FIG AND HAZELNUT CREME TART WITH BUCKWHEAT CRUST

September 8, 2014 sassy kitchen

I totally get why people aren't into baking. I'm sure for some it seems too detailed, time-intensive, maybe even technical. Especially when it comes to gluten-free, it gets dicey and sometimes expensive, with the addition of 2-3 flours for every dough. But for me, baking has always been how-do-I-say…healing? There is nothing in the world like the feeling of finishing a tart or pie, with all the steps, techniques, chilling, pulsing, rolling, etc. It can cure any bad mood. The fact that it takes time is what I love about it most. Baking makes you work for it, and I've always loved that kind of attitude.

This Summer has kept me so baking-busy that I've been just trying to see how much I can bang out on any given weekend. (Yes, Summer baking. Where the true bakers lie.) Sometimes though, the best days are when you spend the whole afternoon making one…single…dessert. Even if maybe baking isn't your thing, I suggest you use it as a tool -- if only to cure a little depression and/or eat something sweet. There's something about it that really fills you up when nothing else can.

FIG AND HAZELNUT CREME TART WITH BUCKWHEAT CRUST (gluten-free) SERVES 6

FILLING (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), soft
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cognac
8 oz figs, thinly sliced
2 plums, thinly sliced
Handful of red currants
Raw sugar, to top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse together sugar and hazelnuts until the size of hazelnut meal. Add the next four ingredients and pulse until well combined and smooth. Set aside.

BUCKWHEAT ALMOND CRUST (adapted from The Bojon Gourmet)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 tsp. xanthum gum
1/4 tsp. salt
6T butter, chilled + cubed
6 tablespoons ice water

Add the first six ingredients to a food processor. Pulse your dough until butter is about pea-sized and crumbly. Then add one tablespoon of water at a time until dough forms and begins to come away from the edge. Fraisage your dough (shown here, starts at 2:00), meaning use the heel of your hand to smear dough, a little at a time, across the counter. This helps to add long strands of butter into your dough for better texture.

Pat your dough together into a 6'' disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Roll out a few inches wider than your intended tart dish (I used an 8 inch).

Place your greased tart pan nearby, remove one side of plastic wrap and carefully (using two hands) flip dough over into your pie dish. Remove last sheet of syran wrap and carefully fit and press dough into your tart pan evenly.

Gluten-free dough can be dicey, but remain calm! If any piece rips of gets torn, carefully pinch it together again. Remove the excess tart dough (save for a mini tart) and parbake for 10 minutes.

Once tart crust is parbaked, reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. Pour in filling making sure to spread evenly before topping with figs, plum and red currant. Arrange in a pleasing fashion and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 1 hour, then cool for 25 minutes before serving.

(For those asking, you can purchase this tart pan HERE)

ROASTED MIRABELLE PLUM, RED CURRANT & LEMON VERBENA POPSICLES

August 25, 2014 sassy kitchen

I really can't believe it's the last week of August. Even with my excessive farmer's market trips and making/baking everything I can, I still feel it's gone by too fast. I surely have not complained about the humidity or received enough mosquito bites for it to be almost September.

Luckily, since the temperature has not quite dropped yet, we still have time for some frozen treats. I've been obsessed with coconut milk popsicles (1 can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and some shredded coconut for texture. That's it.) that remind me of my favorite fruit-a-freeze pops as a kid. They are dairy-free and almost sugar-free, too.

These plum pops were my absolute favorite though & used some of my beloved new lemon verbena plant. Not only is the color awesome, but they are tart and sweet, like every Summer popsicle should be. And obviously the second I see a concord grape, I'm making these again.

ROASTED MIRABELLE PLUM, RED CURRANT & LEMON VERBENA POPSICLES (Gluten-free, vegan) Makes 6 popsicles

3 pints mirabelle plums, halved and seeded
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup maple sugar, divided
Half pint red currants
Handful of lemon verbena leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add plums to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with coconut oil and top with sprinkled maple sugar (about 1-2 tablespoons). Roast for 10-12 minutes or until juicy and tender. Set aside to cool.

In a small saucepan, add 3/4 cup water with a good handful of lemon verbena leaves and 2 tablespoon maple sugar. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes or until mixture is very fragrant and begins to reduce.

Add plums to blender with strained lemon verbena "syrup" with 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve (or leave with little bits) and pour into chilled popsicle molds. Leave about 1 inch of room for each, then drop 3-4 currants into each popsicle mold. Add lid + popsicle sticks, then chill!

BERRY, RED CURRANT & MASCARPONE TARTLETS (Gluten-free) & A PARK PICNIC

July 6, 2012 sassy kitchen

Although I'm not the biggest warm weather fan, there's something romantic about Summer. You can ride bikes like you're in a Godard film or picnic luxuriously in the park. When you have beautiful days like this one, it makes you forget about the downsides like mosquito bites and 100% humidity. Right now, I love summer food and festivities. So, I had a picnic in the park with great friends, wine and weather:

A SUMMER PICNIC MENU:

Rosemary crostini, clover honey, goat cheese & tarragon

Quinoa salad, clover sprouts, avocado, sweet peas & mint

Strawberry, (mint or tarragon), red currant tart with mascarpone & lemon zest

QUINOA SALAD WITH SWEET PEAS, CLOVER SPROUTS, AVOCADO & MINT (Gluten-free)

1 cup quinoa, dried

3 oz. Raspberry Tart Ale cheese, crumbled

3/4 cup sweet peas

1/2 an avocado, diced

2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Maldon sea salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper

1 lemon, juice and zest

Handful of clover sprouts, to top

1. Add quinoa to saucepan with 2 cups water and a pinch of sea salt. Boil, then simmer and cover for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

2. Let grains cool to room temperature. Then, stir in lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Combine with sweet peas, avocado, mint, cheese and top with clover sprouts. Serve room temperature or chilled!

STRAWBERRY, RED CURRANT & MINT TARTLETS WITH MASCARPONE & LEMON (Adapted from La Tartine Gourmand)

CRUST:

2/3 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup almond meal

2 tablespoond light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum

6 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

1. Puse starch almond meal, xanthum gum, flour and sugar in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until crumbs form. Add the edd and 1 teaspoon of water until dough comes away from the bowl.

2. Divide into 4 flour-dusted balls, cover in syran wrap and chill for 1-2 hours. Remove from fridge, roll and add to greased tart pan. Make small holes in the bottom with a fork. Chill another 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Top pan with parchment paper and dry rice/beans to blind cook. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weight, then bake another 5 minutes. Let tarte completely cool.

FILLING:

7 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup cane sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

12-15 small strawberries, whole

1 bunch red currants, as needed

Fresh mint, minced

1. In a stand mixer, beat mascarpone with sugar and vanilla. Fill tart pans evenly with mascarpone mixture.

2. Top evenly with whole strawberries and sporadically place red currants. Garnish with chopped mint and fresh lemon zest. Chill or serve immediately.