Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Walnut Streusel

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been known to make non-traditional meals for Thanksgiving dinner, but even when I prepare the traditional feast, chances are I'll experiment with variations on some of the classic dishes that usually accompany it. I found this unusual take on pumpkin pie in an old issue of Fine Cooking magazine and as soon as I saw it, I knew I'd have to give it a try. The tart, which has a shortbread-like crust, is filled with a bourbon laced pumpkin custard and topped with a to-die-for walnut streusel. It's easy to make, but the 3 stage preparation and length of the ingredient list can be off-putting to some. Please do not be dissuaded. This is a lovely, slightly more sophisticated version of good ol' pumpkin pie and it will make the socks of pumpkin lovers go up and down. Last year, I returned from Peru with an embarrassing quantity of jungle rum, so I decided to use it, rather than bourbon, to flavor my custard filling. It worked well, but I'm sure bourbon would also be splendid and the two can be used interchangeably. The tart needs time to ripen, so make and refrigerate it the night before you plan to serve it. It can be served warm, at room temperature or slightly chilled. It begs to be served with lightly whipped cream or a small scoop of really good vanilla ice cream. I do hope you'll try this tart. Those of you who do will not be disappointed. Here is how it is made.

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Walnut Streusel Topping...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Fine Cooking magazine

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Filling
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Streusel Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Directions:
1) To make crust: Combine flour, sugar, orange peel and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add egg. Gradually add cream, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until easy to handle. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 13-in. circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Set aside.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3) To make filling: Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour into crust.
4) To make streusel topping: Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts and ginger. Sprinkle over filling.
5) Bake for 50-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 14 servings.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                  One Year Ago Today:                                                           Two Years Ago Today:

             Sour Dough Bread Stuffing                                                               Pumpkin Latte                  

         Three Years Ago Today:                                                           Four Years Ago Today: 

    Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy                                                  Coffee Twist - Three Ways

Treacle Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Many of my Christmas memories are associated with friends and the holiday foods they favored and shared with me. At this time of year, I make as many of those dishes as I can, and while I have never grown to like it, I continue to make Lily's treacle tart because it comes served with warm and lovely memories. For those who have never tried the tart, it's a traditional English pie, much loved by Harry Potter and the gang at Hogwarts, that's baked with a thick filling of bread crumbs, lemon juice and golden syrup. Golden syrup, which is also called light treacle, is the color of honey and tastes like sugar that's cooked to a medium caramel stage. While it pours like corn syrup, any similarity between the two syrups stops there.  Corn syrup, while sweet, has almost no flavor, so the two can't be used interchangeably.  I think treacle tart is an acquired taste for those born outside the United Kingdom. The filling is intensely sweet and while it is a favorite dessert across the pond, it does take some getting use to. Lily loved it and insisted it helped balance her tart tongue. I loved Lil and make this every Christmas in her memory. Who knows, one of these days I may even grow to like it. Here's how the tart is made.

Treacle Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, divided use
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided use
1 cup Lyle's golden syrup or molasses
6 tablespoons bread crumbs
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
Whipped cream, for serving

Directions:
1. To make pastry shell: Place flour, 6 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Rub flour and butter together until pea-size crumbles form. Add 1/4 cup ice-cold water and stir until dough forms. Transfer to a work surface and form into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
2) To make filling: Meanwhile, heat syrup in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until loose. Remove from heat and stir in reserved 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, bread crumbs, cream, egg, and zest. Set filling aside.
3) Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into an 11″ circle and transfer to a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim excess dough and chill shell for 30 minutes. Prick bottom with a fork and cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Fill with dried beans and bake until crust is set, about 20 minutes. Remove paper and beans and bake until light brown, about 10 minutes. Pour filling into tart shell and bake until filling is just set, about 30 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Peppermint Bark

Two Years Ago Today: Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup

Three Years Ago Today: Meatball Sub with Homemade Sicilian Sausage

Maple-Walnut Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite......and then a miracle occurred. Everything got to the table on time and I didn't cuss even once in the process. I have pictures and recipes that I'll be sharing with you next week because this was a meal that would work as well for Christmas as it did for Thanksgiving. Today's tart is a riff on pecan pie that I found in Fine Cooking magazine. It is a rich and delicious creation and it was the first of the desserts to disappear from the table. The recipe seems long, but the tart is not actually difficult to make. While the tart crust described in the recipe is lovely, a commercial pie shell would make short work of this dessert without harming the finished tart. If you like maple flavored desserts, do give this one a try. It is delicious. Quite rich, but delicious nonetheless. Here's how it is made.

