Baby Jake's First Birthday

So sorry it's been a while since I've updated the blog. Life and work are both SO busy right now, which leaves little time for inspiration and creativity... Luckily, I've been asked to do some desserts here and there, which always makes for some good content :) Read on and scroll on to see one of the more recent events I got to help out with!

I was asked if I could make some fun desserts and a cake for this precious baby's first birthday. Jake recently turned one! It was a great privilege to be able to contribute to this celebration for this sweet family.

For this event, Jake's family had requested some strawberry and blueberry champagne tarts, a two tier funfetti and lemon cake, and the cutest "1" shaped rice krispies for the kids. It was a perfect choice for the season- so refreshing and summery! 

A huge thank you to Tiny Atlas Photography (link to the website here), who took these amazing photos. Esther and I have actually worked a few events together, and I am always amazed at how stunning the results are. When I got to the venue, the lighting was pretty difficult to work with, but somehow Esther and her team worked magic! I would highly recommend Tiny Atlas for any photography needs. 

Also a big thank you to Julie, James, and baby Jake for letting me be a part of the celebration. I hope you all loved it!

Strawberry Champagne Tart

Strawberries are in season! Summertime is just about here, bringing the sweetest strawberries! Speaking of sweet- happy mother's day! I have been blessed with the sweetest mothers :) One of the memories I have is with my stepmom making fruit pizza- it's basically a bigger version of a fruit tart.

I guess you can call the fruit pizza a bit of an inspiration for this post. Fruit tarts are one of my favorite desserts, and I couldn't help but use the beautiful, ripe strawberries. The champagne cream filling is a perfect compliment, offering a creaminess with slight kick.

Strawberry Champagne Tart
For the crust
1 stick Butter
1/8 cup Sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup Flour 
pinch Salt

1. In a bowl, cream softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg yolk and incorporate well.
3. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and mix until combined.
4. Pour your dough out onto a plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge until firm.
5. Once firm, roll out until about 1/4 inch thick.
6. Line greased tart shell with the dough, trimming the edges. Repeat if you have multiple mini shells. Poke holes with a fork to vent.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the shell until golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Champagne Cream
1 cup Milk
1 tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
2 tbsp Corn Starch
4 oz Champagne
.5 oz Gelatin Powder
3.5 oz Water
1 Cup Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Confectioner Sugar

Strawberries

1. Put 3/4 cup of milk into a pot with the butter.
2. Add half the sugar to the milk in the pot, and the other half into a bowl with the remaining milk.
3. Add yolks and corn starch to the bowl with the 1/4 cup of milk. Whisk to make into a slurry and combine well.
4. Heat the milk in the pot until it is scalding. Pour slowly into the bowl, while whisking. Pour the mixture back into the pot.
5. Whisk the mixture on low heat until it thickens. The mixture will boil, and the starchy flavor will cook out.
6. Immediately pour the mixture into a bowl.
7. Mix water and gelatin together. Melt in a microwave with champagne.
8. Add the gelatin mix to the pastry cream. Mix until combined.
9. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream and confectioner's sugar to soft peaks.
10. Fold the heavy cream into the pastry cream into incorporated.
11. Pipe the cream into the cooled tart shells, and top with strawberries.

This is a great, refreshing summer treat! The sweet strawberries work perfectly with the crispy crust. It's best served right away, garnished with a little mint. It's the perfect treat for any occasion :)

Coconut Cream Tart

3.14 is tomorrow! Pi day! Last year, I made a couple plum hand pies. This year, I shifted to a more modern version of a classic pie. I always remember cherishing pi day during elementary, middle, and high school. It's a math holiday that lets you bring pies to school and eat them during class. Sadly, in the working world, I don't get pi days... Still, it was always one of my favorite times of the year!

I love pies, but I can't help but want something more elegant from time to time. This is an easy way to make your "pie" look like something more upscale, without sacrificing flavor, texture, or too much time. It's definitely a great way to impress your guests! Plus, this is a great way to allow each guest to have an individual piece(s).

Coconut Cream Tart
For the shell/crust
1 stick Butter
1/8 cup Sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup Flour 
pinch Salt

1. In a bowl, cream softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg yolk and incorporate well.
3. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and mix until combined.
4. Pour your dough out onto a plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge until firm.
5. Once firm, roll out until about 1/4 inch thick. Then, cut desired shapes using a sharp knife or cutters.
6. Place onto a parchment lined sheet pan, and then freeze until solid.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the shell until slightly golden on the edges.

