Tag: Speaking

Lemon Berry Tartlets – Puff and Stuff

About 30 years ago, I made puff pastry from scratch in
culinary school. It came out really, really well, and I haven’t made it since.
Why? Because frozen puff pastry is so readily available, so consistently
perfect, and so easy to work with, that the thought of going through all the
time and trouble to make my own seems kind of crazy.

Of course, that’s a poor attitude for a cook, and one I’ve
been fighting against all these years as I convince people that making your own
bread, dressings, cheese, crème fraiche, etc. is a worthwhile pursuit. So,
eventually I will show you how to make puff pastry, and hopefully somehow
reconcile this obvious hypocrisy, but for now, we defrost.

By the way, I realize that berry season is probably over
where you live, but fresh California blackberries were still around a few weeks
ago when I filmed this video, and so I’m posting it anyway, seasonality be
damned. This is really about the technique for making little puff pastry tart
shells anyway, and I’m very confident you’ll figure out how to fill them.

Speaking of which, don’t limit your brainstorming to sweet
treats. These lovely little cups make for a stellar base for all kinds of
savory bites. I’ve filled these with sautéed mushrooms, chicken salads, and
smoked salmon, just to name a few. Regardless of what you fill them with, they
will be very well received. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 tartlets:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, partially thawed (you should get
12 tartlets if you use a 2-inch cutter like I did)

1 beaten egg

1/3 cup lemon curd, vanilla custard, chocolate mousse,
whipped cream, or other appropriate filling

12 fresh blackberries

powdered sugar, as needed

*Bake puff pastry at 400 degrees F. for 13-15 minutes, allow
to fully cool before filling.

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Lemon Curd “Lite” Not Light

I’m calling this lemon curd “lite” because it does have less
fat than most traditional recipes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a “light” recipe.
Calling this recipe “lite” is kind of like calling thin-crust pizza,
“low-carb.” It’s all relative.

Speaking of relative, as I mention in the video,
this would make a great holiday gift, so even if you’re not a big fan of lemon,
pay attention nonetheless.

Above and beyond the nominally fewer calories, I really like
the appearance and texture of this style lemon curd better anyway. Recipes that
contain all yolks instead of whole eggs, and up to twice as much butter, are
just too rich and heavy for my taste.

Since this is typically served as a sauce for things like
gingerbread and scones, or as a filling for cakes, I don’t see the advantages
of an overly heavy concoction. The one exception for me would be pies and
tarts, where you probably do want the more hardcore variations.

I know a lot of you get nervous when whisking eggs over heat
is involved, but as you’ll see, this is really simple to do. Besides, if
tragedy does strike, and you get a few pieces of overcooked eggs in the
mixture, simply put it through a strainer before adding the zest and butter. No
one will ever know! With the holidays right around the corner, I hope you give
this easy, old-fashioned lemon curd I try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/2 cups Lemon Curd:

3 whole large eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest

5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp, cut in 3 or 4 pieces

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Mixed Nuts

With the holiday entertaining season getting closer with
each falling leaf, it’s time to start thinking about those easy, yet still kind
of fancy, snack recipes. These sweet, salty, spicy, party nuts are simple to
make, and will rival those expensive blends at the local Foodies-R-Us.

I find this technique much easier than the stovetop pan
method. You’ll get beautiful, perfectly frosted nuts that are roasted evenly,
with no bitter burned spots. Speaking of which, I played it pretty safe with
the cooking times, so you may be able to go a few minutes longer for a deeper
roast, but, don’t get greedy.

By the way, I always upload these videos to YouTube before I
publish the blog post, and I just finished reading the first few comments. Wow,
they sure have some wild imaginations over there! They claim the video is
loaded with innuendos and lowbrow, double entendre-based humor. How dare they!
They’re LOL’ing, ROFL’ing, and LMFAO’ing all over perfectly innocent recipe
directions. It’s nuts.

Anyway, I hope you give these delicious, candied mixed nuts
a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 cups of nuts:

1 cup raw walnut halves

1 cup raw pecan halves

1 cup unsalted, dry roasted almonds

1 cup unsalted, dry roasted cashews

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne

*For the syrup:

1 or 2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

*Heat to a boil, cook one minute, and pour over nuts!