Sweet and Easy Strawberry Tart

A big wedge of tart with a scoop of frozen yoghurt

Sometimes, in the chaos of the work week, dessert becomes a necessity. Hailing from a long line of dessert fans, both my grandfathers are guilty of overusing the phrase "one of each", dessert is always welcome, mid-week or not, however I often don't have the time to make something during the week, much to the relief of my waistline. 

However I may have just created something out of control, forever wreaking havoc on both the space time continuum and my favorite skinny jeans. As though I could accomplish two things at once, dessert accompanied dinner tonight, without any juggling of my schedule, with this super easy, incredibly fast, and wonderfully fresh tasting Strawberry Tart.

And yes, I watched Fringe on FOX and now think I fully understand the field of Physics including the theories of time travel.

This tart is not only fast and simple to make, it also requires only three ingredients - puff pastry, strawberries, and sugar - and, after realizing how amazing it is, I plan to keep puff pastry in my freezer on an ongoing basis, meaning I can easily whip this tart up whenever I want, using whatever fruit I have on hand (peach raspberry first popped to mind but there are plenty of options). 

Looks tasty doesn't it?

To make your very own Strawberry Tart simply...

1. Lay one piece of the pastry out on a buttered baking tray and set your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash your strawberries and slice, about a cup and a half, then arrange on the pastry leaving a half inch border. Sprinkle with one teaspoon of sugar.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the berries are tender and their juices begin to seep out 

4. Cool and top with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream or frozen yoghurt (our personal favorite)

The tart, fresh from the oven

Recipe Synopsis: 

Taste: Fresh and not too sweet, the berry taste comes through and works well with the whipped or ice cream.

Texture:  Juicy berries and light, fluffy pastry

Wow Factor: The prettiest dessert I've ever assembled in five minutes

Difficulty: Wonderfully easy 

Serve With: Whipped or ice cream, it's wonderfully light making it perfect for hot summer days

I actually found this recipe a year ago and somehow my plans to make it have continuously been delayed. You can find the original version at PopSugar. 

Note: my berries didn't let off as much juice as those in the original photo, so on my second attempt I let them sit with some sugar in a bowl after being sliced, then poured the juices over the arranged slices before popping it in the oven. 

Yes, I made two - when the puff pastry comes in two packs what's a girl to do?

Rich and Fudgy Chocolate Truffle Pie

Before the icing on my mom's Lemon-Strawberry layer cake had a chance to firm up, I was asked to whip up another cake, this time for my uncle's birthday at the end of January. 

As the light, lemony cake had turned out so well, I was tempted to use similar flavours, however knowing my dad's family and their love of chocolate I knew I needed something rich and fudgy to win them over. 

After scouring the internet for inspiration I found myself salivating over a beautiful French Silk Pie; it's lovely layers and mouse-like consistency the perfect departure from the traditional chocolate layer cake with Smarties I make three times a year for my dad's birthday, brother's birthday, and father's day (as well as for my Dad's wedding a couple years ago). 

My Inspiration...

Stunning French Silk Tarts (via)

Classic French Silk Pie (via)

Unfortunately, most French Silk Pie recipes contain raw egg and I wasn't overly comfortable bringing something to dinner with a warning label attached, therefore I needed another option that still offered light, chocolatey layers without the risk of salmonella. As luck would have it, I stumbled onto a delicious looking Chocolate Truffle Pie and my concerns of sick dinner guests were no more.

Recipe Synopsis: 

Taste: Rich is the best way to describe this pie, however the use of semi-sweet chocolate was good and not overly sugary like milk-chocolate can often be. The graham cracker crumb crust offered a crunchy contrast to the multiple layers of chocolate mouse.

Texture: This pie is very light, almost mouse like. I would have liked the whipped cream layer to be a bit lighter tasting (perhaps by omitting the confectioners sugar as the chocolate is already sweet). The crust offers a nice bit of crunch.

Wow Factor: My pie wasn't as tall as I would have liked, perhaps a smaller pie plate would have created a more "mounded" result. As a whole, the pie is quite simple looking, however once sliced the layers are very pretty.

Difficulty: This dessert is very easy to make, however it is also quite time consuming as each layer needs to chill before the next can be made, one layer is chilled overnight. With that being said, it's a great option to make ahead of time.

Serve With: Any chocolate fans will love this dessert and as it's a chilled pie it would be quite refreshing on a hot summer day.

Unfortunately after seeing almost a full Litre (33 ounces) of heavy cream find its way into this pie I really didn't want to eat any of it however in the end I opted for a very small piece. Luckily the guests were oblivious and had nothing but positive feedback to offer. Although I wouldn't make this pie again for myself, my tastes sway more towards light lemony chiffon cake, I am sure I'll receive requests from the chocolate lovers in my life. 


I'm sharing this recipe today, for everyone with a sweet tooth over at...
Jam Hands, Say Not Sweet Anne, and Skip to my Lou

Say 'I Love You' with Breakfast in Bed this Valentine's Day

Romantic Parisian breakfast (via)

My boyfriend and I aren't big into Valentine's Day. Not because we're jaded and think the card companies and florists are out to get us, or because we like going against the established norm, we just simply feel that there are so many opportunities to show love for one another that make a heart shaped box of candy seem a bit silly*.