Maple-Walnut Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Fine Cooking magazine

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour + more for rolling
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 24 small pieces and frozen
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Cooking spray
Filling
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure maple extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:
1) To make pie crust: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor once or twice to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is pebbly, with some pea-size bits of butter.
    Whisk egg yolks, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of ice water together in a small bowl. Pour mixture through feed tube of food processor, pulsing to combine. Dough mixture should be moist but should not come together into a ball. If a small handful of dough pressed together does not adhere, add remaining 1 tablespoon ice water and pulse to combine.
    Turn dough mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Gather plastic around dough and press dough into a disk. Wrap tightly in additional plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
2) To roll crust: Let dough stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes to become pliable before rolling. Lightly coat a rolling pin with flour and roll  dough on a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch circle. Lightly coat a round 9-1/2 x 1-inch fluted metal tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Roll dough around rolling pin and carefully unroll over tart pan. Gently press it into bottom and up  sides of  pan without stretching. Trim excess, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold overhang inside  tart and press against sides to make a double wall about 1/4 inch higher than  tart pan (this will offset any shrinkage during baking). Wrap tart shell in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
    Position a rack in lower third of oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line tart shell with parchment and add enough beans or pie weights to fill shell. Bake on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet until  edges are firm and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully lift parchment and weights from tart shell. Continue to bake until bottom of the shell is pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Let cool on  baking sheet on a rack and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
3) To make filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, maple and vanilla extracts, and salt. Set aside.
     In a 2-quart saucepan, combine maple syrup and sugar and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture just starts to boil, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add butter, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.
    Slowly whisk warm syrup into egg mixture, drizzling it in about 1/4 cup at a time and whisking continuously to prevent hot syrup from cooking eggs.
4) To fill and bake tart: Fill tart shell with chopped walnuts. Carefully ladle filling over walnuts to within 1/4 inch of  rim (do not overfill; there may be a little filling left over). Bake tart until it is just set in the center, 30 to 40 minutes (if crust is golden-brown before filling is set, cover edges loosely with foil). Cool completely on the baking sheet on a rack.
    Carefully remove tart rim. Slide a long, flat spatula between  pastry and the pan bottom and transfer tart to a serving platter. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Pumpkin Latte

Two Years Ago Today: Coconut Bubble Bread

Three Years Ago Today: Puff Pastry Pillows with Blue Cheese Filling

Apple and Apricot Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our Thanksgiving meal this year is not going to be traditional. While many of the dishes I'll be serving hint at their Pilgrim roots, the dishes themselves are pretty far removed from the Mayflower table. I'll post the full menu on Wednesday, but between now and then, I'll be featuring recipes for some of the desserts I'll be making. This tart, while French in origin, is a perfect way to end any holiday meal and I'm going to use it to fullfil the apple requirement of our holiday feast. The inspiration for this pie was Julia Child's, Tarte Aux Pommes. I've add apricots to her recipe to make it less sweet and I've taken some shortcuts that she probably would frown on. To wit, I use commercial applesauce as the base for the tart. It's an enormous time saver and at this time of  year extra minutes count. The apricots make this tart more interesting and they really compliment the flavor of the apples. I use Golden Delicious apples for my baking and they work well in desserts where appearance is as important as taste. This is a gorgeous dessert and I always hate to cut into it. It is easy to make and while most of it can be prepared well ahead of serving the glaze can be problematic. It will start to breakdown after 24 hours and the tart will get weepy. The solution to this, of course,  is to eat the tart the day it is made. My family never lets me down. If you are looking for an apple dessert I hope you will give this one a try. Here's how it is made.

