Mascarpone, Herb, and Tomato Tart

FINALLY! I finished the unfinishable tart chapter! This last recipe started off on the wrong foot. The original recipe called for Fromage Blanc, but the three times I went to Whole Foods to get it, they were out. Thus, the mascarpone cheese. Overall, the substitution was serendipitous--the finished tart was mild, creamy, and had a nice smooth texture. Once the tart shell was blind baked, I poured the custard mixture (a rich blend of cream, eggs, cheese, onions, garlic, and thyme) over the sliced, vine-ripened tomatoes. The tart baked for 30 minutes and made a delicious dinner. I loved how easily this came together and I think it would make the perfect dish to share with friends at a brunch. And the best part is, I can now move on to the Fruit Desserts chapter!

Summer Peach and Apricot Jams

Nothing says summer like homemade jam! I love the process of canning--it makes me feel like I'm in on some old-fashioned secret. While this recipe is not in the Art & Soul of Baking, I thought it would be fun to share. I used a bounty of fresh peaches and apricots from the little market downstairs along with a TON of sugar. I decided to make these batches the "old-fashioned" way, without additional pectin. After simmering and boiling the fruit for 30 minutes, I ladled the jam into sterile jars and processed them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. It's that easy! Hmmmm, now what to make using the jam....

Lemon Meringue Tart

I have to start off with a big thank you to Chris who supplied 10 homegrown, juicy, delicious lemons for this recipe. This recipe truly captures the brightness of summer in one tasty tart shell. The lemon curd filling is both rich and refreshing--the tartness of the lemons is perfectly balanced with a touch of sugar and butter. My favorite part of baking this tart was the meringue topping. Unlike a raw meringue that you cook in the oven, this recipe called for cooking the meringue on the stove top and then whipping it to a fluffy, marshmallow-like consistency. After piping the meringue into elegant swirls, it was time for the fun part--fire! Using a kitchen blow torch, I burnt the ridges of the swirls to create beautiful definition. I shared this tart with my coworkers and I am happy to report that not one crumb made it home. Whenever I want a reminder of summer, this is the tart I'll turn to.

Potato, Onion, and Gruyère Galette

This was the first savory recipe in the tart chapter and it didn't disappoint! I made this for dinner and served it alongside a salad and tomato bisque--yummm! I really loved that this recipe was a galette, or free form tart. I think galettes have a rustic charm to them, and this tart looked gorgeous with it's rich golden crust, bubbly cheese, and browned potatoes. The crust was buttery, flaky and brought out the buttery nutty notes of the cheese and potatoes. The galette had a great combination of textures, from the flaky crust to the creamy cheese, to the melt-in-your-mouth onions. This was a great Sunday night dinner and a recipe that I know I can adapt with a number of cheeses and vegetables in the future.

Sour Cherry Linzer Tart

I am so sad that I've lived this long without having ever made or tasted a linzer tart. The crust of this tart is so different from a traditional pie crust (and a lot more work!). The crust is a mix of butter, flour, hazelnuts, almonds, citrus zest, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar, forming a cookie-like spicy crust. There was also a really cool technique for creating the lattice top--rather than rolling and cutting strips the topping was piped on (great trick!). The filling was really good too--sour cherries plumped up in cherry pomegranate juice. A little bit of cornstarch thickened the sauce and made a delicious glaze for the sour cherries. The finished tart was awesome--it was tart, sweet, spicy, and reminded me of Christmas on a plate. It might seem a little out of place for summer, but I can't wait to make this again for the holidays.

Nectarine Plum Gallette

Gallettes are like free form tarts--instead of using a pie pan, the crust is laid out on a sheet pan, the filling is piled up in the center, and the edges of the crust are folded over. The crust for this gallette was flaky and buttery and stayed crisp, even loaded with juicy fruit. The combination of plums and nectarines was the perfect ode to summer. Ryan and I enjoyed this tart warm out of the oven with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. We went back for seconds--enough said. This one's a keeper.

Mini Chocolate Raspberry Tartlets

The best part of this recipe was the presentation. The tartlets were were the perfect bite-size and each one was topped with a fresh glazed raspberry for a stunning store-bought look. I made these the night before a coworker's baby shower and they held up well. The crust stayed crisp and the ganache had a creamy, luxurious texture. I also like the surprise raspberry jam hidden at the bottom of each tartlet--it added just the right amount of contrast to the rich, dark chocolate. This recipe is a great one to have on hand for those occasions where you want the dessert to look and taste special without spending hours in the kitchen.