Shoulder massages, a card to say "I'm thinking of you", scrapping the others windshield after a heavy snowfall... there are endless ways to show someone you care that don't cost a lot, and a delicious breakfast in bed may be my new favorite!

My favorite for many reasons, it's hard to beat a great breakfast, I love this idea because it allows you to be really creative. Although bacon and eggs or pancakes may be traditional, if you're trying to eat healthy or pull this off mid-week it isn't very practical. Instead of trying to create something enormous and complex why not go for simple and charming using your loved one's favorite ingredients? 

Some inspiration to get the gears turning...

For a fresh and healthy start to the day, why not opt for a fruit and yogurt parfait or half a grapefruit with some whole grain toast? It may not be a significant departure from the norm but will still be much appreciated with a glass of fresh squeezes orange juice or steaming coffee.

Pretty Parfaits (via)

Juicy grapefruit (via)

If you're time pressed in the mornings, a simple croissant with some sparkling cranberry juice or homemade scones (made the night before) and warm cup of chai tea are easy to prepare while making the recipient feel special. Find my all time favorite cranberry scone recipe here.

Flaky blueberry scones are hard to beat (via)

For something with a Valentine's Day twist, the classic egg in a basket becomes extra special with the help of a heart shaped cookie cutter, or try heart shaped French Toast with some beautiful red strawberries piled on top.

Eggs in a basket, Valentine's Day edition (via)

And finally, if time and effort aren't an issue, it's hard to beat a warm gooey cinnamon bun (my favorites), mouth watering Eggs Benedict, or an adorable heart shaped marshmallow bobbing in a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

Pretty little marshmallows (via)

Take a bit of extra time for the small details - cutlery rolled in a nice napkin, a crystal glass or champagne flute, butter or jam in a small side plate - and your breakfast, no matter how easy to prepare, will be all the more special. Don't forget a sweet note or romantic card reminding your sweetie of all the things you love about them.

Then, after all your hard work, snuggle in bed and enjoy a few extra minutes together before the day starts.

*With that being said, the romantic inside me awwwwes whenever a coworker gets flowers at work, and my poor boyfriend has to hear all about how beautiful they were.

Absolutely Incredible Raspberry Trifle

Sharing this recipe, I feel a bit like a traitor selling secrets about national security - yes, it's that good. My boyfriend's aunt has been making it for years, and every time she serves it my mouth does a little happy dance. It's a glorious mixture of light cake, rich cheesecake, and tart fresh fruit!

This year, she slipped the recipe in with our Christmas gift - to which I blurted out something along the lines of " this is the best present ever!" and immediately made everyone else in the room feel inferior. At Christmas time. Well done, me.

Had she known I was going to share the recipe online she may have thought twice about gifting it to me at all...

Anyways, it's too late now.

Unfortunately I was lacking a fancy bowl to use so I had to improvise with a giant glass beaker*

Carol's Fantastic Raspberry Trifle

1 Angel Food Cake

2 bricks of cream cheese (use lite, no one will know)

Lemon juice

1/2 - 1c sugar

500 mL whipping cream

Vanilla

Cocoa

600g Frozen raspberries

Make the angel food cake ahead of time and let it cool completely**

Thaw raspberries in a bowl with some sugar (about 1/4 cup - I like to keep them tart). I put mine in the refrigerator over night.

Beat the cream cheese until soft. Add lemon juice (fresh is best) to taste as well as some sugar (about 1/2 a cup).

In a second bowl, whip the cream until quite firm. Add vanilla (about a 1/4 tsp.) and sugar (about a 1/3 cup) to taste.

Gently fold 2/3 of the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture. Reserve the remaining whipping cream for the top of the trifle.

Assembly: place a layer of angel food in the bottom of a serving dish. Top with a layer of cream cheese/whipped cream mixture and a layer of raspberries. Sprinkle with cocoa. Continue layering until you near the top of the bowl - finish with reserved whipping cream and sprinkle with cocoa.

Now this part is important - let the dessert sit for 10-12 hours if possible so all the flavors can mingle a bit. However don't let it sit too long or the bottom layer gets all mushy.

Also, the dessert will settle a bit, mine sunk at least half an inch, but now that you know ahead if time you won't panic like me.

My boyfriend claims he's had this dessert before with different fresh berries - as a raspberry purist I'm appalled. However, the idea of peaches and raspberries has been taunting me since that last bite 996 hours ago (give or take a minute) and I may be willing to move out of my comfort zone this summer.

Enjoy!

Calli

*I assure you that the beaker has never been used for experiments and was completely clean.

**You could buy a pre-made cake (easy but kind of careless) or make one from scratch (for those overachievers) however I prefer to use a boxed mix - It shows you care but not enough to deal with a hundred thousand egg whites.

Spellbound By These Valentines

It had to be done - I'd apologize but I'm not actually sorry. 

I'm sure that these Harry Potter Valentine's have found their way around the internet but I couldn't resist sharing them anyway!

You can check them all out at yenniper

Yes, I'm a nerd, but honestly, couldn't it be worse?

Enjoy!

Calli