Apple Tart (Tarte Aux Pommes)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Julia Child

Ingredients:
Partially-cooked 8 or 9-inch tart shell
Apple Slices
3 cup sliced apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch lengthwise slices
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling
3 cups thick, unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup diced dried apricots, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter
Grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
Glaze
1/2 cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions:
1) Arrange a rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss sliced apples in a bowl with lemon juice and sugar. Set aside.
2) To make filling: Combine applesauce, diced apricots, apricot preserves, vanilla extract, sugar and lemon zest in a 3-quart saucepan. Boil down, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape when mounded in a spoon, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter.
3) Turn applesauce into pastry shell. Arrange sliced apples in overlapping concentric circles on top of applesauce. Bake in upper third of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until apples are lightly brown and tender.
4) To make glaze: Mix apricot preserves with sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is thick enough to coat back of a spoon and candy thermometer registers 228 degrees F.
5) Remove tart from oven and carefully remove sides of pan. Paint apple topping with warm apricot glaze. Serve tart warm or cold. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Minted Peas with Pearl Onions

Two Years Ago Today: Paratha

Three Years Ago Today: Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Tomato Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tomatoes are coming in with a vengeance now and I'm really scrambling to find new ways to use them. Save for pizza, I've never had a tomato pie, and this one came to my attention while I was searching for recipes that used tomatoes. The pie was featured in Woman's Day magazine and I've made it twice since finding the recipe. The tart in tonight's photos is the result of a slight change made to the original recipe. Specifically, I replaced large tomato wedges with an equal weight of cherry and grape tomatoes. The change worked well, but I must admit that I actually liked the original version better than my own. While they made for a less colorful pie, I think the meatier tomato wedges give the tart a better texture. The pie is nicely spiced, and, if you use a commercially prepared crust, you'll find it really easy to prepare. It will need to sit a few minutes before it is cut, but the crust will become soggy if it is allowed to sit for too long a time. This is a really nice way to use any excess tomatoes you may have. I hope you will give the recipe a try. Here's how the tomato pie is made.

Tomato Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Woman's Day magazine

Ingredients:
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
2 leeks (1/4 pound), root ends trimmed, tops cut so about 1 in. pale green remains
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided use
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup Mexican-style shredded Cheddar Jack
2 large (about 1-1/4 pound) tomatoes, each cut in 12 wedges or an equal weight of plum or cherry tomatoes

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with crust and bake for 9 minutes as the package directs. Cool. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2) Meanwhile cut leeks lengthwise in quarters; thinly slice. Put in bowl of water; stir to loosen grit; lift to colander to drain.
3) Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; sauté 6 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; sauté until fragrant. Remove to a plate. Wipe skillet with paper towels. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and bread crumbs to skillet. Stir 3 minutes or until lightly toasted.
4) Sprinkle 1 cup leek mixture over bottom of crust; sprinkle with cheese. Lay tomato wedges around edges and in center. Top with rest of leek mixture; sprinkle crumbs around edge.
5) Bake 35 minutes, or until hot and tomatoes are soft. Remove from oven; let stand at least 5 minutes, but no more than 1 hour, before serving. Serve within 1 hour of baking or the crust may get soggy. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Spiced Potato Wedges

Two Years Ago Today: Grilled Flank Steak with Coffee Sauce

Three Years Ago Today: Half Moon Pies and Harvest Moon Pudding

Peaches and Cream Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was probably 7 years old before I first tasted a fresh peach. I wasn't deprived, but there were no orchards on the South side of Chicago and gasoline rationing kept city folk from orchards on the outskirts of the city. Peaches were not carried by the small merchants who supplied food for the neighborhood, so, those who didn't have a tree growing in the backyard, had to wait for a Kroger or an A&P to open before such exotic fruit could be sampled from anything other than a can or jar. Those grocery chains didn't appear in our neighborhood until long after the war had ended and I suspect my lifelong love affair with peaches is based, at least in part, on that first bite and how hard it was to come by. I was reminded of that today. Local peaches, along with corn and tomatoes are ready for picking, so, Bob and I set aside some time this morning to visit our favorite farms and orchards. I love to pick peaches directly from the tree and that's how we happened on an Mennonite family intent on gathering fruit to preserve for the winter. The mother had her hands full. In addition to the baby on her hip, she was trying to keep track of her other seven and make sure only good fruit made it to their buckets. Usually in a family that large, the older children watch the younger and make sure they don't get into trouble or fall into harms way. Sometimes wires get crossed or youthful exuberance takes over and things don't go as planned. This gang was having a really good time and someone forgot to keep an eye on the two year old who, all on her own, had discovered fallen fruit, peaches to be exact. She gathered a pile and then plunked herself down and proceeded to take a bite out of each of the treasures she had collected. Eve could not have enjoyed the apple more than this little one enjoyed her peaches. I stayed with her while Bob went on to let her family know where she was. She was retrieved and gently admonished, but there was a moment went she had to be coaxed into leaving her stash of peaches. It was love at first bite and I understood completely. Most of us enjoy peaches, but they all seem to ripen at the same time and we never quite know what to do with them. I suspect all my Southern friends are familiar with this delicious recipe that was developed by Nathalie Dupree. If not, I'd like to offer it to you and all those "Damned Yankees" to try. It is a wonderful way to use peaches and the tart is not only simple, it is memorable. I know that all of you who try this will love it. Here's the recipe.