Coconut Cream/Assembly

1 cup Milk 5 Egg Yolks 
1.5 tbsp Flour 1/4 cup Sugar 1 tbsp Butter 
.25 oz gelatin powder 
1.5 oz water1 can Coconut Cream (not milk)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Tart Shells/Crust
Mango
Toasted Coconut

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine milk and butter and bring to a gentle boil.
2. In the meantime, bloom gelatin in water.
3. In a bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Gently mix in egg yolks until smooth.
4. When the milk is boiling,  pour it gently into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot, and cook on low heat. Stir constantly to prevent any burning.
5. When the mixture is thickened, add the gelatin and melt into the pastry cream.
6. Run the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve to remove any chunks.
7. Allow the pastry cream to cool completely.
8. Whip the creamy part of the coconut cream (not the liquid portion) with powdered sugar. When you open the can of coconut milk, do not shake it, and use a spatula or spoon to scoop out the white, solid portion. You do not need the liquid.
9. Once whipped slightly, take some of the cooled pastry cream and  mix it into the coconut cream.
10. Take the mixture and fold it back into the remaining pastry cream.
11. Take your shells/crusts, and use a tip to pipe the desired amount. Place some sliced mango on top, and create a sandwich with another shell. This is one thing that you can be pretty creative with.
12. Garnish the tart with some toasted coconut flakes.

 

 This is one way to spice up a classic coconut cream pie, and make it something totally new. I love incorporating the tart mango with the creamy coconut filling. The crust is a perfect texture to add to this delicious treat! 

So sorry for the delay- I have had a BUSY few weeks. I got sick, got caught up with catering, and have just been unreasonably, overwhelmingly busy. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed the latest!

Apple Galette

Fall seems to be the perfect season for anything apple. Who doesn't crave a warm slice of apple pie with a scoop of smooth ice cream? Galettes are beautiful pastries that are kind of a cross between a pie and a tart. It's great because you don't need a pie pan or tart shell to make it! The free form crust is a simple, elegant finish to a lovely seasonal dessert.

Apple roses seem to be all the rage lately. They are so beautiful with an understated elegance. It's the perfect way to finish any apple dessert. The key to creating something with a slight delicacy is to have the apples shaved thin. I used a mandolin to shave my apples, and it allowed me to be able to form the flowers without breakage. It requires some additional patience, but it is well worth it.

Apple Galette
Crust
9 oz Flour
1.5 stick Butter
.5 tsp Salt
3 oz Cold Water

1. Cut the cold butter into small cubes (1cm x 1cm).
2. Put the pieces into the flour and salt. Make sure each cube is coated.
3. Press the butter to flat pieces.
4. Rub the butter between your fingers to make flakes. Continue until the butter chunks are about the size of a lima bean.
5. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour your cold water into it.
6. Bring your flour towards the center of the well a little bit at a time, until it is completely incorporated.
7. Flatten your dough slightly and wrap it in plastic. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until it is chilled.

Frangipane (Almond Cream)
.5 stick Butter
2 oz Sugar
1.5 oz Almond Flour
1 egg
.5 oz Flour
.5 tsp Vanilla

1. Cream butter, sugar, and almond flour together in a bowl.
2. Add egg and vanilla.
3. Scrape the bowl to make sure that the ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Add flour and mix until incorporated.

Assembly
3 Medium Apples
3 tbsp Sugar
.5 tsp Cinnamon
.25 tsp Nutmeg
.25 tsp Ginger
1 Egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Roll the pie dough into a circle, about 1/4 inch thick all the way through. Transfer to a sheet of parchment.
3. Use a spatula or spoon to spread the frangipane in the center, moving outward. Leave about 1.5 inches of space around the edges, so that you can close your pie.
4. Shave your apples using a mandolin. You should cut your apples into quarters, slice out the core, and then shave them carefully with the skin on.
5. Once the apples are shaved, arrange them over the top of the frangipane. I like to start from the center and move outward.
6. Once the apples are arranged, bring up the edges and fold gently to keep the round shape.
7. Gently whisk the egg and use a brush to egg wash the exposed dough.
8. Mix the sugar and spices in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the apples and onto the crust.
9. Bake for about 1.5 hours or until the crust is golden brown.

I like to bake my galette in a cast iron skillet. It heats very well and evenly, and it's just nice and homey. If you don't have a cast iron large enough, you can bake it on a cookie sheet. This tart is beautiful, and tastes as good as it looks! I took it to a potluck, and it was a huge hit!