TWD: Brioche Apricot Tart

Oh, the sacrifices we make for delicious food!



This week we baked the Brioche Plum Tart, thanks to Denise of Chez Us!. We're not big fans of plums here (too bad), so I substituted apricots. I happened to find some nice-looking large ones at the local market.



Everything about this tart was really easy and it went together quickly. I did leave it in the oven a bit longer than stated since I wanted the inside to be cooked through. I covered the tart with foil for the last half of the baking process. It smelled heavenly while baking.


My biggest problem was removing the tart from the pan. It never did come out, having attached itself thoroughly to the sides and bottom.


And, thereby hangs my tale of woe. In my efforts to release the tart, I managed to slice my finger. You know about knife cuts? Well, try a tart pan cut. Ouch! (And add some garlic to the wound and you have even more fun!)


I did offer to eat the blood-stained piece. Nice of me, yes?



I'm sure the other TWD bakers didn't spill blood over this one.



Now I'm off to pick up some antibiotics for the spider bite I received last week, then return to the grindstone of Job #1. Today I found out that I have a new incoming project, one that I will hopefully be able to blog about in a few weeks. It is food-related and I am super excited about it.

Daring Cooks #3: :(

This has been a crazy month, work-wise. I have been working non-stop at two jobs, with no break, and none in sight at this point. While I'm grateful to have income, I have less time to bake and cook.

Sunday was supposed to be a baking day, but Job #2 called me in as an emergency replacement, so there went the latest Daring Cook's challenge. I'll have to fit it in later this summer, if I ever get a break, since it seems like an interesting kitchen adventure.

This is also the first Daring challenge I've missed since joining in 2007. Sigh.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to seeing what the other Daring Cooks did for their challenge.

BB: Ridiculously delicious

"Ridiculously delicious."



That's what my daughter said when she took the first bite of this for lunch today. This was especially surprising since not 30 minutes earlier she had spotted the sun-dried tomatoes and declared, "You know I hate sun-dried tomatoes!"

I did?

Must have blocked that one out of my mind.

But it was clearly a moot point, as not a speck of that salad remained after lunch.




For Barefoot Bloggers, July is certainly off to a great and delicious start! Thanks to Cat of Delta Whiskey for choosing Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

Since I had to deliver the dog to the groomer this morning, it was not out of my way to stop at Trader Joes for some fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. Every other ingredient was already in the pantry. While the pasta was cooking, I chopped and sliced and pureed. Assembly was a breeze. The only problem was that it didn't last very long, which, I guess, is a good thing!

TWD: The Hepburn Brownie Story

Just a few nights ago, we were watching the Philadelphia Story, one of our favorite movies. They just don't write dialog like that anymore, and, of course, Cary Grant doesn't hurt one bit. I think Bringing Up Baby is one of my all-time favorite movies, once again featuring that great Cary-Kate duo.




These Tribute-to-Katharine-Hepburn brownies were wonderfully gooey inside, with just a hint of cinnamon and coffee to brighten the flavors.


They did stay moist over a period of a few days. With several desserts in house at the moment, we can't overindulge too much, but I'd rather have too many desserts around than none at all.


While I do have a favorite brownie recipe, I like these a lot. I guess I tend toward the moist and gooey rather than the dry and cakey.


This recipe was chosen by Lisa of Surviving Oz, who won the recent contest for creating a new TWD Logo. Stop by the TWD blog to read about what the others thought.

YWPWT: Summer Pies

Summertime. When the livin' should be easy.


When you're hungry for pie, but it's too hot to bake.


Solution?


An icebox pie.



I remember that my mother made these special pies every summer, using different flavor combinations. They were always delightfully cold, either straight from the refrigerator or freezer, depending on which recipe she chose.


My pie is a Lime Cream-Boysenberry Pie. Limes, because my tree always has limes available, and boysenberries, because one of my dear quilting friends brought over freshly picked berries from her garden the other day. I had thought about using strawberries, but with these plump boysenberries staring me in the face, I couldn't resist.

I did make and bake the graham cracker crust, and I spent about 5 minutes slaving over a hot stove making the lime curd, but it was well worth it.


I do apologize for not having a photo of a slice of pie. In my eagerness to taste-test, I didn't let it chill quite long enough, so the filling literally flowed out of the crust and onto my plate. One must eat mistakes like that, you know, rather than photograph them. I would recommend a good 24-hour chill, since the filling was more well-behaved this evening. Maybe tomorrow, in the light of day, I can snap a shot of a slice. Assuming any remains.



Thanks to Rebecca and Mary for a yummy and appropriate theme. Check the You Want Pies With That? blog site for some summery pie inspiration.




Lime Cream-Boysenberry Pie
(adapted from Icebox Pies by Lauren Chattman)

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 prepared crumb crust
2 cups of fresh berries

Combine the eggs, sugar, and lime zest in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Add the lime juice and butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 7 to 9 minutes. Do not boil. Pour the hot lime curd through a fine strainer into a glass bow. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate until it is cold and thick, at least 3 hours.

Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lime curd and then scrape the filling into the prepared crust. Cover and refrigerate until the filling is completely set, at least 6 hours and preferable 1 day.

Just before serving arrange berries on top.

My Kitchen, My World: Macedonia

Our second destination this month for My Kitchen, My World, was Macedonia. I did an Internet search to see if there was some specialty or distinctive dish for the region, and the closest I came was this pita-filled treat.





Basically, it's a lamb or beef patty, seasoned with lemon, onion, garlic, and oregano, then placed in a pita along with lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese, and a tzatziki-type sauce (yogurt and cucumbers).


It was quick to prepare and given my recent schedule, that was a good thing! It was also delicious. I had picked up the Persian cucumbers and the fresh tomatoes from the farmers market a few days before. Ordinarily, I would make the pitas from scratch, but because of the time constraint, I used store-bought ones. They were still pretty tasty.

TWD update

This week I have been swamped with work. As a result, I opted to pass on the Perfect Party Cake since I had made it before for the Daring Bakers in March 2008.


I've been trying to fit some baking in this week, but I will be working all weekend, trying to get caught up on everything. I'm beginning to wonder if a second job is really worth it, or, how badly do I really need benefits?


A few quick posts will follow this one, featuring items I baked or made within the last few weeks. Maybe the projects will slow down by the end of July; maybe not. Maybe I need to reassess job #2.


Anyway, I'm all set for next week's TWD project, so I'll be back on Tuesday.

Have a great 4th!