Peaches and Cream Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Nathalie Dupree's New Southern Cooking

Ingredients:
Pastry for one 9-inch pie or tart shell
4 peaches, skinned and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll pastry dough to fit a 9-inch pie or tart pan. Fit crust into pan, crimp or trim edges and place pan on a baking sheet. Set aside.
2) Whisk flour and sugar together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 of mixture over bottom of pastry shell. Add peaches and sprinkle with remaining flour-sugar mixture.
Pour heavy cream over filling. Gently stir peaches to cover them with cream.
3) Bake for 50-70 minutes, or until the middle is just set. You'll know it's not ready if you jiggle it, and the middle shakes. If the crust gets too brown, cover it with a ring of foil. Serve warm or allow to cool on a rack. Yield: 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Golden Cream and Apple Tart

Two Years Ago Today: Bistro Potato Salad

Three Years Ago Today: Kona Coffee Kebabs

Savory Roasted Pumpkin Tart - A Light Fall Entrée

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've had the recipe for this savory tart for several years now, but, for one reason or another, never got around to making it. I put that to rights this evening and we had the tart as the entrée for an early supper. It was well received and even I, who can pick things to death, enjoyed it. I think most of you would like it as well. I must emphasize that this is not a quiche. It's a vegetable tart that's bound together with a couple of eggs and its texture is completely different than that of a quiche. The flavors of the sweet pumpkin and caramelized onions meld beautifully together and put an end to any lingering thoughts that this will just be another pumpkin pie. There is, however, some trouble in paradise and I want you to be aware of it before you jump in and start making this. The biggest problem is with the pumpkin itself. I began this with a very cavalier attitude. After all, how hard could cutting a pumpkin be? It was a lot harder than I thought and it took far longer than I had planned. If you decide to make the tart, I suggest you go here to get directions that will make cubing the pumpkin easier. If all else fails, buy a tomahawk and whack the pumpkin into submission. It is also important to cook the onions until they form a slurry like one you would use to make onion soup. Undercooked onions will make the vegetable mixture bitter and unappetizing. When it comes to the crust, you can use any pastry that you want, just make sure it is cooked before you fill it with the vegetable mixture. The original recipe for this tart, found here, came from The New York Times. The tart is delicious and I think those of you who are looking for a culinary change of pace might really enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Savory Roasted Pumpkin Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Laura Anderson

Ingredients:
2 small pie pumpkins
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium yellow onions, sliced
1/2 cup grated Jarlsburg, Gruyère, or Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
Salt, pepper and nutmeg
9-inch blind baked pie or tart shell
Optional: 2 tablespoons roasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel pumpkins, discard seeds and stringy innards, and cut flesh into 1-inch cubes. Put pumpkin on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender and slightly browned.
2) Meanwhile, melt butter with reserved 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet set over medium heat. Add onions and cook until the onions are a deep brown and very fragrant, about 45 minutes.
3) Remove pumpkin cubes from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Mix pumpkin cubes with caramelized onions and gently scrape into baked tart shell. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of vegetables.
4) In a small bowl, beat together eggs, milk, and salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Pour egg
mixture over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if using.
5) Bake tart for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted, eggs are firm, and the top of tart is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Yield: Serves 6 to 8.









