in the Cote d'Azur if he thought it would be appropriate to ask for a small favour of these gentle Frenchmen, which I have met and seemed like the kind of guys that might indulge an enthusiastic Canadian. As is his way DG made his request rather mockingly and perhaps that's what got results. I'm certain the French love the chance to laugh at an anglophone, and one of them came through for me. Or rather his wife did. In less than 2 days of the request, which is above and beyond my expectations, my wish had been granted. So I'd like to think I do have friends in French places now.

I'm touched and so very excited to have my very own book of chocolate stamps. And in case this gets around to France: Merci beaucoup, Laurent, et à votre belle femme bien sur!

Dealing with Zest

I'm about the share with you one of the techniques I use in the kitchen that I might have invented myself. Most things to do with cooking someone somewhere has done before, but when you don't have the knowledge of it, it seems reasonable to take some credit for it. This is a tip I'm pretty proud of it as it came so naturally to me when I found myself doing it and makes such sense. I'm resistant to give it away to the world, but in the spirit of blogging and sharing and teaching I think it is the right thing.

If you grate anything in the kitchen, you likely have a microplane grater, or you should. If you've ever zested a lemon or orange you know what a dream is is with this tool. I hate to waste precious zest, but often you leave behind an awful lot of the stuff on the  zester. And I just can't bare it.

This technique doesn't work in all applications I'll admit, but is used whenever you are making a lemon (or any citrus) based dish that also includes sugar. Many recipes using sugar and zest will tell you to rub the zest and sugar together. This further distributes the valuable oils in the sugar. But next time instead of zesting and then simply sprinkling the zest on top, do this instead:

Holding the grater over your bowl of sugar, grate the zest in. When finished, hold the grater in the bowl, scoop some of the sugar with your hands and rub it all over the grater wherever there is zest clinging. Be sure to move your finger in same direction as the tiny blades on the sharp side, otherwise you'll be rubbing nasty skin cells into your zesty sugar mixture. The dry sugar will carry away the zest with it into the bowl. You will not lose a speck of zest, the grater will be practically clean, AND, the best part: the sugar will carry the valuable lemon oil that has coated the grater. Continue rubbing the sugar and zest together until it seems slightly wet. Presto! The most intensely flavoured sugar for your dish.

It's going to be hard to top this tip, but I promise to try. Now, go, zest away!

Thirsty Thursday: Icy Hot Chocolate

After a little thought, I've decided Thirsty Thursdays will be every other Thursday. I doubt I'll run out of drink ideas for you, but this ensures a steady supply. So stay thirsty!

For this weeks beverage, I've chosen something as much dessert as it is drink. The other night with friends over for dinner I, surprisingly, had no dessert around. My poor ice cream maker is a little under the weather, so that's why the lack of ice cream treats. If anyone knows where I can get a Krups ice cream maker please let me know in the comments. With the recent summer-like heat here, the thought of cake or similar didn't seem to appeal. In the winter a quick dessert in our house is often Hot Chocolate. Its fast, satisfying and comforting. So as with almost any beverage, why not enjoy it cold. The name doesn't seem to really do it justice. More like Chocolate Milk, but richer since there is no chocolate syrup just real chocolate, the reference to that wintertime drink we all enjoy seems to describe it perfectly. A splash of Creme de Menthe makes it ice ice, baby!

Keep a pitcher of these around this summer. You'll be surprised how refreshing these are.

Eat Your Radishes!

 

 Spring is in full fling now, and that probably means your local farmers markets are open and filled with the first local produce. Here on the Westcoast of Canada, the growing season is a couple weeks behind, but while the weather feels like mid summer these days, its still just the beginning. One of the colourful things in the markets right now, along with all the green, is radishes. These seemingly ubiquitous red orbs are taken for granted as that crunchy bit of red in a common green salad, or thrown onto a veggie and dip platter at endless BBQ's. Why is that we forget how beautiful this vegetable is. Crunchy, juicy, peppery and beautiful to look at, it has everything we want in a vegetable and I find myself feeling like a bit of crusader for these beauties. Stop, now and reflect upon Les Radis!

I started to really appreciate radishes when  in France during spring. The French Breakfast radish is the radish of choice there and my personal favourite. Markets were bursting with abundant displays of this most glorious  root. We ate them on picnics with butter, baguettes and cheese, and  some special occasion sea salt- the perfect way to enjoy them. 

French Breakfast radishes are an elongated variety with  magenta tops and white tips- slender and elegant. They tend to have shorter, more tender leaves, perfect for nibbling along with the vegetable. No need to completely de-stem these. In fact the leaves of these can be used in soups, salad and even pesto.  Their mild pepperiness is pleasing, with a sweetness and a balance of juicy and crunch. No other raw vegetable looks as striking on a platter and their slender shape facilitates dipping. And did you know you can cook radishes? A quick turn in the pan with a little stock and olive oil, their flavour mellows and softens.