Lemon Tart

Happy Birthday Lemon Tart!

Today Lemon Tart  turns 1. A whole year ago today I "put myself out there" into blogger land, in hopes that a couple people would read my personal take on food and cooking. Well, turns out there's more than a couple of you out there and for that I'd like to thank each one of you who's come by for whatever appeals to you on this little site of mine. It's been a fantastic experience and one that I hope to continue to get better at. I never dreamed I'd enjoy it so much. I've been thankful for the opportunity to improve my food photography, to craft my writing skills and to keep a record of favourite projects and experiences. But mostly its the sharing I enjoy. By nature I am someone who enjoys food most when I'm sharing it and sharing with you means my experiences and recipes live on without me.

It's no big surprise that I'm celebrating this special day with none other than Lemon Tart's namesake, my favourite tart. I have memorized this recipe and whip it up at all manner of occasions. In the new year I'll be divulging my recipe, since it seems rather an embarrassment that in a year I haven't actually done a post on a classic Lemon Tart. It never ceases to delight and I never tire of it. So I look forward to passing on what I believe is the perfect dessert.

There is a piece for each of you.

With love and dessert,

The Lemon Tart

Daring Bakers: Cannoli

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Well isn't this fitting. 7 weeks since I was parlo-ing Italiano on Italian soil, and I'm making Cannoli for a Daring Bakers challenge. Who could resist these pistachio speckled  tubes? Cannoli (cannolo for one) are common Italian treats originating from Sicily. While there can be variations in filling and forms, some seeming more like a butterhorn from other parts of Europe,  traditionally they consist of a dough flavoured with cinnamon and a splash of Marsala wine which gives a lovely complex flavour.  The dough is rolled thin, cut into circles and wrapped around tubular forms of metal or more old school, wood, and  deep fried. The creamy filling is made of sweetened fresh ricotta cheese, sometimes mascarpone and flavoured commonly with cinnamon and candied orange zest.