One Year Ago Today: Red Hot Cinnamon Apple Cider

















Two Years Ago Today: Mămăligă Baked with Cheese

Lemon Sour Cream Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a collection of recipes that are used primarily for cooking when we are away from home, but staying in accommodations that have kitchens. I learned a longtime ago that the presence of restaurants guarantees only that one will not starve, certainly not that one will dine or even eat well. It's sometimes really nice to have the option of eating in. From a vacationing cook's perspective, however, this works only when the recipes are quick and easy to make and can be assembled with minimal or substandard equipment. No one, escaping daily tedium, wants to spend hours in the kitchen, so, easy on, easy off food becomes de rigueur. Today's tart is a case in point. It is good enough to serve to guests at home, but a bit of deconstruction makes it possible to have this lovely treat wherever you travel. The crust is as negotiable as your standards. It need not be homemade and a really good commercial crust or puff pastry will work just fine. This tart is really a lemon pie that has lost its meringue. With the meringue gone, the tart can be made in a saucepan with a wooden spoon and simply chilled until it can be cut. Whipped cream or a whipped topping is usually served with this, but, when fresh berries are available I prefer to use them. A quick look at the recipe will convince you how easy this is to do. This, by the way, ia a wonderful recipe for new cooks to try. I can assure you it's delicious. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Sour Cream Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Recipezaar

Ingredients:
1 9-inch pie or tart crust
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Line a tart or pie pan with pastry. Flute edges. Prick bottom of sides with fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool to room temperature.
3) Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon rind, lemon juice and egg yolks and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook on medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add butter and let mixture cool to room temperature. Stir in sour cream and pour filling into tart shell.
4) Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. The pie can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Top with dollops of whipped cream just before serving. Yield 8 to 10 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon and Poppyseed Cake with a Yogurt Glaze - The Kitchen Wench
Meyer Lemon Tart Topped with Lightened Lemon Cream - Food Lover's Oddessy
Lemon Cakes - Pastry Studio
Lightened Up Lemon Bars - Half Baked
Meyer Lemon Bars - Tasty Easy Healthy Green
Strawberry Lemonade Squares - Buttercream Barbie

Mushroom Galette

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's been a busy day. I've started working on the dishes that I'll be featuring while we are traveling and the first day of cooking is always daunting. I managed to get a lot done, but as the sun set I had a "Eureka" moment. Surrounded by plates of food, I had forgotten about dinner and nothing on my counters was suitable for an evening meal. I grabbed a pie crust from the freezer and mushrooms and cheese from the refrigerator and threw together this homely galette. It normally is a much grander affair. On a good day, wild mushrooms, sauteed with fresh herbs and shallots, are tossed with a premium blue cheese and wrapped in a cloak of puff pastry that's baked until the color defines rich golden brown. That didn't happen tonight. I took every shortcut imaginable, but there is an upside to this sad tale. It worked. If I hadn't had the good stuff, I never would have known that this wasn't the real thing. The recipe I pillaged belongs Joanne Weir who is one of my favorite foodies. She stays under the radar but her recipes are spot on and I love her style. I'm going to share her recipe for Warm Stilton and Mushroom Galette with you and let you guess where I took my shortcuts. Here's her recipe.

Mushroom Galette...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Joanne Weir

Ingredients:
Crust:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, frozen in the freezer 1 hour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons ice cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water
Filling:
1/4 ounce dry porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 green onions, white and green, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1 pound cultivated or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 ounces Stilton or other blue-veined cheese

Directions:
1) To make crust: Place flour and salt in a food processor and pulse two times to combine. Add butter and pulse several times until most of the mixture is size of bread crumbs with a few pieces remaining pea sized. Dump mixture out onto a work surface in a pile. Spread it out a little. Make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together sour cream, lemon juice and water; add half of liquid to well. With your fingertips, mix liquid with dry mixture until large lumps hold together. Remove large lumps and repeat with remaining liquid, using as much liquid as needed to hold dough together. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place dry porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid for another use. Finely mince mushrooms and reserve.
3) In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 minutes. Add rosemary and thyme and continue to cook 1 minute. Increase heat to high, add fresh and minced dried mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are soft and liquid from mushrooms has completely evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool.
4) Roll dough on a floured surface to make a 12-inch circle. Place on a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine Stilton and mushrooms. Spread mixture over dough, leaving a 1-1/2-inch border around edges. Fold uncovered edge of pastry over mushrooms and cheese, pleating it to make it fit. There will be an opening in center of tart. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Slide galette onto a serving plate. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Yield: 6 first course servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Roasted Vegetable Galettes - The Baking Barrister
Ham and Cheese Galettes - Chow and Chatter
Savory Galettes - A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen
Savory Goat Cheese Parmesan Galette - Use Real Butter
Cabbage and Mushroom Galette - Lisa is Cooking
Zucchini Galette - A Good Appetite

Plum Tart with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We do our green market loop every weekend when farm stands are open. The trail begins in the produce section of our Saturday Market and then heads past the city limits to farms, where we can actually measure the growth of food from one week to the next. The weekly run for provisions usually works well, but I occasionally find fruits and vegetables ganging up on me. This week I had to deal with surplus corn and plums before new stores could be brought in. I decided to use the plums to make a tart, and because I was using red and blue varieties of varying sweetness, I thought it best to use a streusel topping to assure they would not be too tart when baked. Even with that, you'll find this to be a just sweet tart and scheduling trumpet practice following dessert would be unwise. In order to proceed you will need pastry for a one crust pie. Homemade is, of course, best, but use whatever is easiest and most convenient for you. This dessert is about the plums, not the pastry. This is really easy to do and if you are fond of European desserts you'll love this tart tart. It is very juicy and I think it's best served warm. Here's the recipe.

Plum Tart wit Streusel Topping...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by The Cookworks

Ingredients:
Pastry for 1 9-inch tart or pie pan
8 large purple plums, pitted and thinly sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a pie or tart pan with pastry. Set aside.
2) Toss plums with brown sugar and cinnamon. Pile plum mixture into pastry shell.
3) Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal. Sprinkle streusel evenly over plums.
4) Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes longer. Serve warm. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Plum Jam with Ginger and Vanilla - Cotto e Crudo
Plum Honey - How I Cook
Plum Buckle - One Perfect Bite
Plum Custard Pie with Almond Crust
Cinnamon Streusel Plum Cake - My Kitchen in the Rockies
Double Crusted Plum Crisp - Two Peas and Their Pod
Plum and Raspberry Clafouti - Cafe Leilee

Orangery Pine Nut Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a lovely, easy to prepare tart that's wonderful to serve to friends who know and love good food. The shell is made from a sweetened short pastry and the filling is a lightly orange flavored custard that's made with cottage cheese and pine nuts. This is a great recipe to have on hand for those occasions when you want something that will set you apart from the crowd. It's sweet, but barely, and the pine nuts give it an unexpected texture. The tart is based on one that is popular in Italy. I hope you'll give it a try.

Orangery Pine Nut Tart ...From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Pastry
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cot in 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon water
Filling
1-1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Grated zest of 1 large orange
1 cup pine nuts

Directions:
1) To make pie shell: Place flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and rub butter between fingers until crumbs form. Add water and mix with a fork until a soft dough forms.
Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2) On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to fit a 9-inch loose bottomed tart pan. Prick dough all over with a fork and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3) Line shell with foil and filled with rice or dried beans and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove foil and filler and cook for 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a cooling rack. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
4) To make filling: Place cottage cheese, cream, eggs, sugar, grated orange zest in a bowl. Beat to combine. Fold in 1/2 cup pine nuts. Pour filling into prepared shell.
Sprinkle top with remaining pine nuts. Bake for 35 minutes, or until just set. Cool slightly before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Recipe adapted from Fantastic Food - Chocolate and Baking

Lemon and Almond Tart

This lemon and almond tart is one of the desserts that helped make Bob's birthday celebration so special. It's a simplified version of an Italian cheese pie that I made years ago and while this newer version is more sophisticated, it's not haughty. It's from my horde of treasured European-style desserts that are barely sweet but festive enough to end a special meal. The tart is made from common, readily available ingredients and it's inexpensive to make. One caution - like many custard based desserts this is best eaten the day it is made. Let's get to it.

Lemon Almond Tart

Ingredients:
Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 stick (4-oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 large egg yolks
Filling
1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons (3-oz.) blanched almonds, toasted, finely chopped
3 tablespoons (1-1/2-oz.) blanched sliced almonds, toasted
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) To make pastry, place flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center of flour; add butter, lemon zest and egg yolk. Using finger tips work flour until a dough forms. Do not overwork dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.
2) To make filling, place ricotta and sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and almonds.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to fit tart pan. Fit into pan and trim. Pour in filling, smooth top and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake until lightly brown and set, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Remove sides of pan. Sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe adapted from The Essential Dessert Cookbook.